aint no way a guy could be respected by the people and the builders alike if he didnt do SOMETHING.. savvy?
Here's something that I don't think a lot of people don't take into consideration: what we as a group seem to consider beautiful also fit the definition of tasteful in the "Sam Barris era". By that I mean, the Hirohata Merc, Sam's Merc, the Matranga Merc and so on. By the time Sam left and George started doing the whole magazine thing, the car scene had changed radically. George kept up and started doing the same stuff everyone else was. Can you imagine seeing a Surf Rod in 1951? Not hardly, yet Barris and everyone else had one in the mid '60's. Then TV execs woke up to the fact that people like cars and wonderful (in my eyes) cars like the Batmobile, the Munster Coach, Dragula and so on showed up. Yes, the cars changed, but so did the times. You just can't keep cranking out chopped '49 Mercs forever, builders build what customers want and Barris is no different. Do I like every car he did? No, but then again I don't like everything Roth did, or Dean Jeffries, or John Buttera or Boyd Coddington for that matter. But I have the utmost admiration and respect for each of these builders, as we all should. They did what we dream of.
Thats prob the best synopsis I have read! I have been a detractor of George, but the fact is, he did what he enjoyed and kept food on the table. Like I said in Evels GB photo thread, I think Barris' greatist contribution will be his photo documentation
I cant say anything negative.. I look at those little books my Dad left behind for me and I am in Awe every time.. I looked through those books and tried to mimic what I looked at for my cars..... Computors were not accessable like they are now for easy info.... Those early Pioneers of Customs and Street rods paved the way for us..
Then you mis-understand,and this common misconception will eventually distort historical fact from the truth.I say again,READ THIS; http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=385721&highlight=1953+article Paul
Thanx for the very appropriate reply by brother Rickster. I was on vacation in L.A. in 1960, went to the famous shop and they were so cordial to show a 16 year kid around. George has been unduly bashed at times because of his aggressive hollywood style, and I think most of that is jealousy of his success. I have had the opportunity of shaking his hand at a couple of K.K.O.A. shows and he is a very nice gentleman. He is one of my hotrod and custom hero and I wish him nothing but the best. ~Sololobo~
I think that the reason because everybody tends to detract from George importance in history its his latest 10/15 years work, like that double willys w/ filled wheel wells or even his latest GTO "custom". Its like if people in general consider him a sell out, while people like Hines, Winfield and others keep buildin the same stuff they did back then. Watch out! I agree it had an as important role as Sam's, im just saying this might be why. more than the 60s and 70s crazy builds, that btw i think are way kool!
Bashing someone who is bigger and better than you are, and doing so behind their back, is a tactic used without success by 12 year-olds since the beginning of time
That article was a great read. From hanging out on the HAMB I had gotten the idea that George was more of the marketing guy, but after reading that article I see that he really got it all going. Sometimes in later years icons can get involved with projects that don't relate to the stuff that made them hugely popular... like that GTO. But we need to remember them for their legacy, for the iconic builds that they did in 45-65 not the recent stuff.
Sam was a very talented man. Of the two in my opinion Sam had the most talent. George was or is a businessman.My family has history with George and its hard for that to not enter into anything I say about him but he was very good at the part of the business that he handled. I think that neither one would have had much notoriety at all if they hadn't been a team working together. My saying that Sam was talent and George business is not to say that he didn't have a hand in the building end of it. Just that he was the one that got people to pay attention to their creations, and Sam was the one with vision and the hands to make it happen. BTW the Bat Mobile was an abortion as were many of the movie cars. They were built to fit a certain element in a movie but I can't imagine that anyone would want to drive one.
If I had the cash Id buy one of those "gotham roadster" kits and drive the wheels off it,and get home and park it in the shop next to my Dean Jefferies Monkeemobile (if I had the cash for it too)).George has been the ambasator for the Kustom world for decades and for the most part is the reason we have such a great history.................
In the late '50's ,,my folks went to So Calif for X-Mas and Visit relatives ,,twice ,,my cousins took me around to all the Kustom / Hot Rod Shops ,,when i went to Barris' Shop ,,there was a bunch of work going on ,,they let a 15 year old kid from Iowa wander all around the shop ,,only thing ,,i couldn't take any pictures inside the shop ,,i guess there was a lota secrete stuff going on ,,but they treated me pretty nice ,,it was a pretty great experience for me ,,some of the cars & trucks i saw in magazines in the years to follow ,,
So if George had passed first would we have all this turned around where Sam is the no talent and George had all the talent? HUUMM!!!
No, but this board and what it represents would be a very different place. Possibly, some areas wouldn't exist at all. Paul.
George is a great character and an icon, but I can't say that I like anything "Barris" after Sam. Oh, wait, that's not true. I did like the fact that George was getting his hair cut in the Dallas airport a few years ago when I was there. Brandon and I had just walked by the barber shop on our way to eat lunch and I commented, "Who the hell gets their hair cut in an airport." After we ate, we walked back by the barber shop on the way to our gate. I looked in the window again and said, "Apparently George Barris does!" There he was. Oh, also George will let you pick him up like a baby. His handler will not.
sam left the shop i believe in the 60s so it was just george dean jeffries and some other kats in the shop
Hero worship is a little strange... and lame. Vilifying a well known person, just because he is well known is just as lame. And History isnt that simple. A person can be a Icon that has carved out his place in history, and have a legacy for less flattering things at the same time. And you can respect the one, and not the other. Or at least, I can... I'd be much more interested in finding out a bit more about his Road Track Racing... Appearently, he was racing a XK120 Jag, while James Dean was racing his Speedster ( the one he owned before the 550 Spider )
As with most partnerships each contributed to the shop what was their strongest suit and both had a strong enough suit to balance the other. Another set of "Pioneers" without which our history would be a lot less bright and beautiful.
"Hero worship is a little strange... and lame." Speaking for myself, I'm not much interested in Hero Worship, just in respect and facts.
My introduction to custom cars was the AMT model kit series "Barris Cruisin USA" . Yeah he built some crap but he also built what the customer wanted, because just like you and I he requires basics like food and shelter and has to pay the bills somehow. And in the end only the guy who's signing the check is who has to be satisfied with the car.
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