On Style: The Surf Car

Can inanimate steel display surf style? One could argue that it comes down to the stories it tells. 

From the by-now clichéd (woodies, VW Transporters) to the bloodlessly functional (Darts and Valiants, Holdens, Toyota 22R pickups) to the rakish (Volvo P1800 shooting brakes, BMW Touring wagons), “surf cars” run the gamut. But when it comes to that signifier of true style—authenticity—you will know it by the salt rust, wetsuit mildew, and flecks of desert carrion dried in the grille.

Exhibit A: Tito Rosemberg’s Land Rover Series III. Rosemberg—in the argument for the most deeply traveled surfer ever—specced the Rover from his native Brazil, flying to the British factory to take delivery. He immediately proceeded to France and Spain and across the Strait of Gibraltar to Morocco. He stopped in Casablanca, where he said he “spent two weeks in a woodshop, doing the interior: sofa bed, bench with sink, stove and fridge, under-bed storage, and a shade awning in the back.” 

Next, he employed topo maps from the Institut Géographique National (as used by the French Foreign Legion) and his own “IPS” (Intuition Positioning System). The Rover toured God knows how many countries, for years and years. No mere car, it was home.

This photo was made by the inimitable Craig Peterson, somewhere south of Agadir. That’s Rosemberg (left), seated next to Kevin Naughton (right). The old campfire dicho is “Smoke follows a fool.” Note that their visages are gloriously unobscured.—Scott Hulet

[Image by Craig Peterson]