There are cars that look good, and then there are cars that make you stop and ask questions. The Brough family’s 1936 Chevrolet is one of those. Built by Danie Brough, this car is what happens when imagination becomes the only rule. Danie says he wanted to build something where his creativity had no limits, and the result is a rolling piece of mechanical art with personality, presence and a touch of madness.
The Chevy’s story starts on a farm in Delmas, Mpumalanga, where it had been resting under a tree for decades. It belonged to an elderly woman whose husband had planned to restore it before he passed away. By the time Danie found it, the car was partially sunk into the ground, the woodwork had rotted away, and most people saw nothing more than scrap. Danie originally bought it just for parts and even felt he had made a mistake on the drive home. But once the car was in his yard, something about it demanded attention. That’s when the real build began.
The floor was completely gone, so Danie fabricated a new one that could house the propshaft, internally mounted air suspension and rear diff. The doors were rebuilt from within, retaining only their skins. The center B-pillar was removed to open up the cabin and give easier access, and the body was lowered onto the chassis to create its unmistakable stance. The original patina — more than eight decades of weathering — was preserved under clear coat rather than covered over. The chassis remains original, strengthened and sealed in clear as well.
The suspension setup is where Danie’s imagination truly takes over. The original solid front axle stays in place, but the air suspension is mounted inside the cabin and linked to the front end via pushrods and a mechanical linkage system. The shock absorbers are mounted horizontally. The rear is a four-link setup running matching hidden air. From the outside, the car maintains its traditional old-school look — but the ride is entirely modern.
Under the hood is a Chevrolet 350 V8 sourced from Rocket 88. Danie rebuilt it himself with a 20-thou overbore and a 285-degree cam, while JBL Engineering in Pretoria handled the crank and head work. The gearbox is a Turbo 350 automatic from the same donor. Danie designed his own shifter system using two red levers on the tunnel, giving the interior a functional mechanical feel. The exhaust system is a sculptural piece of its own — balanced branches designed to look organic, with silencers hidden vertically in the uprights.
The exterior details push the car’s character further. The headlights are recessed deep into the body for a hollow, skeletal expression. Wheel arch stiffeners were reshaped into tentacle-style indicator mounts. The original steel rims were widened at the rear and powder coated. On the boot lid, Danie placed a Rorschach inkblot instead of a pinstripe — a psychological image intended to spark interpretation and conversation.
Inside, Danie’s vision continues. Unable to find an upholsterer who understood the direction, he learned the craft himself. The seats are trimmed in green ostrich leather with red inserts, the same leather wraps the dashboard, and the roof lining is finished in fur — originally used to hide mistakes, now one of the interior’s most striking elements. The result is a cabin that feels like stepping inside the creature hinted at by the exterior.
Danie says his favourite feature is the face of the car — the grille and front profile — which to him resembles something between a grasshopper and a demon. Once seen, it cannot be unseen.
He acknowledges his wife and family as his greatest supporters, always willing to get involved and help bring the madness to life.
“I can’t say this is my dream car,” Danie says, “it’s more like something from my dreams. But it reflects me. Every car I build has a piece of my soul in it.”
This one carries that soul proudly — raw, strange, and unforgettable.
