George Barris dead!

[Harry P.]

Who's going to take credit now for all those cars he said he designed... but didn't?

[Tom Geiger]

That's sad.  I had always expected to meet him at a car event someday.   Guess not!

[Harry P.]

Foose is still alive... 

[cobraman]

I hope this is not in bad taste because the man is dead but what cars did he claim he built which he did not ?

[Dave Van]

Well........I got a little upset when PETERSON museum itself had a American Graffiti display of all the 'star' cars and each had a Barris crest decal applied and some noise about Barris being involved.......which is incorrect as far as I have discovered.

Still.......he did do a lot of work. RIP

PS there was a thread on this topic 

[disabled modeler]

That is a bummer....really loved some of his cars,etc.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I was lucky enough to meet him at a World Of wheels quite a few years back. I got to the show early to avoid the crowds, and he was pretty much alone at a program-signing table. He seemed like a nice enough guy, very small and old even then, and seemed genuinely happy when I told him I'd been a fan of his work since the late '50s, and that he'd influenced what I did with my life.

He really DID build a lot of seriously cool stuff...and later on some awful stuff...and self-promotion was a large part of his schtick.

[Harry P.]

I hope this is not in bad taste because the man is dead but what cars did he claim he built which he did not ?

http://news.boldride.com/2014/02/master-fabricator-wherein-george-barris-takes-credit-for-everything/43891/

[High octane]

This one's for George, and may he R.I.P.

[Harry P.]

This one's for George, and may he R.I.P.

Herb Grasse and Bill Cushenberry did the Batmobile.

[fog cutter]

...and self-promotion was a large part of his schtick.

"i build real custom cars for a living?" yeah. we certainly don't need anymore of that.

[Ace-Garageguy]

"i build real custom cars for a living?" yeah. we certainly don't need anymore of that.

Edited November 6, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy

[JTalmage]

I always hoped to meet him too. Even though I knew time was running out. I'm sad that the opportunity is now gone. I wish I could have met him and told him how I really like the vehicles he designed/built. 

[Mark]

Well........I got a little upset when PETERSON museum itself had a American Graffiti display of all the 'star' cars and each had a Barris crest decal applied and some noise about Barris being involved.......which is incorrect as far as I have discovered.

Still.......he did do a lot of work. RIP

PS there was a thread on this topic 

Supposedly, he was one of many people who were called when they were searching for cars for AG.  Whether or not he supplied anything, or even provided information regarding anything that appeared on screen, is not known.  But, to even claim "consultant" status would be a stretch unless payment was received for said services.

[cobraman]

Don't understand why anyone would claim something that is so easily disproved.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Don't understand why anyone would claim something that is so easily disproved.

It's not uncommon for people to claim other people's work. I've seen it from kindergarten up until now, and never understood how anyone would want to do that. 

But what I find particularly odd here is that Barris did enough really cool stuff over the years to not have to try to take credit for other's work to build himself up. He had plenty of cred from his own early accomplishments.

But you know, the guy's dead. He can't defend himself, so why not just look at the stuff he DID do and let the rest of it drop?

[slusher]

http://news.boldride.com/2014/02/master-fabricator-wherein-george-barris-takes-credit-for-everything/43891/

Thanks Harry for the link..

It's not uncommon for people to claim other people's work. I've seen it from kindergarten up until now, and never understood how anyone would want to do that. 

But what I find particularly odd here is that Barris did enough really cool stuff over the years to not have to try to take credit for other's work to build himself up. He had plenty of cred from his own early accomplishments.

But you know, the guy's dead. He can't defend himself, so why not just look at the stuff he DID do and let the rest of it drop?

A good way to look at it Bill and i do hate a car guy is gone but it leaves me scratching my head at some of these cars. 

[Danno]

http://news.boldride.com/2014/02/master-fabricator-wherein-george-barris-takes-credit-for-everything/43891/

Barris also tried to take credit for Darryl Starbird's Cosma Ray.  He had nothing to do with designing and building the car, he merely bought it once and claimed it as his work.

[Jantrix]

I've always thought that Sam was the real talent in the family but tragically he died quite young. Like Bill said though I'm just going to let whatever resentment I had for George, fall behind me. 

[Mark]

 

Barris also tried to take credit for Darryl Starbird's Cosma Ray.  He had nothing to do with designing and building the car, he merely bought it once and claimed it as his work.

The original version was done by Starbird, but Barris Kustoms made revisions to it.  According to a book co-authored by George, "owner Bobby Greenwade brought it to me to do a little more customizing on the front end, put the bands over the bubble top, reform the wheel wells, and paint the car the same as his El Camino".  Dean Jeffries may have worked on the car after that, but I don't have my Jeffries book handy to verify that.  The MPC kit's box art does not credit any one builder.

The self-promotion aspect brought with it the occasional erroneous claims, which is a shame because Barris' shop turned out a big enough body of work on its own.  But that's all in the past now.

[ZIL 111V]

 

RIP: Was surely a talented guy, some of his 50s kustom cars beacame "classics" in the Kustom Kar world...Love or hate feelings will surely arise about the self proclaimed "King", indeed self promotion/claims/credits for a few designs was his strong point, guess its the name of the game when you're... King!...:

TD most famous.... Barris Design:

 

 

[Danno]

The original version was done by Starbird, but Barris Kustoms made revisions to it.  According to a book co-authored by George, "owner Bobby Greenwade brought it to me to do a little more customizing on the front end, put the bands over the bubble top, reform the wheel wells, and paint the car the same as his El Camino".  Dean Jeffries may have worked on the car after that, but I don't have my Jeffries book handy to verify that.  The MPC kit's box art does not credit any one builder.

The self-promotion aspect brought with it the occasional erroneous claims, which is a shame because Barris' shop turned out a big enough body of work on its own.  But that's all in the past now.

I've always considered you a credible authority on the hobby, Mark, so no disrespect is intended.   

Barris repainted the Cosma Ray and put his 'Barris Kustom' badge on the front fenders.

My understanding has always been that the MPC kit does not credit any one builder because Starbird was contracted to Monogram.  Atypical for the times, even the instruction sheet has no descriptive blurb identifying the car's genesis.

You are correct;  Barris had a far more than impressive body of work that he had actually built.  He had no need to steal the thunder of others.  Yet he did or tried, time and time again.  

It is more than a shame that he felt compelled to embarrass himself by trying to steal credit from others for so many cars he did not create or build.  Once or twice would be a shame.  More than that was something else again.