Andy Saunders' Dodge Daroo I Tribute

Andy Saunders' Dodge Daroo I Tribute debuted at the Beaulieu Custom and American Show in June of 2025. Andy’s faithful recreation of the Barris-built, Bill Brownlie–designed 1967 Dodge Daroo I was built on a 1969 Dodge Dart and finished in approximately 1,200 hours. A dream sparked by the book Barris Kustoms of the 1960s in 2000, the low-slung, golden-orange Daroo is back to wow a new crowd on the other side of the world. Photo courtesy of Andy Saunders.

The original 1968 Dodge Daroo I, a Barris-built factory show car conceived with Dodge design chief Bill Brownlie. Based on a 1967 Dodge Dart GT 383 convertible, the body was shortened 10 inches at the rear and lengthened 17 inches up front, with a sharp V-nose and low wraparound windshield with rear-deck extensions, and a metal tonneau to make it a two-seat roadster. Debuted late in 1967 in Pearl Honey Yellow, it toured again in lime-green candy, then retired. Thankfully, the car survives.

The donor car. Andy’s 1969 Dodge Dart convertible, the platform for his Daroo tribute. After owning it for about 15 years, Saunders pulled it from storage in January 2025 to start the build that would debut at Beaulieu in June the same year. Photo courtesy of Andy Saunders.

A head-on view of the tribute build, showing the deep V-nose with a full-width horizontal grille, twin hood intake stacks, and a low wraparound screen captures the Daroo I’s signature face on Andy’s 1969 Dart–based tribute. Photo courtesy of Andy Saunders.

Photo courtesy of Andy Saunders.

Photo courtesy of Andy Saunders.

Rear view shot of the tribute. A low wraparound screen with rear-deck extensions, metal tonneau, rocker-panel exhausts, and a horizontal-bar rear panel echoes the Barris/Brownlie original. Photo courtesy of Andy Saunders.

The only exterior change he made was relocating the fuel filler. Instead of the original single cap in the middle of the quarter panel, he fitted twin caps on the tonneau cover to keep the quarter panel clean and flowing. Photo courtesy of Andy Saunders.

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Photo courtesy of Andy Saunders.

Photo courtesy of Andy Saunders.

Photo courtesy of Andy Saunders.

A “67 DODGE SHOWCAR – DETROIT” display plate nods to the factory roots of the 1967 Daroo I, fitted to the horizontal-bar rear panel on Andy’s tribute. Photo courtesy of Andy Saunders.

Five-spoke vintage Parnelli Jones mags wrapped in goldline Firestone Super Sports echo the wheels and stance of the original Daroo I. Photo courtesy of Andy Saunders.

A Daroo custom script emblem echoing the original show-car branding. Photo courtesy of Andy Saunders.

Period Cibie-style headlamps were authentically replicated using NOS Talbot 180 units with rare NOS Citroën AMI-8 surrounds, as on the Barris car. Photo courtesy of Andy Saunders.

Two-seat cockpit. Inside, Saunders intentionally diverged from the original’s heavier seats and gauge-laden flat under-dash console. Inspired by the Alexander Brothers' Deora, which he studied at Amelia Island in 2025, he fabricated fiberglass “aircraft”-style bucket shells trimmed in period black pleats, designed a spear-tip center console echoing the Daroo’s hood stripe. Photo courtesy of Andy Saunders.

Cockpit details. Pleated black naugahyde buckets and a spear-tip center console with ribbed trim and a show-car telephone, echoing the original Daroo I’s futuristic look. Photo courtesy of Andy Saunders.

Under-dash TV. A period Admiral set mounted below the dashboard. Pure late-1960s show-car theater, faithfully carried over on Andy’s Daroo tribute. Photo courtesy of Andy Saunders.

GT. Photo courtesy of Andy Saunders.

Photo courtesy of Andy Saunders.

Photo courtesy of Andy Saunders.

Unveiled before a packed crowd in mid-June 2025, Andy's Daroo tribute made its first public appearance at Beaulieu Custom and American Show. Photo courtesy of Andy Saunders.

Supernats from above. This overhead view showcases the long, low silhouette, twin hood stacks, wraparound screen, and two-seat cockpit of Andy's Daroo tribute. Photo courtesy of Steve Baines.

Another overhead view from the Supernats. Photo courtesy of Steve Baines.

Andy crafted a full-width taillamp setup from four Mercury Cougar assemblies with the vertical cages removed, one at each end, and the other two cut and bonded to form the center section. Photo courtesy of Andy Saunders.

A favorite Saunders touch. "I just love full width lights," he told Kustomrama. Photo courtesy of Andy Saunders.

Published in November of 2022, The Automotive Alchemist is abook that dives into the universe of UK master fabricator Andy Saunders. A tapestry of inspiration, resilience, and craftsmanship unfolds over 464 pages adorned with 1,055 behind-the-scenes photographs, telling the story of a young man from Poole with an endless imagination. This book is not your typical book about custom cars; It's a scrapbook of Andy's life. A personal odyssey and a tribute to raw talent and an enduring spirit sculpted by love, loss, and passion.

Featured Story - Andy Saunders

Andy Saunders' Dodge Daroo I is a tribute to a radical factory show car created by Dodge design manager Bill Brownlie in collaboration with George Barris of Barris Kustoms. Based on a 1967 Dodge Dart GT convertible with the rare 383 CID engine, the body was shortened 10 inches at the rear and lengthened 17 inches up front, with a sharp V-nose and low wraparound windshield giving it a futuristic roadster profile. Finished in Pearl Honey Yellow, the Daroo debuted as part of Chrysler’s Scat Pack and Rapid Transit show-circuit displays.

Andy Saunders of Poole, Dorset, UK first discovered the Daroo in the book Barris Kustoms of the 1960s around 2000. "The Daroo just grabbed me by the eyeballs," he told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama in July of 2025. "I knew that one day I would build myself one.” He acquired the donor car, a 1969 Dodge Dart, around 2010, but after his mother’s passing, the project was stored and untouched for years. In 2024–2025, he considered selling it, then decided to finish the tribute. "I had virtually everything. Wheels, tyres, lights, and steering wheel, so why not get on with it?"

Work began on January 13, 2025. Before starting the build, he sourced a 1967 Dodge Dart hood, making his base vehicle identical to a 1967 Dodge Dart. Saunders built the tribute using only two enlarged reference photos from Barris Kustoms of the 1960s, which he kept on the workshop floor and studied whenever design questions arose.

The only exterior change he made was relocating the fuel filler. Instead of the original single cap in the middle of the quarter panel, he fitted twin caps on the tonneau cover to keep the quarter panel clean and flowing. Vintage 1960s Parnelli Jones five-spoke mags with spinners were sourced as a set from Seattle, chosen to match the original Daroo's look. The wheels were wrapped in goldline Firestone Super Sports tires. Period Cibie-style headlamps were authentically replicated using NOS Talbot 180 units with rare NOS Citroën AMI-8 surrounds, as on the Barris car. The elongated hexagonal mesh beneath the “melted” hood stacks was recreated from a 1955 Buick Super flat grille insert, cut into two panels.

Inside, Saunders intentionally diverged from the original’s heavier seats and gauge-laden flat under-dash console. Inspired by the Alexander Brothers' Deora, which he studied at Amelia Island in 2025, he fabricated fiberglass “aircraft”-style bucket shells trimmed in period black pleats, designed a spear-tip center console echoing the Daroo’s hood stripe, and installed a period under-dash TV as a nod to Barris’ show-car theater. Targeting its debut at the Beaulieu Custom and American Show, Saunders completed the car on June 15, 2025, after spending approximately 1,200 hours in the garage.

Additional Information

• Click here for more from Andy Saunders at www.andysaunders.net