Mecum to Sell George Barris’ Hollywood Oddities Collection at Harrisburg
The vehicles being auctioned off in this lot were previously owned by film car customizer George Barris.
Throughout the 20th century, custom car builder George Barris had a prolific career creating unique rides for use in TV shows like Batman, Knight Rider, The Dukes of Hazzard, and The Munsters. He also amassed a grand collection of cars, built by himself and others. Barris died in 2015, and his estate decided to sell a portion of his vehicle collection at the upcoming Mecum auction in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Here are some noteworthy cars from the group.
Drag-U-La
An unholy fusion of a hot rod racer and a coffin, the Drag-U-La was built in 1964 by Barris' team for The Munsters TV show. The car is functional, with a running Ford V8, and was fully restored a few years ago. Decades after it was built, Drag-U-La would also inspire an infectiously catchy Rob Zombie song of the same name.
Speed Racer Mach 5
First conceived in the 1960s, Speed Racer was one of the first examples of Japanese animation to really hit it big with an international audience. Aside from the title character, the real star of the show was a gadget-filled race car, the Mach 5. The anime eventually led to a 2008 live-action adaptation, and this particular Mach 5 replica was made for promotion of that film. Built on the bones of a 1977 Corvette, The Mach 5 retains a 350 Chevy small block and four-speed manual transmission.
1965 Aston Martin DB5
A replica of Sean Connery's ride in Goldfinger, This Aston Martin is complete with a suite of remote-controlled prop gizmos like a pop-up shield, wheel spikes, and oil slick. The car comes with a running engine and transmission that are not currently installed.
1966 Batmobile
This Batmobile is one of the cars that put George Barris' styling on the map. Built on a then-current Thunderbird, this project was inspired by the 1955 Ford Futura concept, and driven by Adam West in the live-action Batman series. Throughout the shows run, this car took Batman and Robin on many wacky adventures.
1994 Flintmobile
The '90s saw a remake of The Flinstones starring John Goodman as Fred, and he drove this recreation of the animated Flintstone family's foot-powered car. Luckily, technology has advanced a bit since the prehistoric age, and this Flintmobile is actually an electric golf kart underneath.
These are just a few of the cars that will be offered up at the upcoming Mecum auction, which comes to Harrisburg Aug. 2.
