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George Barris-Designed 1964 Corvette Custom Heads To Auction

Legendary car designer George Barris built some of the most iconic movie cars, but he also dabbled in other creations. One of its forgotten cars will now cross the auction block.

This 1964 Chevrolet Corvette custom is far from finished, but one lucky owner will have the chance to finish with Barris started in the 1960s. According to the Mecum consignment, the car was stored for 25 years and does not feature any running gear.

From the looks of it, the custom Corvette mimics the rocket-age cars we were promised for decades in the 20th century. The bubble top also has a very “Jetson’s” feel to it. The consignment also says the trunk spoiler lifts three inches via electrical actuators.

The new buyer will have his or her work cut out. The car obviously still needs bodywork, a new interior and a powertrain. But, when done, it could be a real prized possession. Look for the car to cross the block at Mecum Harrisburg between August 2 and 4.

Former GM Authority staff writer.

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Comments

  1. This is more of a “show car” and a work of art than a street car, since it seems to miss many of the modern safety devices, and the exterior edges can harm bystanders even in a parking lot. Buy it for George Barris’ work and display it in a museum, just like most of his other works (the 1964 TV Batmobile, the Munsters’ hotrod hearst, the Monkees’ car, and the “Pink Panther” car).

    Reply
    1. Why cant this car be driven on the street? Modern safety devices and harm to people walking around the street seems like somebody else’s problem.

      If it’s a 1964 and that’s what the registration says then you only need the safety equipment for that year. And if I remember there weren’t very many mandatory safety items on cars in 64, which is the way it should be. Compared to now where cars and trucks today have every safety mandate the gov’t can possibly think of.

      When I drive my old truck from that time period without airbags and shoulder harnesses i think what a wonderful time to drive a vehicle. Back then you had a since of fear while driving, you had to pay attention while driving or you would get into a accident.

      The crazy thing is that today cars are 1,000 times safer today and people are still getting into accidents and injuring themselves worse then they did 50 years ago .

      So what’s the point of making cars safer if we dont teach the people driving how to be better drivers? All this safety features are never needed if you dont crash your vehicle. Why not put the money that is being invested in safety features into technology that keeps people from getting into accidents in the first place. Like teaching people how to drive vehicles better. I wonder why people always thinks it’s the cars fault and not the drivers fault that a person died in the car?

      Reply
  2. Barris built a lot of custom cars, not just movie cars, but he didn’t build the Monkeemobile or the Panthermobile. The Monkeemobile was built by Dean Jefferies, and the Panthermobile was was built by Bob Reisner’s California Custom Cars.

    According to Mecum’s website, this thing wasn’t built by George Barris either, but instead it was built by Barris’ “East Coast Representative”, whoever that may be.

    Reply
  3. The truth is George really built little any of his most famed cars.

    George was the deal maker and promoter. Sam was the real Barfis car builder at the start and the many guys who worked for him over the years were the true builders.

    Jeffries and Von Dutch were only two of the famed guys who worked for him.

    Even the Batmobile was really a Ford show car with a little body work.

    The Munster coach was designed by Tom Daniel of GM and Hot Wheels fame. Built first by Tex Smith and finished by Dick Dean.

    The Batmobile custom work was designed by Herb Grasse and the work was done for Barfis by Bill Cushenbery.

    I have met and got to work with a George and he was a great guy and a great promoter but he was not a car builder. He liked to say cars that came out of shop were his but the truth was he did not design and build most of them. He may have contributed ideas and brokered the deal but that was it.

    His brother Sam was a real metal man but passed away young.

    Since George died anything tied to him by name is coming out but most of it is nothing special. If it was he would have had it finished.

    Dean Jefferies for years head a grudge that George claimed Deans work as his own.

    Reply

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