George Barris: Hollywood’s Car-Making Legend
Photo: Bahooka via CC
Hollywood history is filled to bursting with memorable vehicles that have inspired viewers for generations. These eye-catching, iconic rides have a reach and appeal few real-world vehicles achieve, and are surely responsible for creating multiple decades-worth of auto enthusiasts. You may be surprised to know that many of the most recognizable film and TV cars came from the mind of a single creative genius. His name was George Barris, and this is his story.
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The amazing career of George Barris
George Barris was born George Salapatas in 1925. By the time he was seven years old, little George had begun carving small cars out of balsa wood. Even at such a young age, his attention to detail got him plenty of recognition at local Roseville, California, hobby stores. As a teenager, he and his brother began experimenting with customizing real cars, beginning with a 1925 Buick. Finding a talent for the craft, they began selling their finished vehicles as “Barris Brothers customs.”
By the early 1950s, Barris’ hobby had bloomed into a full-time profession. He had begun selling his vehicles, which he called “kustoms,” to private buyers. His work began catching the eye of influential people in Los Angeles, including Hot Rod and Motor Trend founder Robert E. Petersen. It wasn’t long before Hollywood came calling.
One iconic car after another
The first film that the Barris brothers worked on was 1958’s High School Confidential. After several more years of hard work and auto shows, jobs in film and especially television began to roll in. In no time, George was putting his customization skills to work on what would become an impressive list of soon-to-be-iconic vehicles.
Included in George’s body of work are the futuristic cars from 1960’s The Time Machine, both the Munster Koach and the Drag-U-La from The Munsters, the legendary Batmobile from the 1966 Batman series, the roadster from Mannix, the truck from The Beverly Hillbillies, the murderous vehicle from The Car, KITT from Knight Rider, and many more. He and his company also provided work on the vehicles from Starsky and Hutch, The Dukes of Hazard, My Mother the Car, Jurassic Park, and even Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie. His 1960s moon rover designs would even be utilized by NASA in the development of future Mars-landing technology.
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Barris found steady work for the rest of his life, continuing to customize vehicles for film, TV, and private sale to collectors and celebrities. He would pass away in 2015 on the eve of his 90th birthday. Thankfully, his tremendous legacy has been preserved on film, and continues to inspire car lovers of all ages.
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