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George Barris Was More Than the Batmobile By Bob Marlow

When George Barris died at age 89 on November 5, most of the published obituaries referred to him as the designer of the Batmobile for the 1960s television series. But among dyed-in-the-wool car guys from the 1950s and 60s, Barris was much, much more than that.

He was a pioneering car customizer – prior to Barris the term really did not exist – and a man whose work defined an entire genre and influenced car culture, popular culture, and the Detroit automakers themselves.
Barris saw production cars as blank canvases upon which to create his art. Cars were reshaped, parts were removed or relocated, parts from other cars were added, suspensions and rooflines were lowered, and wild paint jobs were applied. The results were anything but subtle. These were the original “art cars.”
The car that put Barris on the map was not the Batmobile of the 1960s but a radically modified a 1951 Mercury Club Coupe that he and his older brother Sam transformed into a streamliner the likes of which had not been seen before. Built in 1953 for owner Bob Hirohata, the car was a nationwide hit, appearing at custom car shows and on magazine covers. The fame and influence of the “Hirohata Merc” resonates to this day.
Barris “Kustoms” – Barris coined the spelling when applied to his custom cars – became well known to a new generation of gearheads not only via magazines such as Hot Rod, Car Craft, and Rod & Custom, but also through plastic model kits sold by companies like Revell, Aurora, and AMT.


“Ala Kart,” a 1929 Ford Model A roadster pickup customized by Barris, won the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster award two years in a row, and was one of the most popular plastic model kits. It is very likely that a good number of readers of this article built one of these models as a youth, and many may still have the model today.

When film and television came calling, Barris built the stunt cars for 1958’s “High School Confidential” and the 1949 Mercury that James Dean drove in “Rebel Without a Cause.” Barris transformed a 1921 Oldsmobile into a rustic pickup for the highly successful sitcom “The Beverly Hillbillies,” built a fictional 1928 Porter for the not-at-all-successful sitcom “My Mother the Car,” and created a hearse-influenced hot rod for the moderately successful but well-remembered sitcom “The Munsters.”
But it was Barris’ quickie conversion of the 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car into the Batmobile for the 1960s television series “Batman” that is his best-known television creation.

Aside from being a gifted customizer, Barris was also a natural showman with a flair for self-promotion. As a result he landed jobs customizing ostentatious cars for celebrities ranging from Lionel Hampton to Liberace to Elvis Presley Zsa Zsa Gabor – even a golf cart for Bob Hope with a caricature of Hope’s face dominating the design. Barris’ self-promotion sometimes got him into trouble for shading the truth, but as the cliche goes, any publicity is good publicity.

Aside from his appearances in the car-oriented magazines the day, Barris became the subject of a story by writer Tom Wolfe in Esquire in 1963, a story with the improbable title “There Goes (Varoom! Varoom!) That Kandy-Kolored (Thphhhhhh!) Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby (Rahghhh!) Around the Bend (Brummmmmmmmmmmmmmm)…” The story was later published as the lead essay in Wolfe’s 1965 book titled “The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby.”

At SEMA in 2013 CarShowSafari.com had an opportunity to spend some time with Barris, and Barris wore one of our Official Car Guy promotional badge stickers while there. There have been other customizers, among them Gene Winfield, Dean Jeffries, and Ed “Big Daddy” Roth. But there was only one George Barris.

Image – George Barris and Car Show Safari team member, Karen, taken at SEMA

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RIP George Barris, The King of The Kustomizers. A true original who made a difference. George was larger than life and will be missed dearly by his family, friends and fans. Thank you all for your outpouring of love, kindness and sympathy.
George Barris is known throughout the world as the 'original' King of Kustomizers. His creations are legendary in the world of television and motion pictures including the likes of the original television series Batmobile, Munster Koach, Beverly Hillbillies, KITT from Nightrider and more! His personal Star Collection includes the General Lee, Starsky & Hutch, Torino Green Hornet and Monkee Mobile. George hasn't slowed down one bit and there's a lot of new things happening at the shop as he and his team are busy creating new kustoms, television and movie cars. There's also a new line of die cast toys and exclusive Barris bicycles making their way onto the scene. Check out our news and events sections as George himself will be attending a number of events this year.
Our shop is available for your next club car club gathering and we welcome personalized shop tours. Go to our contact us page and email or call us for more information. We hope you enjoy the new site!

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https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/e...-car-show.html

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One of Barris's cars became a production car
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5eTkXkMpYg

This video showcases some of the most intriguing concept cars of the past. The Buick "Y-job" was the first concept car. It was also the first to be equipped with power windows! The '51 Buick Lesabre sported a rain sensor that would trigger the convertible top switch when it would get wet. Notice something familiar about the '55 Lincoln Futura? It was the car that George Barris modelled the original Batmobile after! The '55 Ford Mystere has an uncanny resemblence to the car in Toy Story 2 driven by "Al the toy collector". It's truly unfortunate that some of these cars never made it to production. I hope you enjoy this video.

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Custom cars of George Barris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JalrlOGlX7c

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King Of Kustoms
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIOnVCPFN98
He's the 'King of Kustom." Nobody on the planet has ever brought Hollywood stars and cars together like George Barris. Episode 18007

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George Barris the King of Kustom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EpXSk8AWuc
Join Barry Meguiar as he cruises back to the Fifties with the King of Kustomizers, George Barris. The creator of hundreds of famous cars such as the Munster Koach and the Batmobile, Mr. Barris is well-known both within the car hobby and outside of it. This is hot rod history, and you won't want to miss it! Episode 9015

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Barris Kustom City slide show rare photos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDnjhDT4F1o

Barris Fire Party Slide Show..
Some of these shots have never been seen before!! stright from the barris archives!

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A George Barris Custom car at Old Town Florida.....very rare car....a very rare find....
Batmobile's older brother..... lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87nM-wumm2g

This radical car isn't equipped with a flame thrower, but certified classic car appraiser Jason Phillips takes you on a tour of an original piece of George's artwork. Note how the recessed taillight's flo into the 1/4 panel recesses. It's platform is a 1956 Chevrolet, retaining original door shape, roof lines and glass. The rest is all George Barris. It's a beautiful repaint on a truly stunning one of a kind piece of iconic American steel. Need an inspection on your classic car? http://www.autoappraise.com has over 300 auto appraisers nationwide that can provide you with detailed service. 800-301-3886 or email us for a free quote cars@autoappraise.com thanks for watching, leave us some feedback.

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An update:
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/g...ml#post9410931