In the bustling streets of Vietnam, an extraordinary wooden vehicle resembling a time machine is capturing the attention of onlookers with its unique design and mechanical charm.
This remarkable creation is the brainchild of talented woodworking engineer and YouTube creator Truong Van Dao, who has built a successful YouTube channel dedicated to showcasing his craftsmanship in creating wooden cars. Over the past three years, his journey has been nothing short of remarkable. He began by carving shoebox-sized replicas of classic luxury cars and supercars. His talent quickly gained global attention when he crafted a small wooden Ferrari replica that his son could sit in and be pushed around.
“The Ferrari looked pretty amazing,” he reflected, but soon, he outdid himself with a meticulously detailed Bugatti Centodieci replica. This time, his son could pootle around in the wooden car, which had been shrunk down to a third or half of its original size and fitted with a small electric drivetrain and working steering.
As his audience grew, he gradually became more ambitious. His portfolio expanded to include tanks, trains, scooters, and various stunning mini-supercars. Truong expanded his talents beyond showroom models, producing exquisite and functional replicas of avant-garde concept automobiles such as the Lamborghini Vision GT, Audi Skysphere, and Mercedes Vision AVTR.
But the project that got us hooked isn’t about concept cars; it’s about pure mechanical fantasy art. After drawing inspiration for the design from generative AI, Truong built a bare metal frame, a small electric drivetrain, and a steering and suspension system before working on the woodwork.
The car has big wooden wheels up front with fancy clockwork-style hubs and huge snail-shell hoops on the back that look like reverse ram horns. It also has headlights and interior neons and a curving, slatted wooden roof.
Truong went above and beyond in his artistic efforts by incorporating a complex system of cog-driven lever mechanisms at the front that, when active, provide a wobbling motion similar to wind-powered Strandbeest sculptures. These mechanics give the car a charming touch but don’t help it move.
“Needlessly complicated? Sure. Impractical? Absolutely,” he admits, noting the amusement of locals as he slowly drives it down the street, peering through a tiny slot above the gently moving alien-like mandibles for forward vision.
The wooden vehicle is the most unique invention we’ve seen lately. Watch this amazing mechanical creation in action in the video below:
Source: ND Woodworking Art
