Richard Rawlings of Gas Monkey Garage has spent years turning rusted wrecks into rolling works of art. His team loves big ideas that take cars to new places. A six-wheeled Ferrari Testarossa is a big idea. Stretching the classic 80s wedge into a six-axle beast would combine Italian style with American excess. But what started as a handshake deal between Rawlings and builder Alex Danton has turned into a public feud over money, credit and unfinished metal.
The story goes back to another monster machine. Early last year, Danton and his Danton Art Kustoms crew created a six-wheeled Humvee. They swapped in a Dodge Hellcat V8 engine, but the power was only sent to two wheels. The images revealed a beast with bespoke skin. Rawlings purchased it through his firm and sold it at the Barrett-Jackson auction for $750,000. The money clinched the deal. The Humvee’s revenues would go toward Danton’s next insane notion. The Ferrari Testarossa was chosen because to its cult status and limitless customization options.
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When the 6×6 Testarossa renders hit the internet, the word spread fast. Enthusiasts loved the enlarged chassis and extra wheels added to the flat-12 engine. Danton did the core work himself, building the frame and body over months. Silence ensued. No progress pics or teasers from Gas Monkey’s social media channels. Then in September the partially completed car showed up at Rawlings’ Dallas shop. Pics of it sitting among tools and half-built projects implied progress.
Three weeks ago an Instagram post changed everything. Rawlings posted a pic of himself grinning next to the hulking Testarossa and captioned it with vague excitement about the build. Danton fired back in the comments. He called Rawlings out. “It’s so easy to steal and take credit for other people’s work,” Danton wrote. “Karma is very important. Yes, liar and thief, I did it. They didn’t touch a nut.” The post got thousands of views and pulled fans into the fight. Comments piled up, some defending the builder, others questioning the garage.
In the back-and-forth, Danton expressed his unhappiness, bemoaning the fact that Rawlings only paid him 10% of what he felt the job was worth. Contracts were the next step in his view – and he reckoned they were intended to shut Danton up. “He uses his clout to steamroll people,” Danton put it bluntly. “I’d rather put in the work to get my art seen than pay lawyers to just take my money.” The allegations came crashing in like a muffled punch in a silent room. Gas Monkey fans are right in the middle of it all, with some sticking by Rawlings’ record, while others are drawn in by Danton’s raw talent. It all ended up being a kind of digital trial-by-combat, with screenshots popping up on car forums left and right.
Rawlings’ response was measured, and he got right to the point concerning the car’s condition when it arrived. He wasn’t afraid to admit that the fabrication faults were extensive: the paint was bubbling off unevenly, the panels were loose, and they were large enough that you could fit your entire palm between them. “We had to go back over just about every area,” Rawlings told reporters. His team basically had to rip it apart, weld in new supports, & try & get it perfect. Today, the Testarossa is “kind of just sort of okay” according to Rawlings, at the shop. He admits that getting it done will take a big chunk of time. Rawlings describes it as typical shop procedure. Doing a custom job like this one, especially when they’re pushing the limits, may need more effort to resolve the issues.
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