Island hoppers, here’s a custom classic created for that laid-back resort lifestyle, complete with banana-leaf seats and a “bamboo” tailpipe.
The Pick of the Day is a tiny 1948 Crosley station wagon transformed into a Tiki Taxi for cruising whatever South Pacific island you happen to find yourself. Or perhaps parking outside your little thatched hut.
The Tiki Taxi appears to be well-finished by some eccentric customizer whose vision was embellished with palm trees, sandy beaches and grass skirts.
The Crosley is advertised on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, which seems strange; you’d expect to find such a thing on Fiji, Maui or Tahiti, not in a landlocked town near Pittsburgh. There’s no word in the ad as to who built it or why.
In the ad, the dealer lists the various custom attributes of the Tiki Taxi:
• Beautiful gold-and-yellow pearl paint-candy green/white taxi checkers with rainbow sparkle flakes in the clear coat.
• Real bamboo-weaved “woody” body panels, trimmed with natural “fuzzy” rope.
• Stunning real banana-leaf weaved seats.
• Front seats hinge forward, rear is a wrap-around chair.
• Interior has a rope-wrapped steering wheel, cool vintage taxi meter and a rare original Crosley radio.
• Bamboo front grille with a tiki head and dragon fly, custom “hula girl” beer-tap shifter knob.
• Custom-made bamboo roof rack with vintage-style luggage and cooler.
• Working taxi roof light and neat vintage NOS boat spotlight.
• Air-brushed small original tailpipe to look like bamboo, complete with silk leaves.
• All new glass and rubber seals; no front (door) glass to keep that “island” feel.
• New original chrome hubcaps with painted Crosley lettering.
• New Coker 12-inch radial wide-whitewall tires, powder-coated wheels with “hand- painted” gold factory-style pinstripes.
Judging by the description, the custom Crosley is meant to be driven rather than put on static display, perhaps parked by the front door of an island café. It certainly would be more of an attention getter than one of those fringe-topped Fiat Jollys.
This one-of-a-kind Tiki Taxi can be had for $19,998.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day
