The world lost a very creative and talented man in George Barris back on November 5th. While most of us don’t know the name, those in Hollywood were in awe by the incredible work he did on cars in both movies and television. Barris was known as the “King of Customizers” for his uncanny ability to make cars look like more than just cars. His most famous creation was the Batmobile that was featured on the 60s hit television show “Batman.” In the spirit of the show, Barris was laid to rest in a customized casket inspired by his most well known design. The actual casket featured fins like the car had and is incircled by classic car styles of past decades.
George Barris was born in Chicago in 1925 and worked in a Greek restaurant until he joined the Navy in World War 2. After the war Barris went on to “Kustomize” cars, as he would go on to spell it, for Hollywood in films such as High School Confidential, North by North West and H.G. Wells’ The The Time Machine. He became heavily involved with Hollywood during the 1960’s, designing the famed Munster Koach and later versions of the famous talking car KITT from Knight Rider. We wish his family well and tip our hat in thanks to designs that made their way into our homes and our imaginations.
Photos via Instagram
