Dukes of hazzard car

At first glance, this looks like a collaboration between MTV’s Pimp My Ride and Toys R’ Us, that was put together by someone with an O.C.D. However, it’s actually the handiwork of  James R Ford, an artist with a background in the Fine Arts. Originally from the U.K., he currently resides in Wellington, New Zealand.

Drawing inspiration from the iconic car featured on the Dukes of Hazzard t.v. series, the General Lee, Ford created a much cooler doppelganger dubbed the General Carbuncle. He took some liberties with his interpretation by using a different car model (a Ford Capri instead of a Dodge Charger) and swapping the Confederate flag featured on the roof of the original, for a Union Jack on his version. The sculpture was assembled over a three year period using approximately 4,342 toy cars and let’s just say, quite a bit of glue. What I really enjoy is that James R Ford found a unique way to obtain the necessary supplies and to make the project interactive. He purchased some of the toy cars himself but also asked the public to contribute their unwanted toy cars. Those who contributed were allowed to either write a message or leave their signature in some other form on the cars they sent. Where else would you get the opportunity to sacrifice the Hot Wheels you’ve outgrown, for a chance to make art.