Vehicle Description
The 1960's proved to be a fruitful time for the American custom car
scene. Hot Rodding culture was becoming ever more mainstream and
regularly depicted in movies, television and print. For hot-rod
builders, new materials, techniques and influences were being
applied to cars and the boundaries were pushed ever further thanks
to the efforts of a new-school of creative forces, led by the likes
of Ed Roth, Dean Jeffries, Gene Winfield and George Barris.
Together with other designers, artists and car builders, the Kustom
Kulture was born. The Kustom movement was a further evolution of
the traditional American hot rod, which gradually moved away from
dry-lake roadsters and into more sophisticated machines, many based
on 1940s and 1950s sedans with heavily modified bodies and complex
paint work. As the decade wore on, these builders often constructed
ever more dramatic and downright whacky "theme" cars for show
competition as well as television and movies. George Barris, along
with his brother Sam started building cars when they were teenagers
in California. In high school, they started the "Kustoms Car Club"
and spend every waking moment working on and around cars. At just
18 years of age, George moved to Los Angeles and founded the Barris
Kustom Shop where he continued building customized and restyled
cars for an ever growing list of clients. The Los Angeles location
of the shop meant the shop soon attracted the attention of
Hollywood execs and they began designing and building cars for a
multitude of Hollywood movies and television programs. Barris'
first movie car was a customized 1946 Chevrolet used in the teen
crime drama, High School Confidential from 1958. More Hollywood
work followed, including arguably Barris' most famous design, the
original Batmobile from the 1966 Batman television series. Further
projects included such pop-culture icons as The Munsters
"Drag-U-La", The Jalopy from the Beverly Hillbillies, a '71 Lincoln
from The Car and K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider. Of course, George
Barris built a number of cars for his own personal use but few have
survived untouched, as they were often sold off to finance his next
project. After many years supplying cars for Hollywood movies and
movie stars, George treated himself a 1978 Ferrari 308 GTS. He
loved the Ferrari and he immediately joined the Ferrari club to
share in his excitement. At a club meet, he realized all of the
cars looked the same and he couldn't tell which was his! So of
course, he set to work modifying the Ferrari with the signature
Barris Kustoms look, no matter how pretty the original Pininfarina
styling was. So Starting with a widebody kit, the front and rear
fenders were dramatically flared to accommodate extra-wide BBS
wheels and tires. The pop up headlights were binned in favor of
driving lights behind amber covers, much like the contemporary 512
Berlinetta Boxer. Headlamps were relocated to the grille below the
bumper, and a deep chin spoiler was fitted, while a custom grille
was fabricated for the rear. The resulting re-styling is not unlike
a Boxer or 288GTO, though the similarities end with the silhouette,
this is a Barris Kustom, after all! With body modifications
complete, the 308 was then refinished in an unmistakably
Barris-esque two-tone color scheme. Metallic gold upper panels and
metallic copper lower panels are separated by green, white and red
stripes around the lower beltline. Real gold leaf pinstriping
adorns the upper bodywork and ties in the gold-finished BBS RS
alloy wheels. Never one for subtleties, this 308 is
quintessentially George Barris. George didn't hold back when it
came to the interior, either. His touches are everywhere you look,
from the re-upholstered seats that continue the Italian flag motif,
to the fully custom digital instrument pod and center console.
Period high-tech bits include an integrated NEC telephone, Sony
television, Kenwood audio system, and back up camera. Gold plating
adorns the spokes on the Nardi steering wheel and much of the
switchgear and interior hardware. After completion, Barris' 308
made a cameo appearance on Knight Rider as the "Dagger D-X", an
aptly named ride for a T.V. villain and adversary for Michael
Knight. Importantly, the quality and value of this car go beyond
its history. Mechanically, this is a very sound and usable
carbureted 308 GTS with just 8,000 miles from new. It has been very
well kept over the years and it presents in great condition,
mechanically as well as cosmetically. Barris' quality workmanship
is reflected in the fact that the car has survived so very well
over the years. While the television history is certainly an
interesting aside, the true significance of this automobile lays in
the fact that this was George Barris' personal car, designed and
built by the man himself; a man that was one of the most
influential players in the intersection of the Hot Rod and American
popular culture.