King Rose Archives | Introducing Car Customizer George Barris at Pebble Beach (1995) @KingRoseArchives | Uploaded June 2023 | Updated October 2024, 13 hours ago.
Car customizer George Barris became well-known as the creator of the Batmobile for the 1966 "Batman" television series. The Batmobile was a huge hit with the crowds, quickly became an icon of popular culture, and helped cement Barris's reputation as one of the most respected custom car builders in the world, or the "King of the Kustomizers" as he was known. In 1995, Barris displayed the Batmobile at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance's 50th anniversary celebration. Barris attended his first Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 1950. It is one of the most prestigious car shows in the world held in August in Pebble Beach, Monterey County, California. With luxury hotels, restaurants, the Pacific Ocean, the Del Monte Forest and an iconic Lone Cypress tree, Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance attracts car collectors, celebrities, and car enthusiasts from all over the globe who gather each year to revel in the beauty and style of automobiles from classic and antique to modern concept cars. Barris continued to attend the car show until his death in 2015.
Barris's Batmobile was a heavily modified 1955 Lincoln Futura with a sleek, futuristic design, a long, pointed nose, a cockpit-style windshield, a large fin on the back, and a pair of eyelid-shaped headlights. While Ford apparently spent $250,000 on the manufacture and design of the 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car, George Barris was able to purchase it for $1. It was worth it. He used it for a movie in the late 1950s, and then again in 1965 when producers gave him three weeks to customize it for its debut on "Batman."
Barris began customizing (or as he spelled it kustomizing) cars as a teen with his brother Sam Barris. The first car they re-designed and re-tooled was a 1925 Buick. Barris discovered a passion for design and promotion, and by the time he was in his twenties, he and Sam opened their own custom car shop in Los Angeles. Barris Kustom Industries gained success quickly, and attracted the attention of Hollywood producers and celebrities, including Elvis Presley, Jayne Mansfield, and Liberace, who wanted their own unique car. Best known for his Hollywood custom cars, Barris designed and built the Munster Koach (which combined three Model T cars) and DRAG-U-LA for the television series "The Munsters," and the KITT car for "Knight Rider." #batmobile #georgebarris #carlover #pebblebeach #montereycalifornia
For availability and licensing inquiries, please contact:
globalimageworks.com/contact
Ref: S516
Car customizer George Barris became well-known as the creator of the Batmobile for the 1966 "Batman" television series. The Batmobile was a huge hit with the crowds, quickly became an icon of popular culture, and helped cement Barris's reputation as one of the most respected custom car builders in the world, or the "King of the Kustomizers" as he was known. In 1995, Barris displayed the Batmobile at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance's 50th anniversary celebration. Barris attended his first Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 1950. It is one of the most prestigious car shows in the world held in August in Pebble Beach, Monterey County, California. With luxury hotels, restaurants, the Pacific Ocean, the Del Monte Forest and an iconic Lone Cypress tree, Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance attracts car collectors, celebrities, and car enthusiasts from all over the globe who gather each year to revel in the beauty and style of automobiles from classic and antique to modern concept cars. Barris continued to attend the car show until his death in 2015.
Barris's Batmobile was a heavily modified 1955 Lincoln Futura with a sleek, futuristic design, a long, pointed nose, a cockpit-style windshield, a large fin on the back, and a pair of eyelid-shaped headlights. While Ford apparently spent $250,000 on the manufacture and design of the 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car, George Barris was able to purchase it for $1. It was worth it. He used it for a movie in the late 1950s, and then again in 1965 when producers gave him three weeks to customize it for its debut on "Batman."
Barris began customizing (or as he spelled it kustomizing) cars as a teen with his brother Sam Barris. The first car they re-designed and re-tooled was a 1925 Buick. Barris discovered a passion for design and promotion, and by the time he was in his twenties, he and Sam opened their own custom car shop in Los Angeles. Barris Kustom Industries gained success quickly, and attracted the attention of Hollywood producers and celebrities, including Elvis Presley, Jayne Mansfield, and Liberace, who wanted their own unique car. Best known for his Hollywood custom cars, Barris designed and built the Munster Koach (which combined three Model T cars) and DRAG-U-LA for the television series "The Munsters," and the KITT car for "Knight Rider." #batmobile #georgebarris #carlover #pebblebeach #montereycalifornia
For availability and licensing inquiries, please contact:
globalimageworks.com/contact
Ref: S516
