Seventies-era Farrah Fawcett...
Seventies-era Farrah Fawcett in her faux fur filled '70 Corvette, built by Barris. The cover alone is worth the price of the book.
As always, the Hollywood celebrities of today drive some nice cars-Mercedes, Bentleys, Land Rovers, stuff like that, according to the accident reports in the tabloids. But there was a time when self-respecting music, TV, and movie stars preferred one-of-a-kind rides as opposed to the dealer showroom stuff any ordinary millionaire can buy. And when those stars wanted something unusual, they usually turned to Barris Kustoms.
In the Fifties, George Barris helped Rod & Custom readers learn the fundamentals of building hot rods and customs. During the Sixties and Seventies, he was creating way-out rides that no ordinary builder could hope to replicate. Some of them ended up on the show circuit, some ended up on television shows and in movies, and some ended up in the personal garages of big Hollywood stars. John Wayne, Sammy Davis Jr., Farrah Fawcett, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Sonny and Cher, Tom Jones, Bo Derek, John Travolta, Ann-Margret, and many others drove cars built just for them by the "King of the Kustomizers."
George Barris and automotive author David Fetherston have collaborated on a new book for Motorbooks, entitled Barris Cars of the Stars, which highlights 62 of the cars Barris built for big-name stars, along with George's reflections on the owners of those cars. Ringo Starr's flamed '57 Chevy, Mel Torme's late-'30s Jaguar SS roadster, Dean Martin's Eldorado station wagon, and Elvis' Fleetwood limo are some of the wilder specimens in this photo-packed book. So many of these cars are timeless; others are evidence of how tastes have changed-not just in cars, but in clothing and hairstyles as well. Barris Cars of the Stars is a fun book that provides a look at some of the lesser-known cars built by Barris, and covers a portion of this hobby's history that doesn't get much attention.
More book reviews on the newest books and periodicals related to hot rods and custom cars can be found in the July 2009 issue of Rod & Custom, on sale starting April 28.
Barris Cars of the Stars
by George Barris and David Fetherston.
Hardcover 160 pages $30.
www.motorbooks.com