Everything You Need To Know About George Barris’s Cars

George Barris was an iconic figure in the automotive industry and was particularly known for his work in customizing and designing cars. His work of creativity and distinctive car modification was so widely appreciated that he gained fame, and was also known as the “King of the Kustomizers” of his time! George passed away on November 5, 2015, leaving behind a legacy of great modified cars in the automotive world. His work was not only limited to TV and movie cars, but he also worked on various custom projects for car enthusiasts and individuals. 

His cars were also known to have distinctive features like different paint jobs, hidden headlights, and bubble tops included in the overall exterior design. It's very hard to distinguish between his project cars and his personal ones, therefore we have cumulated a list of 10 cars amongst his most famous works.  

10. Munster Koach

The Munster Koach was initially based on a Ford Model T chassis but an elongated one. It is also considered to be one of the most notable works of George Barris. Used in the TV show, “The Munsters”, the Munster Koach was designed by George Harris and Tom Daniel together. 

The ten carburetor, ten air horns, and lantern lights that you see on the car are Barris’ ideas and they indeed help the car stand out! Not only weird but it is also among the most famous car designs from George Barris. You can also say that George Barris's car designs inspired many car designers around the world even the likes of Chip Foose and his personal car designs.

9. The Barrister 

The Barrister is not just a single vehicle that Barris had modified like the other vehicles, rather it consisted of a lot of drop-top cars that Barris had modified in order to fulfill the needs of his customer base tastefully. He knew exactly what his customers needed; a properly modified, flashy vehicle that catches attention, and with the barristers, Barris achieved just that. Barris usually modified Corvettes at those times.

The Barrister were different cars with the same design language designed by George Barris, their specifications varied from each other. But mostly commonly a Corvette 1979 engine would be found under these modified cars as Corvettes were the preferred choice for these modifications. 

8. The Original Batmobile

The Batmobile which was sold in an auction for $4.6M, was actually a Lincoln Futura concept car underneath. The car was in Barris’s collection until 2013, before he sold it off at the auction. The Futura was converted into the batmobile in just 15 days when the producers of the movie were looking for a vehicle for the main character. 

The car earned him massive respect and was indeed very iconic. Interestingly, Barris bought the car, the Lincoln Futura Concept for just 1$ before modifying it. The Batmobile was the one-of-one car that was designed by George Barris and it gained him a lot of popularity. 

7. The Beverly Hillbillies’ truck

Talking of the Beverly Hillbillies truck, it was a customized 1921 Oldsmobile 43 which was basically a roadster powered by a 43 horsepower four-cylinder engine and was converted to the Beverly Hillbillies by George Barris. Currently, the truck is at the Ralph Foster Museum in Branson, Missouri, and was donated there by Paul Henning, the creator of “The Beverly Hills”. 

The Beverly hillbillies truck has been destroyed as of now, but back in the day, according to the sources, for a couple of bucks, the visitors of the museum can even sit in the legendary truck by George Barris which sits just past the main entrance.

6. The Drag-U-La

The Drag-U-La was another car from the “The Munsters” series and looked like a dragster-styled coffin car. It had an exposed engine, the air scoop looked similar to a skull and the body looked like a sleek-black coffin. If you have seen the show “The Munster series” the Drag-u-la featured in the “Hot Rod Herman” episode.

The exact cost of building the car is not known but it used to cost between $80,000 to $120,000 when it went for sale. It is still among the weirdest cars designed by George Barris and even Jay Leno doesn't have anything like it in his own weird car fleet. 

5. Voxmobile

VOX approached George Barris with a unique idea as they wanted to build a customized two-placed roadster that would not only be completely functional as a car but also as a VOX amplifier. This vehicle was completely meant for marketing purposes and had to retain the identity of VOX. The car would create its own audio through the use of self-contained VOX sound equipment. 

The whole cost of this project was around $30,000 at that time and its primary purpose was to project the new concept of the VOX guitar. The Voxmobile was similar to a moving amplifier and could facilitate around 32 compatible VOX guitars with input jacks located at the top of the side body panel. It received power through a 12-volt auto-lite automotive battery.

4. T Buggy Prototype

The T Buggy prototype was a test car that Barris had created to try out his luck with kit cars in 1965. The prototype project was powered by a Volkswagen Beetle engine powerplant although the final production-ready variant had the option to choose either from an air-cooled Chevy or a Volkswagen engine. 

The car was based on a Volkswagen Beetle chassis and was known for its distinctive looks like open-top design, off-road-inspired appearance, and unique features such as fender flares, exposed engine, and oversized rear wheels.

3. 1975 Snakepit

We can now clearly understand by the cars mentioned above what a genius Mr. George Barris was. But what if I told you that it does not end here? With the snakepit, which looked nothing less than a drag monster, it had six V8 engines powering it! Yes, you heard that right. Six v8 engines powering a single car. The only aim while building the Snakepit was to destroy the existing speed records set by previous drag monsters and set new ones. 

The Snakepit was a modified 1972 Dodge Challenger that offered unique and distinctive styling and performance enhancements. Although the engine could vary depending on the user’s preference, it usually used the engine from a 1972 Dodge Challenger. If calculated, the engines put out a massive power output that rivals the number of some mods even in modern times. On the exterior, it had six wheels with orange paint done on the body.

2. Mercury Cougar Woodie 2050

The Mercury Cougar Woodie is limited to only one of one creation by George Barris. Originally a 1998 Mercury Cougar, it was called the “Woodie” after all the modifications done to it. Post the modifications done by Barris, the original engine was thrown out, and in came the supercharged engine. 

Apart from that, the woodie had at least 40 coats of Gold Pearl of Essence paint on it to make it look different. The front was inspired by a 1950s Ford while the rear end, wagon look was custom fabricated.

1. 1978 Ferrari 308 GTS

Barris’s Ferrari 308 GTS was preserved in great condition and had a massive V8 engine under its hood which was paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox. And the interesting thing about the car was that it had done just 8000 miles, according to the consignor. On the exterior, the car had a metallic gold custom color which looked absolutely ravishing. And coming to the side it had three stripes ornamented along its waistline. 

Further complimenting the looks were the extra wide wheels. Talking of the interiors, it had a Sony TV and Kenwood audio systems, a customizable digital instrument pod, and a center console with futuristic digital displays and LED lights inserted in custom-made burl wood panels. You can't compare this one-of-a-kind Ferrari to other special Ferraris that Ferrari Collector David Lee has in his garage.   

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