Russia’s “Flying Brick”: A 1930s-Style Hot Rod Reborn

Mechanical Mythcraft - There is something irresistibly captivating about machines that seem to leap out of their own era, as though they’ve slipped through a crack in time just to remind us how wildly inventive human imagination can be. In a world where automotive design is increasingly governed by efficiency metrics and software updates, a creation like Russia’s “Flying Brick” feels almost rebellious—an unapologetic celebration of mechanical artistry. What began as a casual sketch on a napkin has evolved into one of the most unusual modern reinterpretations of 1930s hot-rod culture, shaped by two minds who refused to let bold ideas remain merely ideas. 

Russia’s “Flying Brick”—a 1930s-style hot rod custom by Alexander Opanasenko for Sergei Kabargin—known online as ddKaba. (Picture from: TheArsenale)

The Flying Brick is the shared creation of businessman, racing driver, and video blogger Sergei Kabargin—known online as ddKaba—and professional designer Alexander Opanasenko. Their collaboration stretched across seven years, not because of hesitation, but because the vision kept growing more ambitious. Kabargin’s original doodle had the charm of a vintage fever dream, but it needed someone with a sculptor’s intuition and an engineer’s practicality to transform it into a real machine. Opanasenko stepped into that role, crafting a body that marries sharp, retro geometry with a futuristic temperament.  

The Flying Brick hot rod custom, a modern take on 1930s hot-rod culture, uses an aluminum–carbon fiber monocoque that gives it modern stiffness while keeping its weight near 1,200 kilograms. (Picture from: TheArsenale)

Instead of a traditional steel skeleton, they went for a monocoque built from aluminum and carbon fiber. This blend gives the car a structural stiffness worthy of modern performance standards while keeping its weight just around 1,200 kilograms—surprisingly light for something that looks like it could shoulder its way through a brick wall.  

The Flying Brick hot rod custom features an intentionally awkward front bumper that embraces the brutish charm once iconic to early hot rods. (Picture from: AllCarz.ru)

Its exterior doesn’t attempt to hide its personality; instead, it amplifies it. The front bumper is intentionally awkward, leaning into the brutish charm that early hot rods were known for. Superchargers erupt from the hood like mechanical horns, a visual promise that the engine lurking beneath is not meant for polite Sunday drives.  

The Flying Brick hot rod custom showcases oversized, fully exposed exhaust pipes on each side, transforming even its idle into a striking visual spectacle. (Picture from: Drive2ru)

On each side, oversized exhaust pipes sit proudly exposed, turning the simple act of idling into a spectacle. And then, as a counterpoint to all the vintage aggression, the designers added modern touches—most notably the LED headlights that bring a sleek sci-fi crispness to the car’s stern face. The Flying Brick hot rod custom’s cabin is strikingly minimalist and driver-focused, featuring two racing bucket seats, a surrounding roll bar, a straightforward dashboard with racing-style instruments, a sporty steering wheel, and a tall gear lever with essential knobs on the center console.

The Flying Brick hot rod custom has a minimalist, driver-focused cabin with two racing seats, a roll bar, a simple racing-style dashboard, a sporty wheel, and a tall gear lever with essential knobs. (Picture from: AcademeG in Youtube)

Performance-wise, the project left no room for mediocrity. The current prototype, already fully drivable, runs on a supercharged MAST LS7 engine capable of pushing roughly 900 horsepower. For a one-off retro hot rod with the physique of a steel-jawed comic book villain, that kind of power turns the Flying Brick into something far more serious than an art piece. Kabargin has already put it to the test on Russia’s Igora Drive circuit, where it reached 279 km/h—setting a record for that track and hinting that this machine, odd as it looks, can move with startling purpose. 

The Flying Brick hot rod custom, driven by a supercharged MAST LS7 with about 900 horsepower, shows through its immense performance that it was never meant to be just a showpiece. (Picture from: TheArsenale)

Yet it’s not chasing any production goals or attempting to evolve into a commercial model. Kabargin has made it clear: this is a singular car for a singular vision, and it will remain a one-of-one. Its value isn’t measured by rarity alone. The Flying Brick stands as a fascinating example of how modern craftsmanship can breathe life into design philosophies almost a century old. In the 1930s, hot rods were scrappy, personal, built in garages by tinkerers who wanted more speed than mainstream manufacturers could offer.  | QfSDpq-X1TE | m8kdEkSZFaU |

Today, garage culture may be more complex, but the spirit of individualism, experimentation, and mechanical honesty lives on in projects like the Flying Brick, which reinterprets 1930s hot-rod style for a world often dominated by automation. It shows that craftsmanship still matters, a napkin sketch can become a 900-horsepower reality, and imagination combined with engineering can create something truly extraordinary. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | DRIVE2.RU | ALLCARZ.RU | THEARSENALE | TWEETCIIIIM IN X | RAINMAKER1973 IN X | QUIRKYRIDES IN X ]

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