Born in Italy, reimagined in LA

George Barris’s custom creations, such as the 1966 Batmobile and K.I.T.T from Knight Rider, are well known, but his personal 1978 Ferrari 308 GTS is a golden moment not often discussed. After buying the 308, Barris attended a Ferrari Owners’ Club meeting, only to find his car was the same as everyone else's. Looking to set himself apart from the crowd, he decided to inject some Hollywood flavour into the svelte 308. The body received a widebody kit to accommodate the massive BBS RS wheels, a deep chin spoiler, and new rear grille. The pop-up headlights were swapped out for contemporary amber covers, and then it was painted a loud two-tone gold colour — it was the 1970s, after all. Metallic gold upper panels and metallic copper lower panels were divided by green, white, and red stripes, in tribute to car’s Italian origins, and finished with real gold leaf pinstriping. The Italian flag motif carried into the fully reworked interior, now featuring a custom digital instrument pod, vital in-car telephone, and even a reversing camera — the perfect way to view the astonished passers-by who witnessed this outrageous vehicle. After a cameo appearance in Knight Rider, the car led a sheltered life and has covered just 8,000 miles from new. One of a selection of Barris custom cars for sale in the Classic Driver Market offered by Hyman Ltd. Classic Cars, this one-off Ferrari is a must-have for the brave custom car collector…

Photos: Hyman Classic Cars Ltd.