The North Hollywood birthplace of the Batmobile, the Munsters Koach and a thousand other custom cars — is up for sale.
The 10,000 square foot property that houses Barris Kustom Industries, including a showroom that still houses a Batmobile, has been put on the market for $3.995 million, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The garages where brothers George and Sam Barris did custom body work for Hollywood celebrities are also included in the package. The duo’s clients included Elvis Presley, Elton John and Cassandra Peterson, a.k.a. Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.
“George and Sam were the shop,” Ken Gross told the Times. Gross is a hot rod historian and former Petersen Automotive Museum executive director.
“That’s who you went to. They were very responsible for the whole custom car scene,” he said.
On a rushed three-week build in the 1960’s, the Barris team turned a Ford Futura concept car — bought by George for $1 — into the Batmobile. Later he forged three Model T bodies into the Munster Koach, turned a gold-plated coffin into the Munsters’ Drag-U-La, and built starring-role vehicles for “The Beverly Hillbillies” and “My Mother the Car.”
The original Batmobile was sold at auction decades later for $4.2 million.
When Sam left the business, George carried on. He proclaimed himself “King of the Kustomizers,” and continued his work on projects for movies, TV, and other shows.
Barris died in 2015 at age 90, just after taking a top prize at the Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance, the Times reported.
Read more at the Los Angeles Times
