Famous car builder, customiser and hot-rodder, George Barris passed away on November 5, 2015. He was 89.
Remember the Batmobile seen in the Batman TV series that ran from 1966-1968, starring Adam West? The black car with red pinstriping, originally a Ford concept, came with the Bat-ray, Batphone and the jet-booster behind, went on to become one of the most iconic cars to hit the TV screens. And yes, it was a George Barris creation.
Born on November 20, 1925, Barris took to cars like fish to water. As a kid, he won numerous car-modelling competitions organised by hobby shops with his balsa wood creations. By the age of 18, he had set up the 'Barris Kustom Shop' in Bell, California, and built custom cars with his brother Sam, while also occasionally racing in his own creations.
It didn’t take too long before Barris became a regular in all popular car magazines. Thanks to his work and skill, his creations often became more iconic than the actors driving the cars. Some of his other notable works include the Munster Coach from the 1965 TV series, The Munsters, and cars seen in the 1982 Knight Rider TV series. Barris has also designed cars for films such as Gone in 60 Seconds and Charlie's Angels.
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