15 AWESOME OFFICE DESKS MADE FROM REPURPOSED CARS

15 Awesome Office Desks Made from Repurposed Cars
By Julian, Business Pundit, 24 May 2013.

The effect a good office desk can have on productivity and organization should not be underestimated. It can be a big boost to your business. And while factors like space and the type of work being done need to be considered, some people prefer much more personal prerequisites when it comes to choosing the perfect work desk.

Ever since they were first introduced, cars have inspired legions of admirers and die-hard fanatics - some of whom are clearly eager to bring their passion for automobiles into the workplace. Given the sturdy nature of cars, it’s perhaps no surprise that they can be converted to make perfect office desks - and the possibility of making something new from old materials may appeal too. Read on to discover 15 awesome office desks made from repurposed cars.

15. Mini Cooper

The Mini Cooper was first produced in 1961 as a performance variant of the Mini, and it has since become a visual classic. Over the years, the Mini shape has grow to be so iconic that in the 1990s, current owners the Rover Group were permitted to trademark-register the design of the car itself - and its look certainly makes for a distinctive desk. Starting at US$3,773 (£2,500), this handmade item comes with working features that include stereo speakers and functional headlights, hazards and spotlights. It’s also extremely customizable - whether you take the colour scheme or the license plate. Completing the desk with “go-faster” racing stripes might be a good choice if you’re used to a heavy workload.

14. 1947 Mercedes Coupe

Patients at Dr. Dave Meyers’ DJM Orthodontics in Conway, Arkansas can enjoy stepping back in time to a world filled with retro - albeit repurposed - vehicles. Meyers’ infatuation with ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s cars is clear to anyone who walks through the door. Before being treated in a space designed to replicate a vintage Sinclair filling station, patients’ first port of call is the office’s “woodie wagon” reception desk. Constructed from a once-rusted 1947 Mercedes Coupe bought for US$100, it has been fitted with the wooden cabinet body that gives it its name. Unfortunately, Mercedes grilles were not easy to find, and Meyers was forced to improvise by fitting the Coupe with a 1946 Ford grille - a task he describes as “not a bolt-in job”.

13. Chevrolet Corvette C6

Craftsman Brian Bauer specializes in making original furniture pieces, including bars and barbecues, using cars like old Shelby Mustangs, 1969 Chevrolet Camaros and even 4×4 trucks. However, this handmade Chevrolet Corvette desk takes the checkered flag and would be a more than welcome addition to any piston head's office space. First introduced in 1953, the Corvette has remained popular for six decades, and Bauer’s Corvette desks are available in either of the last two generations of the vehicle - the 1997 to 2004 C5 model or the 2005 to 2013 C6 (the C7 is due out in 2014). As Autoevolution.com says of the item, “Now you can increase your productivity from 0 to 60 in a matter of seconds.”

12. Volkswagen Van

Space is a crucial factor to consider when shopping for a new desk for your business, and this is one repurposed car desk design that makes the most of the square feet available. Retaining the original shape, the Volkswagen van desk has enough space for three lucky employees - and even without its right side, rear, roof and windows, the classic automobile design is still instantly recognizable. What’s more, while it may have lost a great deal of its interior, the van has headlights that are still functional. This desk can be found parked on the floor at Danbury Motor Caravans near Bristol in the UK, and it’s an item well suited to the company - a family-run business that converts old VW vans into motorhomes.

11. 1965 Ford Mustang

The Ford Mustang first appeared on April 17, 1964 and created quite a buzz upon its arrival, with favourable articles written in 2,600 publications the morning after it was officially unveiled. It even made an appearance in the 1964 James Bond movie Goldfinger - the film that made a star out of the Aston Martin DB5. The Ford Mustang has been in production ever since, winning awards and amassing a large fan base for almost half a century. Among its admirers is Sweetsofas.com, a website that describes itself as “dedicated to our passion for building the ultimate in automotive furniture” and which has produced a range of homeware repurposed from original Mustangs. This stylish desk is the perfect place for a Mustang enthusiast to work - as well as store their other Mustang memorabilia, be it desk calendars or clocks.

10. Chevrolet Corvette C5

This awesome hand-built desk was made from the salvaged wreck of a C5 Corvette, and the top of the car’s distinctive trunk should make for an efficient workspace. The piece features working dimmable lights, exhaust pipes made from stainless steel, and handcrafted aluminium engraved knobs. It also showcases a glass top and an etched nameplate and is available in various woods and finishes - and with a paint job to customize it to suit your office. This desk, currently priced at US$2,590, shows off an old classic, recycles what could have been wasted, and may make doing business just that bit more fun.

9. Land Rover

Some people are just crazy about cars - to the extent that they don’t just want to keep them on the road. This DIY Land Rover desk makes an all-terrain piece of office furniture out of something that may just have been sent to the scrap yard. The glass workspace sits on top of the iconic Land Rover front, and even though it’s one of the simplest designs in this list, it’s certainly effective. It boasts a great amount of space, and the entire front end of the car remains intact, making a definitive statement and offering a distinctive-looking business solution for any die-hard Land Rover fan.

8. 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

The 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am appeared prominently in the Burt Reynolds movie Smokey and the Bandit, released that same year. The movie, which was a financial success, made a star out of the car and spawned a number of sequels - which also acted as a showcase for both the second and third Trans Am generations. This is one of the larger repurposed desks on this list, incorporating as it does almost the entire hood of the car. The vehicle’s black exterior complements the wooden part of the desk, while the gold Firebird logo makes its origins hard to mistake. And it’s certainly gone down well with the fans, earning high praise from members of online Trans Am fan club Bandittransamclub.com.

7. 1959 Cadillac

If there’s one type of establishment that could do with a little light-hearted distraction, it might just be an orthodontist’s office. Dr. Dave Meyers, whose place of work we spied earlier, has filled his office with mid-20th century cars and retro memorabilia. On top of the 1947 Mercedes Coupe reception desk and vintage Sinclair filling station design, the space also includes this ultra-cool 1959 Cadillac desk. This is Meyers’ own personal workspace, parked near a window and resplendent in red and white. The positioning of the car offers Meyers the ideal perspective, looking out onto the Sinclair station area that houses his treatment facility. Meyers says of the construction, “The candy and pearl white looks great outside, but alas, it will never be outside.” Luckily for him, though, there is some consolation: “The sun shines though my office window and hits it in the mornings, though, so I get to see it ‘right’ occasionally.”

6. 1957 Chevrolet

As well as the Ford Mustang desk featured earlier, Sweetsofas.com has also made a rather eye-catching piece of furniture out of this bright red 1957 Chevrolet. With a neat and simple table top incorporated in the hood of the classic ‘57 Chevy, the desk version has a slight advantage over the repurposed ‘57 Chevy bar also available on the site in that it features a complete set of front wheels. And behind these are two rows of drawers, ensuring a compact but functional and organized space in which to conduct business.

5. Mercedes-Benz SL

South African designer Katie Thompson has made a career out of turning everyday items into objects for the home and office. Still, one of her biggest challenges so far came when she was asked to design an entire study using parts of a Mercedes-Benz SL. After using its aesthetic know-how to make a foray into the world of furniture production, the automotive giant collaborated on a new range with Thompson, who is said to have a real ability to envisage design details in her mind. The car’s dashboard became a unique desk that made novel use of the car’s original features. The ignition lock was turned into a USB charger, while the air vents were repurposed as a slot for business cards. Elsewhere, the car seat itself became a luxury office chair, and the rear-view mirror was transformed into a desk lamp.

4. Mercedes-Benz W 108 280S

This is a conversion that balances both car and desk in an elegant design. Using the jet-black hood of a Mercedes W 108 280S, the desk can hold storage shelves behind its fenders and radiator, and it also has space for that all-important computer keyboard. Beyond the neat tan-colour desktop and sturdy supports, this Mercedes desk is perfectly preserved, with the car’s original paint. It also features “Baroque” wheel rims and “original lighting” with its prominent indicators and headlights. For Mercedes aficionados, this is clearly a must-have.

3. BMW 2000 CS

Fans of all things retro might get a kick out of this vintage-looking BMW 2000 CS office desk. Described as an “automotive beauty,” the BMW 2000 CS was also known as the BMW New Class coupé and was in production from 1965 to 1969. Although the overall style was based on the 3200 CS, the front of the 2000 model was an all-new creation. When the car was released, the front of the 2000 CS drew mixed reactions, with some labelling it “unattractive” and “blunt.” Still, we think that, at least in desk form, it’s pretty pleasing to the eye. This piece of furniture retains the car’s original lights, fenders and signature BMW “double kidney” grill design, but it now also boasts a spacious solid wood, teak-stained worktop and a keyboard drawer. Nice.

2. 1958 Plymouth Fury

Based on the classic 1983 Stephen King novel, the movie version of Christine, released later that same year, turned a red-and-white Plymouth Fury into a horror movie icon. While the car made its mark in cinematic history, you might not think that it could facilitate a productive work environment. Think again. Interestingly, this repurposed car desk actually links directly to the movie. It was adapted from one of the 18 Plymouth Furys used in the production of the movie, many of which ended up getting destroyed. This undamaged front end, however, found new life in an unusual form. The hood of the car surrounds a stylish steel desk, and the piece even comes with working headlights. It’s a one-of-a-kind collectible, and its slightly imperfect red body and aged chrome just conveys its authenticity.

1. Lamborghini Gallardo

A striking addition to any office, this sleek, canary yellow Lamborghini Gallardo desk sits in the office of EnKahnz, an “accident repair centre and vehicle customization boutique” in the UK. Its genesis came after company founder Naveed Khan decided that he wanted a feature in his office that reflected his business - which itself originated from Khan fooling around with cars in his backyard. With working headlights and trunk space that can be used as desk storage, it’s a functional showcase that displays the constructive capabilities of EnKahnz. As Khan says, “We have had an enormous positive feedback, people can’t believe what we have created and find it totally unique.”

[Source: Business Pundit. Edited. Links added.]