George Barris Biography

Fast Facts

• First became interested in building model aircrafts, which led to his interest in model cars and eventually real cars
• Opened his first car shop in Bell, a Los Angeles suburb, in 1944, and later opened another in L․A․ with his brother, Sam, after he was discharged in 1945
• He and his brother got their first car, a 1925 Buick, from their relatives after working at their restaurant
• Quote: "[on the Batmobile] "It was [such] a major contribution to the popularity of a film that you had the people taking a picture next to the car․ That was a thrill․ We made that car be a star on film as well as in real life․""
• Best known as a car builder and designer who created several famous custom cars from films and television, including the Batmobile and the General Lee
• In addition to the Batmobile and the General Lee, he created the Munster Koach for "The Munsters," K․I․T․T․ from "Knight Rider," the red Ford Torino from "Starsky and Hutch" and the family car from "The Beverly Hillbillies․"
• Created the Kustoms Car Club in the late 1930s, which was the first use of the letter "K" for "kustoms․"
• The Revell company began making toy model kits of his custom cars in the late 1950s