The unconventional rat style taxi. (source: Dorota Mikulášová)
Its bodywork is decorated with rust like bloody prints, a teddy bear with a baby cradle on the roof, and a trunk with a brown plug.
In the community of car enthusiasts, it is called a 'rat' because of its often repulsive appearance. All this conceals its flawless technical condition. Though cars converted in the rat-look style are appearing more and more in Slovakia, there is still only one such taxi.
Its owner has worked as a taxi driver for more than ten years. At first he drove for companies, and about three years ago he founded his own.
"I have always tried to bring something special to people. That is why we published one liners overheard during drives, had a loyalty program, a free phone line, and held various competitions," says the owner who wished to remain anonymous.
While running a taxi service his friend's project who had been working on cars for a long time caught his interest. The friend tried to convert an older Passat B5 into the rat style. This means that at first glance a car looks weathered, yet it is technically flawless and often has 500 hp.
The original owner of the car modified its chassis to a sports one, repaired the engine and replaced electricity cables. Gradually, he also worked on the exterior modifications, added rust and a load to the roof.
"We fell in love with this style and occasionally rented out the car. Since my friend no longer had time for it, we took over and are moving to another level." Originally, the car was not even supposed to be a taxi; it was the interest of people around the current owner that convinced him.
Cultivating rust
"When asked what did we do to get the vehicle into its current state, it would be easier to say what we didn't do, as we are constantly finishing other things." However, according to the taxi driver, they started with rust and a load on the roof.
