Handmade Wooden-Skinned Car Is a Craftsman's Masterpiece March 14, 2007

Read more Cars , Motoring

The Tryane II is an example of fine craftsmanship by a guy who is aptly named Friend Wood. He spent 2000 hours building the car; a key part of that process involved gluing and stapling together strips of mahogany veneer, and then buffing it to a mirror-like finish.

It's gorgeous, and weighs just 900 pounds. It actually has an internal combustion engine inside that's said to be capable of 70 to 90 miles per gallon. Wouldn't that be a fire hazard? And, we'd hate to see what would happen if this thing got into an accident, splintering up like so many pieces of balsa wood.

But those practical considerations are beside the point. The car will probably end up functioning as a really unusual, one-of-a-kind coffee table, or at least in a coffee table book. – Charlie White

How he did it [Friend Wood, via Born Rich]