We will all Miss George!
Thanks for everything you did for the entertainment industry as well as sharing your creative automotive gems with valley residents at local events.
George Barris, who created television's original Batmobile, along with custom vehicles for "The Munsters" and "The Beverly Hillbillies," passed away at age 89.
After Barris formed the hobby club Kustoms of America, his work got noticed by Hollywood, with producers commissioning him a car for the movie "High School Confidential" in 1958.
In the early '60s, Barris opened the shop in North Hollywood out of which he worked until his death. Over the next 70 years he would design literally hundreds of cars for television shows, movies, celebrities, heads of state and just regular folks.
But he's arguably known best for creating the Batmobile from the 1960s "Batman" series, a car he adapted from a Futura concept acquired from the Ford Motor Co.
"If you'll remember that pow, bang, wow is going out, throughout his whole script, that gives you an idea of what I had to contend with," Barris said on NPR in 2010. "Well, if you're going to make these exciting sounds and all this thing that comes up, I'm going to do the same thing to the car."
Another Barris classic - The Munster's Koach
Who did not not love The Munster's show!!!
Designed and built by George Barris.
The Koach was made from 3 Model T bodies and is 18 feet long. The 133" frame was made by hand.
It has a four speed manual transmission and a power rear end. The brass radiator and fenders were hand formed. In 1964, the cost to build the first one was $18,000.00. It had "blood red" velvet interior. It took 500 hours to hand form the ornate rolled steel scroll work. It had Gloss Black Pearl paint. The front end had a dropped axle, split radius rods and T springs. The studio gave George Barris 21 days to complete the car. Powered by a 289 Ford Cobra engine from a 1966 Mustang GT. Built with Jahns high compression pistons, ten chrome plated Stromberg carburetors, an Isky cam, and had a set of Bobby Barr racing headers.
The Batmobile fetched $4.62 million at auction in 2013.
Read up on the history of George Karris - HERE.
George
Barris, who created television's original Batmobile, along with custom
vehicles for "The Munsters" and "The Beverly Hillbillies," has died,
according to The Associated Press. He was 89.
Barris Kustom Industries spokesman Edward Lozzi says Barris died Thursday, following a lengthy illness.
Barris was still in high school in Northern California when he designed his first fully customized car, a 1936 Ford.
After Barris formed the hobby club Kustoms of America, his work got
noticed by Hollywood, with producers commissioning him a car for the
movie "High School Confidential" in 1958.
In the early '60s, Barris opened the shop in North Hollywood out of which he worked until his death.
Over the next 70 years he would design literally hundreds of cars for
television shows, movies, celebrities, heads of state and just regular
folks.
But he's arguably known best for creating the Batmobile from the 1960s
"Batman" series, a car he adapted from a Futura concept acquired from
the Ford Motor Co.
"If you'll remember that pow, bang, wow is going out, throughout his
whole script, that gives you an idea of what I had to contend with,"
Barris said on NPR in 2010. "I said, 'Well, if you're going to make
these exciting sounds and all this thing that comes up, I'm going to do
the same thing to the car.'"
The Batmobile fetched $4.62 million at auction in 2013. - See more at:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ladailynews/obituary.aspx?n=george-barris&pid=176358336#sthash.spPsPJyo.dpuf
George
Barris, who created television's original Batmobile, along with custom
vehicles for "The Munsters" and "The Beverly Hillbillies," has died,
according to The Associated Press. He was 89.
Barris Kustom Industries spokesman Edward Lozzi says Barris died Thursday, following a lengthy illness.
Barris was still in high school in Northern California when he designed his first fully customized car, a 1936 Ford.
After Barris formed the hobby club Kustoms of America, his work got
noticed by Hollywood, with producers commissioning him a car for the
movie "High School Confidential" in 1958.
In the early '60s, Barris opened the shop in North Hollywood out of which he worked until his death.
Over the next 70 years he would design literally hundreds of cars for
television shows, movies, celebrities, heads of state and just regular
folks.
But he's arguably known best for creating the Batmobile from the 1960s
"Batman" series, a car he adapted from a Futura concept acquired from
the Ford Motor Co.
"If you'll remember that pow, bang, wow is going out, throughout his
whole script, that gives you an idea of what I had to contend with,"
Barris said on NPR in 2010. "I said, 'Well, if you're going to make
these exciting sounds and all this thing that comes up, I'm going to do
the same thing to the car.'"
The Batmobile fetched $4.62 million at auction in 2013. - See more at:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ladailynews/obituary.aspx?n=george-barris&pid=176358336#sthash.spPsPJyo.dpuf
