Bugaloo Buggy created by George Barris
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Buggy with new owner, Gary Hillman (r), and creator, George Barris (l)!
BuggyShowGeorge
George Barris worshipping, I mean autographing the Buggy!
Barris at the Buggy
Buggy
Seen in public for the first time since being sold at auction in 1983, the Bugaloo
Buggy is pictured above featured in a car show in Sweden, April 10-12. George
Barris attended and signed the Buggy!
“George loved it and done a piece on TV about the car. I also built some new wings
and got them fully working as well. It really did look like it came alive when they
started flapping!” – Gary Hillman
How fantastic is that!
NewBuggy
NewBuggy
The Bugaloo Buggy has been found – AGAIN!
The last we knew of the whereabouts of the Buggy was in France in dark, underground storage.
Well, I am happy to say the Buggy is back in the light and has a new owner, Gary Hillman!
The Buggy is now in London and in the process of being fully restored. In fact, the Buggy will
be shown for the first time in over 30 years in a car show in Sweden in April. George Barris
is also scheduled to attend – what a reunion! I will provide details and pics of the show when
available. For now, enjoy the newest Buggy photos!!
I’m so happy I could fly!!!
Bugaloo Buggy
the Bugaloos Buggy, featured on “The Bugaloos” television series. Since the concept of the show, starring Martha Raye and the four Bugaloos, showed the group with wings enabling them to fly, it was determined logical for the car to “fly” and to “ride” on water. The buggy was equipped with two large flapping butterfly wings, and twin screws installed under the rear body for high-powered water sporting. Oversized headlights looked like the eyes of a bug, while the taillights were tunneled portholes that illuminate at night. Wide oval Firestone tires were installed on Ansen one-piece sprint wheels. The interior was individualized for each Bugaloo – each star having his/her own telephone system and Muntz stereo tape system with individual earphones. The buggy was painted in a green, yellow and orange butterfly theme with orange and purple pinstripes.
- Cars of the Stars, ©1974
showbuggy
The Bugaloos buggy was another television show car constructed especially at the Barris Kustom shop for Krofft Productions. The producers desired a small, wild-looking, fun buggy to incorporate into their new NBC-TV series. To supply an automotive interest for the series, Barris built the buggy in late 1969 to be used in the 1970-71 TV season. His motivation: the vehicle was to possess all of the fun characteristics that made the Meyers Manx dune buggy famous – yet push the concept beyond the envelope with attention-getting color and design elements. The goal was a completely different and vibrant look. Using a four-passenger body mounted on a Volkswagen floorpan, the buggy actually looked just like a bug – mixing well with the show characters who could fly and walk on water like little flying insects. The design featured a T-shaped rollbar set over the rear wheels with a pair of “wings” that gave the effect of an airborne bug yet allowed plenty of space for television camera maneuvers. The chassis rolled on Ansen Spring alloy wheels, highlighted with orange spoked centers. The fully fendered four-wheeler featured oversized headlights that looked just like bug eyes. On the outside, the paint scheme was a wild combination of green, yellow and orange applied to copy the markings found on a butterfly’s wing. There was much more. The interior was fitted with four custom bucket seats with leaf-like design elements that continued the buggy’s nature theme. Four Capitol Communications telephones and four Muntz stereo tape cartridge players were also installed. A four-tone horn was on board as well, offering a distinct tone for each one of the characters. Fully street legal, The Bugaloos buggy was used extensively in the show. When the series was introduced to the airwaves, Barris contracted with model kit manufacturer MPC to design a plastic model kit based on the program vehicle (which never saw production. See MCP catalog in Collectibles).
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1 Comment
A link to my web site where all this information was taken would be appreciated. Only the last paragraph is from TV and Movie Cars. The last sentence of that paragraph is information I researched about the MPC kit that was not found in the TV and Movie Cars article. And except for the last two photos, those were taken my from site as well as the owner of the Buggy site. In other words, this entire page is from my web site after long research and actually speaking with the owner of the Buggy. All the information is not from TV and Movie Cars – many my very own words.