WHAT CARS SHOULD WE GIVE GEORGE BARRIS CREDIT FOR?

[Keon2005]

Just wanted everyone's opinion on George Barris' creations, what should he get credit for?

[HondaSiR]

I think he designed/made the Batmobile from the 60's as well as the Black Beauty car from Green Hornet (also from the 60's). Then there's our beloved KITT.

[kitt-x]

Michael Scheffe is the guy that designed KITT. Barris only worked on the SPM KITT.

[Army_F_Body]

Maybe all the cars he credits himself with till about 66.

Not KITT, the 89 Batmobile (or any other Batmobile other than the Adam West model), BTF Delorean...

He pretty much claims to have made every car featured in every film. I even hear for a small commissioning fee he will authenticate any 66 Batmobile replica as screen used. I'm sure he'll do the same for KITT replicas.

[edwardknight2005]

wait a minute Michael Scheffee also did the BTTF car..GL said so on the Knight Rider commentary for the Pilot, not Barris

[CB2001]

Does it really matter? He had a part in the making of KITT in one way or another (even if it was one mode version).

[Army_F_Body]

Honestly, Barris would take credit for your creation if your mother didn't protest.

Just giving proper credit. Yes, he had a part in KITT's creation, but no more than the legions of anonomous builders that also helped in bringing KITT to life.

The SPM and c-mode cars were already designed for the most part. He just built them. Larson particulary wanted to keep him out of the loop because Barris cars tend to be Barris cars. Larson didn't want KITT to look like some wild flamboyant, creation. He wanted something flashy yet concervative. The stock 82 T/A did that just fine. Barris wanted a muscle car KITT. Big wheels in the rear, little in the front. Chrome rims and side pipes. Huge cowl induction. Huge Smokey and the Bandit fender flares. I saw a website once that featured orginal sketches of his intended KITT revision for season 4. Barris got pissed when Larson told him we just need you to build the thing, but thanks for your input. As I recal according to that site, one of the Universal executives bursted out laughing when the sketches were passed around to him during a production meeting.

[HondaSiR]

Barris wanted a muscle car KITT. Big wheels in the rear, little in the front. Chrome rims and side pipes. Huge cowl induction. Huge Smokey and the Bandit fender flares. I saw a website once that featured orginal sketches of his intended KITT revision for season 4. Barris got pissed when Larson told him we just need you to build the thing, but thanks for your input. As I recal according to that site, one of the Universal executives bursted out laughing when the sketches were passed around to him during a production meeting.

Heh, Barris has his own tastes and unfortunately it didn't coincide with what the producers of Knight Rider wanted (lucky for us!). Can't blame him though, he did well with his other creations.

[CB2001]

Do you think he still has that image for KITT nowadays? I mean, do you think that KITT should look like that if a movie is done or if he has another design idea in his head?

[Army_F_Body]

I think Hasselhoff (from the rumors circulating) may be set on having the classic KITT return intact (maybe with slight modification to the interior gadgets), but who knows about any advesary vehicles or buddies for KITT.

I doubt Barris would be contracted to build the car. He costs to much. I imagine KITT 2.0, or any other vehicles will be handled by the studio.

[Lost Knight]

Honestly, Barris would take credit for your creation if your mother didn't protest.

Haha. Barris did create some of the most popular TV cars over the years, which is why his ego probably became over-inflated. It sounds like a classic case of success going to someone's head. But that's a good point that he just built the SPM car, rather than designed it. For some reason I never really realized that even though I'd read that he didn't have to do with the initial concept sketches of the SPM K.I.T.T. I can totally picture Glen Larson putting Barris in his place sarcastically!

[Army_F_Body]

I met the man about 15 years ago. He built some cars for the Double Dragon movie with Alissa Millano. My Uncle was a truck driver and hauled two of the vehicles out back east were they were doing some filming.

I went into his trailer and he tells me to have a seat. There is only one seat available and it has a little rat terrier looking mut in it. I pick the dog up and lay it on the floor and he gets unhinged. Tells me how dare I move his precious little dog, then kicks me out of the trailer. My Uncle told him that I was a huge KR fan so he gives me this half hour disertation on how he designed and built KITT. Not knowing any better at the time I believed him. I told him that I plan on building a KITT of my own one day, and he's like "yeah, right. Whatever, kid."

[Keon2005]

He sounds like a very arrogant man, but building and designing are two very different things. He should be greatful that he was commissioned to build for KR. But it all starts in a design, I think I read somewhere that he was in a legal battle with the Manta Montage company for Hardcastle & McCormick's "COYOTE". It was stated that Brian Keith (Hardcastle) would not do a second season because he would have to climb over the large door stills of the Manta Coyote. This was when the Delorean Coyote was built. However the article stated because he stole the idea of the Coyote from Manta/McClaren thats when the Delorean Coyote came about.

[Lost Knight]

Delorean Coyote

I never heard of this. There was another popular TV car that was a DeLorean besides the Back To the Future trilogy? Do tell!

[Army_F_Body]

I remember that. I was never a huge Hardcastle fan, however.
Didn't they eventually go back to the original Coyote. I had a 1:25 model of the original Coyote when I was kid. My Grandfather loved that show.

[HondaSiR]

I liked that show, and I think the Coyote car was cool. I'll probably try to win a model kit of it some day, they are pretty abundant and don't cost so much.

[TurbomanKnight]

Hmm. Another famous Delorean. I got to look that up.

[HondaSiR]

Hehe, If George Barris was an eccentric egotistical man, John DeLorean (was it John) was a lunatic. I read somewhere long ago that the reason the DeLorean company went bankrupt was that he (DeLorean) spent most of the company's money on worthless causes, one of them being the production of the DeLorean car from where the BTTF auto originated. It was a very costly venture, the car had striking looks but it was utterly underpowered and didn't prosper with the public. DeLorean was ousted by the board and he sank into obscurity. I wonder if what I read is true...

[walter h. anderson]

There's a book on George Barris cars at the library.
I'll be able to give everybody a list of GB cars on my next posting.
But I don't know anything about someone else making KITT other than Barris.
I need to hear the commentary on "Knight of the Phoenix" again.

[Lost Knight]

Hehe, If George Barris was an eccentric egotistical man, John DeLorean (was it John) was a lunatic. I read somewhere long ago that the reason the DeLorean company went bankrupt was that he (DeLorean) spent most of the company's money on worthless causes, one of them being the production of the DeLorean car from where the BTTF auto originated. It was a very costly venture, the car had striking looks but it was utterly underpowered and didn't prosper with the public. DeLorean was ousted by the board and he sank into obscurity. I wonder if what I read is true...

From what I understood, John Z. DeLorean's company, DeLorean Motor Company came to a demise because he got busted in a sting operation. Because of being financially in trouble, he was desperate to save his company and got mixed up with the wrong people. He got involved in a drug deal of some type to try and get the money to make his company get back on its feet but it ended up being a sting operation. That ultimately helped to destroy his company when he got arrested.

Complaints from consumers typically consisted of the gullwing doors bumping into cars in parking lots when in tight spaces among other things. I think the cars were produced for only 3 years, from 1981-1983 which is why they are as rare as they are. The later models' look was revised by having the front end of the car dropped slightly. DeLorean had also designed the original Pontiac GTO in the '60s. Personally, I've always loved the car for some reason. It isn't because of the Back To the Future movies, but probably because of the rarity and design of the car. Some say its ugly, I say its unique.

[walter h. anderson]

Okay, here's the list of George Barris cars on TV and film:
Batman
Dick Tracy
Fireball 500
Hardcastle & McCormick
Jurassic Park
Mannix
The Silencers
Beverly Hillbillies
Flintstones
Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
Munsters
My Mother the Car
Supervan
Good Times
Village of the Giants
Hot Rod Gang
Thunder Alley
and of course...KITT!!!

[Army_F_Body]

Again, he did not have anything to do with KITT other than the fabrication of the SPM and convertable cars for season 4.

KITT was created by toy designer Michael Scheffe like KITT X stated above.

The book Knight Rider Legacy goes into detail how Scheffe did some of the things for the Knight of the Phoenix KITT.

edit: Delorean was also responsible for the Firebird and Trans Am.

[HondaSiR]

From what I understood, John Z. DeLorean's company, DeLorean Motor Company came to a demise because he got busted in a sting operation. Because of being financially in trouble, he was desperate to save his company and got mixed up with the wrong people. He got involved in a drug deal of some type to try and get the money to make his company get back on its feet but it ended up being a sting operation. That ultimately helped to destroy his company when he got arrested.

Complaints from consumers typically consisted of the gullwing doors bumping into cars in parking lots when in tight spaces among other things. I think the cars were produced for only 3 years, from 1981-1983 which is why they are as rare as they are. The later models' look was revised by having the front end of the car dropped slightly. DeLorean had also designed the original Pontiac GTO in the '60s. Personally, I've always loved the car for some reason. It isn't because of the Back To the Future movies, but probably because of the rarity and design of the car. Some say its ugly, I say its unique.

Thanks for the details, Lost Knight. I knew the guy had some shady connections, although he was such a genius of sorts when it came to designing automobiles. Its sad about the fate of the gullwinged Delorean. Its a nice design for the year it was built, and very unique it was...the gullwings, the aluminum shell...it was really "different". But because of its hefty weight, it was a lagger in terms of performance. People didn't really want a 2-door sports car that couldn't even outrun an import sedan. And so the sales slumped. It would have been interesting to know if the company had flourished, how would this car have evolved. One can only speculate.

[Lost Knight]

Well for years now, there have been rumors that John DeLorean was working on the design of a brand new car. As you pointed out, for years after the demise of his company he lived in seclusion. Who knows if he'll ever make a comeback, but I'd love to see it happen. Also as you pointed out, performance was another complaint by consumers. I believe the stock DeLorean only has about 130HP. Pretty lame for a "sports car." Nowadays though, enthusiasts buy those cars for their rarity among other things. The DeLorean Motor Company does have a website in which you can still order parts for the car, and there are customizations that can be done to give the car up to 180HP. Still lame for a sports car though.

[Army_F_Body]

^^ Bout on par with a stock 305 82 Trans Am.