When I first saw the above image I almost fell off my chair (which at my age can be hazardous). This spectacular custom, the 1967 Dodge Deora, appeared to vindicate what I've been saying for years: that the conventional American pickup's proportional efficiency sucks because of its three-box layout. So much space is occupied by the hood and cab that the pickup box seems almost an afterthought. When I proposed this idea on the About Cars site a number of years ago I was deluged with insulting e-mails from viewers so dedicated to the traditional pickup they couldn't conceive that there might be a better way. Some (mostly from Texas) actually threatened me with bodily harm. All I'd suggested was that if the engine was under the floor and the cab forward, the load capacity could be hugely expanded. Volkswagen had already demonstrated this with its "double cabin pickup," which preceded by decades our contemporary crew cabs.
The futuristic cab-forward Dodge Deora was created as a custom vehicle for the 1967 Detroit Autorama, where it won the Ridler Award. The Dodge Division of Chrysler Corporation adopted it as one of its own, from which it went on to become one of the company's most popular show cars. Designed by Harry Bentley Bradley, the Deora was handcrafted by the legendary duo of Larry and Mike Alexander, two of the most talented builders of their era. For years tucked away in a private collection of mostly rods and customs, it will be offered by RM Auctions at the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles on September 26. I hope that whoever buys this beauty realises it is still more about the future than the past.