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The Hirohata Merc is a 1950s lead sled [1] custom car, often called "the most famous custom of the classic era". [2] [3] Setting a style and an attitude, it had a "momentous effect" on custom car builders, [4] appeared in several magazines at the time, [5] and has reappeared numerous times since, earning an honorable mention on Rod & Custom ' s "Twenty Best of All Time" list in 1991. [5]
The car made its debut at the 1959 Detroit Autorama, and was featured on the cover of Rod & Custom Magazine in March 1959. [7] When he visited George Barris' shop driving this car in 1958, Barris' shop manager, Gene Simmons (not to be confused with the artist), hired him immediately on the strength of the work. [2]
George Barris (born George Salapatas; November 20, 1925 – November 5, 2015) was an American designer and builder of Hollywood custom cars. Barris designed and built the Hirohata Merc . Barris's company, Barris Kustom Industries, designed and built the Munster Koach and DRAG-U-LA for The Munsters ; and the 1966 Batmobile for the Batman TV ...
Gene Winfield (June 16, 1927 – c. March 4, 2025) was an American automotive customizer and fabricator. [1] In the mid-1960s, his designs caught the attention of the film community, resulting in a large body of his work appearing on screen, including in the iconic 1982 film Blade Runner.
In his later days, he began registering cars that were essentially completely custom fabrications as antique automobiles, avoiding major emissions restrictions and tax liabilities. California officials considered this a " ship of Theseus " fraud, claiming that so many central elements were replaced, the cars ceased to be the same entity.
One of the famous custom cars in the classic American custom style, the Hirohata Merc [1] A custom car is a passenger vehicle that has been altered to improve its performance, change its aesthetics, or combine both. Some automotive enthusiasts in the United States want to push "styling and performance a step beyond the showroom floor - to truly ...
"Detroit's Autorama was the first and is the most revered hot rod custom car show in the country, attracting enthusiasts from across North America," Toundas said.
The Beatnik Bandit, built by Ed Roth, one of the most famous Kustom car builders. Kustom Kulture is the artworks, vehicles, hairstyles, and fashions of those who have driven and built custom cars and motorcycles in the United States of America from the 1950s through today. It was born out of the hot rod culture of Southern California of the 1960s.