Axon's Automotive Anorak: Weird cars for specific purposes

I came across one such surprising new ‘solution’ just last week that I’d not seen before, when driving on the busy stretch of the E40 motorway that straddles the French/Belgian border, from Dunkirk to Ostend and Bruges.

Ahead of me in the slowing traffic heading into France was a very strange sight. Looking like a prop from the War of the Worlds movie, crawling along the hard shoulder at a snail’s pace was an unusual ‘Douane Francaise’ vehicle, with its driver raised about three metres above the queuing traffic to survey the scene! 

This intriguing ‘car’ had a Viseo sticker on its rump, so with my curiosity aroused, as soon as I stopped at the Euro Tunnel terminal, I researched the vehicle online to find out more above this fascinating machine. My Viseo findings are summarised below, along with a trio of other unusual special purpose-built cars.

U.M.S. Viseo (Mobile Unit Surveillance Tower vehicle)

Built by IRIS France near Lille, the U.M.S. Viseo is a recently-launched all-electric MUST (Mobile Unit Surveillance Tower), which enables its driver to raise the vehicle’s cabin up to a height of four metres high for surveillance use, whilst still able to drive the car from that extended height.

The U.M.S. Viseo MUST has a range of around 75 miles and recharges on a simple domestic plug. Its specific purpose is to deal with security issues, prevention and monitoring actions from a lofty height, with the car intended for use by the police, customs and private security companies.

Kapeta Excalibur (Bespoke Wedding Car)

Purpose-built to order by VIP-LIMO in the Ukraine, the extraordinary Kapeta Excalibur is a long-wheelbase limousine with a twist!

The twist is that this gaudy neo-retro limo has been created specifically for use as a wedding car, with the blushing bride transported in a huge, over-the-top centre curved ‘dome,’ designed to resemble Cinderella’s glass carriage.

Particularly popular in Russia, as well as Morocco, parts of Asia, and increasingly Miami, for those that find the Kapeta Excalibur a trifle too glitzy for their Big Day, VIP-Lim can also offer a more ‘sober’ stretched wedding car limousine conversion, available for the Lincoln Town Car, Chrysler 300C, and even the Chrysler PT Cruiser. Heaven forbid! 

Oh, and before you ask; yes, these American car conversions also still include the bizarre raised centre curved dome. 

Evinrude Rooney Lakester (A Boat in a Car Body)

Amphibious vehicles have existed for many years. From the Second World War GMC DUKW (Duck) and VW Type 166 Schimmwagen military vehicles, through to the 1960s Amphicar and current Dutton Surf, cars that can be driven straight from the road into the water have long been a popular dream. 

In 1970 the Evinrude Rooney Lakester took this dream a stage further by combining the best attributes of a car and a boat in one vehicle, without the compromise of driving a vehicle on the road that handled like a boat! 

Created by famous American car stylist Brooks Stevens – the designer of the 1960s Volkswagen 411 and Excalibur neo-classic roadster – the Lakester was a VW Beetle-powered dune buggy that carried a 14-foot fiberglass boat within its funky bodywork, from where the vehicle was driven.

The idea behind the Lakester was that the buggy could be driving down to the water’s edge, sufficient for the boat to then become afloat for a spot of fishing, cruising or waterskiing. Once it was time to come ashore again, the Lakester’s boat could be hauled onto the back of the four-wheeled buggy with the standard electric winch. The sales appeal of the Lakester proved too limited though, and the project quickly sank without trace.

Minecat UT (Mining utility trucks)

As its name might suggest, Minecat (plus its chief competitor, made by Sudbury Mining Solutions) is a Jeep-like vehicle that rarely sees the light of day.

Developed and built specifically for deep mining use, the Minecat UT-eMV and Sudbury EV Commander ‘Jeeps’ are electric to minimise underground emissions, although Minecat does offer a smoky diesel-engined UT99D alternative as well, which doesn’t sound ideal for underground mining use!