Reimagined 2022 Dodge Deora Concept Is the Crossover We Want
Mixing the past with bold futuristic style, this pickup car crossover is a concept we’d like see become a to reality.
One thing that has always driven the automotive industry forward is innovative design. Often, the brilliant engineers and designers for some of our favorite vehicles, are trying to solve a problem, while push the brand further. Lately, the best example would be the explosion of the crossover segment. Crossovers are in high-demand for their versatility, for their ability to fit into different areas of the market, and customer demand, of course. But, for many of us true Dodge fans, a crossover just doesn’t feel…right. So when we came across a brilliant re-imagining of the Dodge Deora concept for a new world; we loved it.
Okay, to give a little background: Dodge created the Deora as a concept car in 1965. It made its debut at the 1967 Detroit Autorama show. And, it was kind of a trip.
The Deora was based on the Dodge A-100 compact pickup. Much like a Ford Ranchero or Chevy El Camino, it combined a pickup truck with a car. The result was a new type of vehicle, essentially a pre-crossover utility vehicle. However, it also was Dodge, which meant some serious heat was under the hood. Notably, the Deora housed a boosted slant six with an Offenhauser intake manifold and dual carbs.
Overall, the Deora was just interesting. Possessing laidback style, the ride was perfect for storing a surfboard and heading to the beach; but it didn’t lose its Dodge edge.
After its debut, the Deora concept made the rounds at car shows, and sparked a lot of interest and imaginations into possibility. What better place to explore the Dodge Deora than at Hot Wheels? For many years, the concept car enjoyed a very successful second-act as a popular Hot Wheels ride.
But automotive designer Frederik Steve Kristensen had an idea to design the Deora for today? What could the 2022 Dodge Deora be? It is pretty hard not to be intrigued, because this is a concept that we think works.
After we heard about this 2022 Deora at Motor Trend, we needed to take a deeper dive.
Kristensen used his impressive experience as Designer and Engineer at Danish hypercar company Zenvo Automotive, and got to work. He had a clear vision in mind. He wanted to keep the Deora’s original ethos, but fuse it with the future. This informed design choices from purpose to performance.
“The objective of this project was to relive the ’60s where cars were made without having to be perfectly practical, or extremely fast,” he writes of his design. “They should be cool to drive and look at as well as being a bit over the top with the chrome bumpers and wheels.”
Using the profile as a main focus, he began sketching. Clean Scandinavian design blends pretty nicely with classic mopar and muscle.
Of course, when designing a concept, you give the designer a lot more creative freedom. And Kristensen definitely wasn’t afraid to get a little wild.
Obviously, the most controversial aspect for most die-hard mopar fans would be that this is an autonomous vehicle. As such, the controls are actually on a floor panel. And one main door opens up, Jetsons-style.
But the old school design game is strong; and we also get some nice 1970s muscle, and a little sports car vibe.
More than anything, it is a very appealing glimpse at a pickup car concept. There absolutely could and should be a place for such a vehicle in Dodge’s lineup. While Kristensen’s Deora is ingenious, we think that it probably wouldn’t fit the bill anytime in the near future.
But like we said, it is interesting. And it makes us think that this is a crossover we could get excited by. And it isn’t always easy to get excited by crossovers.
However, if we could put our spin on it, we’d love to see the design with a little more Charger represented in the front end. And we’d love to have this baby running on a respectable V6, maybe V8. We love the pickup bed, and the beefy tires, and might just add more lighting.
Wouldn’t it just be really exciting to see Dodge give us their take modern Deora-type vehicle? With the 1960s beachy, off-road capability, add in some 1970s muscle, and today’s style and hiigh-performance? Done right, a modern-day Deora could definitely rattle the pickup and crossover market. And that is a Dodge concept that rattles our bones.
To see more of Frederik Steve Kristensen’s designs, check him out online.
Photos: Frederik Steve Kristensen
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