LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - It’s usually the classic German coupes and American muscle cars that get the restomod treatment, but the bakkies of yesteryear make equally great candidates, and we must admit that the new Mopar Lowliner Concept is one of the finest we’ve seen.
Revealed ahead of the upcoming Sema show for customised vehicles, this low-riding Candy Apple and Dairy Cream coloured truck is the work of Fiat Chrysler’s Mopar accessories division. It’s based on a 1968 D200-series heavy-duty rear-wheel-drive pick-up.
To achieve the dramatic stance that you see here, the boys at Mopar significantly lowered the ride height and lengthened the wheelbase, while also fully boxing the vehicle’s C-channel frame.
Engineers also threw in a 5.9-litre Cummins diesel engine, and created a way to show it off, through a power-tiltable front-hinged bonnet. There’s no word on whether the Cummins straight-six engine was modified further, but in standard form it produces a pretty healthy 242kW and 827Nm. The motor is paired with a six-speed manual gearbox.
Speed humps and steep driveways are dealt with by a custom air suspension on both axles, offering three modes: low, driving height and driving height plus.
Another interesting feature is the ‘smoothie’ look 22-inch wheel design, which mimics the stamped rims that were all the rage in the late 1960s.
The cabin continues the restomod vibes with an orange-amber Blazing Saddle Tan leather seat upholstery, with a “distressed look” to go with your torn jeans. A leather headliner with a Mopar Omega M logo keeps things plush above the driver’s head, while the view ahead is customised with Mopar driving gauges mounted to a unique ‘engine turned’ aluminium panel. In keeping with this truck’s original format, cogs are swopped via a floor-mounted shifter.