There is nothing modern or practical about Gary Wales’s latest creation. A day old, but from the bygone era of early last century, the 1915 Van Blerck engine that Wales married to a modified pre-1920 fire-truck chassis was one of the most unusual vehicles parked on the sculpture garden of the Art Center College of Design’s Car Classic.

The 19-foot-long blood-red body has gold dials, mirrors and headlights that match the grille. The fin sits atop 38-inch front tires and 40-inch rear tires. The steering wheel is on the right-hand side, with the gear shifter attached to the exterior and the massive chain drive located behind the driver. The exhaust hangs off the passenger side of the rare Van Blerck engine, like a missile ready to be fired.

"It is my salute to the great cars of the heroic period," says Wales, who finished the truck the day before the car show. "That was when driving was an adventure, not just a necessity. When you turned the keys, you hoped the car started. If it started, you didn’t know if it was going to stop."

Wales had some concerns about how well his Van Blerck "Spartan" would travel. But it made the 28-mile drive across Los Angeles freeways to the car show, bumping along Highway 101 at 65 mph—much to the delight of car enthusiasts looking for something truly unique.

"This guy makes the most amazing cars you’ll ever see," says Creig Turner, a Pasadena car collector whose collection includes a 1950 Jaguar XK120, 1956 Austin Healy and 1960 Maserati. "Each is better than the one before."