This Week’s Weird and Wonderful—March 20, 2026 You Should Know
If you’re reading this, you’ve made it to another Friday. Let’s call that a win. To celebrate, we’re bringing you our Weekly Weird and Wonderful, a curated list of the most interesting and unusual vehicles on BaT this week. This is but a taste of the goodness that can be found among the 1,000+ auctions currently live on the site, so once you’ve finished perusing the list, head on over to our live auctions page for even more automotive fun.
Enjoy this week’s selection of Weird and Wonderful BaT auctions, and let us know what else you think should be on our list!
1983 Ford Probe IV Concept by Ghia
The Ford Probe IV concept was part of a series of aero studies, where Ford “probed” for lower drag coefficients. The journey to zero Cd began with Don Kopa, the man who designed the 1967 Mustang, and he set his sights on slick. The first concept was the modest Fox Body-based Probe I, and by 1983, Ford and Kopa had thrown every trick in their aerodynamic arsenal at the Probe IV. This fourth iteration featured a futuristic designer doorstop shape that hugged the ground—it was low. With a rear-mounted radiator and A/C compressor, a low roofline, and features like wheel spats, faired-in headlights, and a retractable air dam, the concept achieved a .152 coefficient of drag in wind tunnel testing..
Carrozzeria Ghia handled the bodywork, and this Probe IV concept was one of two cars built. (The second car, 002, is a functioning example being featured by our friends over at the Petersen Automotive Museum). This one was Ford’s wind-tunnel mule, featuring a fiberglass body over a wooden frame with steel subframes. And while it lacks a drivetrain, the rolling sculpture features a chain and sprocket system to simulate various ride heights. It was long held in the private collection of Gullo Ford’s proprietor in Conroe, Texas, and was purchased by the seller in 2024.
This automotive ophthalmology machine is called the Lucas Beamsetter, and in the early 1960s, it was used to align sealed beam headlights. The device, consisting of a mailbox, a lens, and a mirror, helped technicians ensure that headlamps were parallel to each other and sighted properly down the road. When adjusted correctly, a set of 1960s sealed beams could illuminate nearly ten feet in front of the vehicle!
1986 Mitsubishi Mighty Max-Based “Kilroy Special” Roadster
Park this over the pit at your local oil change joint, and the grease monkeys below might not see anything out of the ordinary. That’s because this steampunk roadster is a mini-truck underneath—specifically a 1986 Mitsubishi Mighty Max. God bless the ladder frame chassis. The build is the second custom creation we’ve auctioned from master fabricator Jimmy Kilroy of Moal Coachbuilders, and the body is a reimagined version of a pre-war roadster race car rendered in bare aluminum. We are really digging the unique combination of the fantastical and the practical here—there aren’t many one-of-one custom-bodied cars that can pass a California emissions test and tow a small boat.
1955 Lancia Aurelia B24S Spider America
The Aurelia launched Lancia’s postwar renaissance, and the design of the B24 Spider America was a chef’s kiss. There are no superlatives that can capture its sheer beauty—just look at it! Pinin Farina dressed a shortened B20 chassis with spider bodywork, which included a lower hood line, a panoramic windshield, split bumpers, and elegant low-profile doors sans handles. A mere 240 were built in its short production life, and this example is one of 181 made in left-hand drive, as denoted by the S (sinistra). A previously-started refurbishment was finally completed in the early 2010s, and today it’s wonderfully presented by BaT Local Partner @hymanltd on behalf of its current owner, who’s owned it since 2017.
Demon-Powered 2021 Rezvani Tank and 2024 TAG BATT UMG Armored Personnel Carrier
Though Rezvani Tank looks like it was designed to have a very small radar signature, inconspicuous it is not. Without reading the manufacturer’s literature, we can assure you that the word “tactical” is deployed no less than a dozen times. This example is the un-armored variant without the optional smoke screen and chase lights, so it must rely upon speed for evasion. For that reason, it packs a 1,000-horsepower Demon Hemi, and we hope the Jeep Wrangler driveline has been prepared for it. Thus far, there are five bidders vying for this beast, though we’re assuming all of them are alt accounts belonging to Jason Statham.
The TAG BATT UMG is the only vehicle named by cavemen, and this example is armored up to “civilian specification.” Nothing too serious— just enough to fend off the kinds of small arms fire one might encounter while laying siege to a Costco. The underlying vehicle is a Ford F600 4×4 with two rows of seating, and jump seats in the back can accommodate an enhanced tactical fireteam and all of their paintball gear. If it gets too hot, the aft windows—er, gun ports, crank open for ventilation.
1989 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale Brougham Limousine Conversion
Mechanically speaking, the idea of a front-wheel-drive limousine conversion makes a lot of sense. The stretch is all in the body, with no need to extend the driveline. The vehicle was created by an outfit named Concept Coach, which dominated the uncontested “entry-level limo” segment in the late 1980s. To come in on budget while solving for complexities that might arise while lengthening a unibody vehicle, they simply grafted two Delta 88s together—a coupe in the back, and half of a sedan from the A/B pillar forward. Like a centaur with four human legs. While the solution may look strange on the outside, the interior has three whole rows of those squishy velour seats that we could spend the rest of our lives in.
There was no prescription needed to buy this “over-the-counter” racer—Suzuki built the RGB500 for privateers participating in the 500cc Grand Prix competition. During the ’70s and ’80s, Suzuki made headlines when its square-four two-stroke GP bikes took on the world of 500cc Grand Prix racing, beginning with the RG500, which won seven constructors’ championships, four world titles, and over 50 individual races. Privateers competitively participating in Grand Prix racing were sold the nearly-identical RGB500 MK8 racer, allowing them to challenge big names like Barry Sheene and Mick Grant, who piloted works machines to acclaim under UK importer Heron-Suzuki. This is example is currently offered by the selling dealer for off-road use only.
SEMA-Exhibited, Safari-Style 1991 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Coupe Conversion 3.8L 6-Speed
Russell Built built a Porsche better; Russell dubbed the better Built build the “Baja.” Originally a cabriolet, this Carrera 4 received its Baja makeover from a Porsche outfit named Russell Built. This car served as their Baja Prototype 01, and the extensive transformation included a Rothsport Racing-built 3.8L flat-six with ITBs and a MoTeC ECU, flared-out composite bodywork, an all-wheel drive conversion, and Rotiform Baja wheels. Additional rally touches are noted throughout, and a chromoly roll cage and an olive-and-black Alcantara motif are seen inside. This prototype was displayed at the 2019 SEMA Show, and it recently sold to its newest caretaker, who we hope takes it out to surf the dunes!
Ex-Viper Team ORECA 1999 Chrysler Viper GTS-R
To say the Viper GTS-R was dominant in GT racing would be an understatement. In fact, it cemented itself into the annals of motorsport history. This ex-Viper Team works car, chassis C20, is one of just five cars built by ORECA for the 1999 FIA GT Championship series and was fielded by a number of drivers including Jean-Philippe Bloc, David Donohue (son of Mark), and Dominque Dupuy. Following its numerous wins, podiums, and various palmarès, the car continued to race in the FFSA GT series during the early 2000s. Since its first refurbishment, it’s been campaigned regularly in vintage race events, and the current configuration is a throwback to its 1999 Watkins Glen victory. The fine folks at @FantasyJunction brought this racer to the auction block.
1993 Subaru Vivio T-Top 5-Speed
The kei class Vivio was an ideal solution for car buyers offended by the tremendous mass of the Civic del Sol. This bodystyle was billed the T-top, but the actual construction is much more interesting. The removable roof is sectioned into three panels for smaller stowage, and the motorized rear window is a clamshell assembly that retracts fully into the body. With all the pieces in place, the car has a full hardtop. Somehow, the backlight apparatus does not compromise interior space—the T-top Vivio still has a rear bench with shoulder belts, though frankly we’d rather ride on the cool spoiler-style luggage rack.
Honorable Mentions:
14k-Mile 1990 Ferrari Testarossa Project
Few automotive pursuits have the allure and danger of a “Ferrari project.” This poor redhead suffered a side impact right in front of the seller’s house, and was declared a total loss by insurance. BUT, mirabile dictu, the Illinois DMV does not issue salvage titles for vehicles over a certain age, and thus it sits, with a clear title, in running and driving condition, though in need of a new door and rear quarter and other associated work. We’re sure someone out there in the BaT community has the necessary skills to get it back into fighting shape.
1982 Alfa Romeo GTV6 Balocco Special Edition
The GTV6 Balocco Special Edition wasn’t named after a designer handbag or a pair of shoes, but after Alfa’s famed Balocco proving grounds in Italy. And you could also have it in any color you’d like as long as it was Alfa Red. This example is #201 of 350 produced.
When this charming little open-wheel racer was built, it complied with FIA Formula Four regulations, which stipulated the use of motorcycle engines and a minimum weight of 440 lbs. Maximum displacement edged up from 675cc to 875cc over the course of a few years, which sounds small, but don’t forget that F1 cars of the era were restricted to 1.5 liters. It currently runs a specially-prepped 1-liter BMW airhead motor, and ought to be able to surprise drivers in more expensive hardware from the period.
Thanks for checking out this edition of the Weekly Weird & Wonderful! Follow this page to get updates when new installments post, and tell what caught your eye or what you think we’ve left out!
