Newly arrived Hustler is turning heads

New six-wheeled arrival is turning heads

There’s a wheely special new exhibit at the Lakeland Motor Museum in Cumbria.

The Hustler six wheeler might have come from the pages of an early sci fi novel with its futuristic people carrier looks. Some say it’s the forerunner of the modern SUV vehicle – others say it looks like a Popemobile!

One thing is sure – this Mini-based kit car is something of a head turner.

The Hustler was the outcome of a project which began in 1978 and was the brainchild of British car designer Bill Towns who was known for his work on the Aston Martin 1967 DBS and the futuristic and angular Lagonda. The Hustler was later developed into a kit car by his Interstyl design studio.

The museum’s new exhibit features an Austin Allegro 1275cc engine mounted on the front subframe of a Mini. The rear four wheels are two British Leyland Mini rear subframes.

It was designed as an off road utility vehicle and this version has a steel frame with glass fibre panels. They sold at a price of between £1700 and £2000. Some were made into ice cream vans.

They were light, easy to drive, with a long lasting fibre glass body. At the 1981 Earl’s Court Motor Show a wooden version was introduced.

Brochures at the time told prospective buyers: “You don’t need to be a cabinet maker to build the body, all the joints are easily within the ability of a typical handyman.”

Chris Lowe, Curator at the Lakeland Motor Museum, says: “It’s a striking looking vehicle and we are very grateful to the kind donator who passed the vehicle to us.

“There are only around 81 registered with the DVLA so they are increasingly rare. They come up for sale occasionally and benefit from the connection with the Bill Towns name. Models have sold for anything ranging from £8,000 to £16,000.”

The Hustler is being displayed at the museum along with a 1969 Moulton bicycle.

It’s a good mix as Alex Moulton who designed the bike also designed the Mini’s rubber cone suspension which features on the Hustler. The Moulton Bike was kindly donated to the museum by Eunice Storey from Grange Over Sands. The original receipt shows it was bought brand new back in 1971 from a shop in Stockport for £38.85.

The Lakeland Motor Museum has a collection of over 140 classic cars and motorbikes and a total of 30,000 items of automobilia. People living in Cumbria and North Lancashire can get half price entry to the museum with a Local Residents’ Discount Card from now until May 1, 2025. The card can also be used at the museum’s sister company Windermere Lake Cruises for trips on England’s longest lake Windermere.