Tom, be sure to read the link I posted about the Monkeemobile. Ge. Barris
didn't build the original. He did do a 'restoration' on one but Dean Jeffries did the original two. However, Barris is often heard making comments about things he 'did' which he didn't according to the article. To me, it looks like Geo. is derivative of others' work. To my eye, he often copied other customizers, I see a lot of Ed Roth in his designs. Now, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it's said. Just don't claim you are the person who invented a concept if you copy someone's work. If you look at the Geo. Barris website and then look at Ed Roth stuff, you'll see what I mean. Whether it's a trike, a ground-effects-looking car (Roth actually built a true-ground-effects vehicle which had a parts failure, injuring a spectator when it blew), or one of the other original Roth creations, others openly copied him, including Geo. Barris.
From my time as a kid building all those AMT car models as a kid in the '50's & '60's, I recall that there were the Alexander Brothers, Jeffries, Barris, and of course Ed Roth making wild cars for the show circuit, tv shows, movies, and rich patrons. One not as-well known is Norm Grabowski who did a number of vehicles which appeared in movies or tv. So did Norm. I think there was a Corvair bike he built which was an example of his ingenuity and probably handled far-better than the Boss Hoss ever could. The picture below appeared in publications right-around 1970, I believe. I had a motorcycle annual from around then that had this same pic in it.
It's fun to look into the history of the customizers, peppered with characters like Bud Ekins, Ken Howard, and the above people, proof that gearheads can be very creative even if they have behaviors which set them apart from others. Maybe that is why they are originals, because they think differently, and are able to use their physical skills to execute that of-which they dream.
unk:
Barris sure built some cool stuff in the 60s!................If I had my choice of a cruiser, I would go with the Munster coach!
The Munster Coach was cool, but I liked Granpa's Coffin car, I think I have seen a youtube of it launching at the strip.
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