TIME FURTHER OUT
Octane|October 2023
Only 28 examples of the Brubaker Box kit van were ever made - but it influenced a whole generation. Mark Dixon gets his groove on
Mark Dixon
TIME FURTHER OUT

The year is 2476, and Earth has been devastated by pollution and the collapse of civilisation. Into the wasteland rides a streamlined, six-wheeled vehicle called Ark II, with a biblically named crew of scientists: Jonah, the captain; Ruth, Samuel, and Adam. Their mission is to locate the last traces of humanity, and to attempt to bring them out of the new Dark Ages. Oh, and by the way, Adam is a talking chimpanzee.

That last piece of information is a hint as to the reality of the fiction. Ark II was the title of a 1976 low-budget American TV series for youngsters, with what now seems a prescient eco theme. Mostly filmed on the Paramount Ranch studio facility in California, it ran for just one season of 15 episodes and is firmly in the 'so bad, it's good' category. But it's fondly remembered among petrolheads for featuring a heavily modified version of the vehicle you see here: the Brubaker Box.

Its creator, Curtis Brubaker, has had an amazing career. Technical innovations in which he's had a hand include Bill Lear's original Lear Jets, the eight-track cassette player, the touch screen, haptic buttons and headup displays. He will always be most closely associated with the van that bears his name, however, a radically different and yet supremely practical vehicle that debuted at the 1972 Los Angeles International Motorsports Show, and which spawned numerous magazine front covers and influenced a generation of car enthusiasts. Unfortunately, financial reality killed the dream, and just three factory-built Boxes and a further 25 kits were made before the project died.

Denne historien er fra October 2023-utgaven av Octane.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra October 2023-utgaven av Octane.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA OCTANESe alt
The Pro route to faster lap times
Octane

The Pro route to faster lap times

Mercedes-AMG GT 63 Pro 4Matic+

time-read
2 mins  |
January 2025
The power to corrupt
Octane

The power to corrupt

2024 Aston Martin Vanquish

time-read
2 mins  |
January 2025
Hyperactivate!
Octane

Hyperactivate!

1967 Austin-Cooper MkII 998 by Crafted Classics Tuning Glen Waddington

time-read
2 mins  |
January 2025
De Tomaso Racing Blue Blood
Octane

De Tomaso Racing Blue Blood

IF THE MARQUE De Tomaso is mainly familiar to you through cars such as the Mangusta, the Pantera, maybe the Longchamps and, if you're next-level classic car geek, racers such as the P70, then the sheer variety to be found in this mammoth tome is going to come as something of a shock. There are literally dozens profiled here, and one or two will probably be news to even the most seasoned enthusiast.

time-read
4 mins  |
January 2025
The best watch in the world
Octane

The best watch in the world

We've been here, but it bears repeating these gems will soon be cheaper than a 1st class stamp

time-read
2 mins  |
January 2025
A star is reborn
Octane

A star is reborn

This recently revived coachbuilt beauty made the final four at the Pebble Beach concours in August

time-read
8 mins  |
January 2025
REINVENTING THE WHEEL
Octane

REINVENTING THE WHEEL

The gyroscopically stabilised Gyro-X blurred the line between reality and science fiction. Sam Glover takes the prototype for a spin

time-read
10+ mins  |
January 2025
SAYONARA GT-R
Octane

SAYONARA GT-R

After a remarkable 17-year career, the supercar-humbling Nissan GT-R bows out on a high

time-read
2 mins  |
January 2025
Shiro Nakamura
Octane

Shiro Nakamura

Nissan’s long-standing Chief Creative Officer became architect of the marque’s style-led revival… and is also known as ‘Mr GT-R’

time-read
7 mins  |
January 2025
LIGHT SPARKS
Octane

LIGHT SPARKS

How does the electric Tesla Roadster compare today?

time-read
7 mins  |
January 2025