The man for the special cars
11/07/2015
George Barris passed away two days ago. In this country, his name is certainly less well known than his creations, because Barris was a "customizer", i.e. he modified cars. And he created sensational new cars, not least for the film and television industry.
Perhaps his most famous creation was the original Batmobile, but he also had a hand in K.I.T.T. (from Knight Rider) and other productions. However, the DeLorean DMC12 from the movie "Back to the Future" was not one of his creations, although he did make a replica of it.
George Barris was born in 1928 as the son of Greek immigrants in the USA and began modifying cars as a teenager. Together with his brother, he set up the company "Barris Kustom", which also created special cars for Hollywood stars and other celebrities. George Barris' customers and friends included Frank Sinata, Silvester Stallone, Steven Segal and Martin Sheen.
His son announced George's death with the words that his father had now moved to a larger garage ...
