If you were told about a vehicle for sale that featured automatic braking, remote operation, self-opening doors and a large screen on the dashboard, it would be easy to assume it would be something like a Tesla Model X or some other cutting-edge car with semi-autonomous technology. In this case though, the car going up for auction at Mecum's event in Indianapolis with all of this technology onboard is actually a model from the 1950s.
The car is actually a custom model that began its life as a 1953 Lincoln Capri owned by none other than George Barris, who is probably most famous for being the man responsible for creating the original Batmobile from the 1960s television series. Only a short while after getting the car, it ended up being involved in a crash that then gave Barris the idea of using it for a major customization project.
Barris teamed up with a man called James Skonzakes, who helped him create and fund the ambitious build. The car was completed in 1954, with bodywork that featured a pearlescent gold paint made using fish scales, and genuine 24-carat gold trim. The outrageous bodywork inspired the pair to name the car the Golden Sahara and it cost the princely sum of $25,000 to create, which was a serious amount of money in the mid-1950s.
That was only the start though, as Skonzakes, or James Street as he was also known, decided to do a great deal more to the car in 1956. It was therefore sent to a custom shop in Dayton, Ohio, which is where all the high-tech features were added. These included a central control stick for operating the throttle, steering and braking; push-button steering controls for driver and passenger on the dash; and a remote control for moving the car slowly and for opening the doors. Other futuristic enhancements ahead of its time included a sonar antennae at the front for automatic braking, a TV in the center console, a radio, a phone, and even a cocktail cabinet in the rear.
The final total cost of the car, which was then called Golden Sahara II, was $75,000. If you go to the trouble of adjusting for inflation that means in today's money the car cost the equivalent of almost $700,000 to put together.
In May, the car, which is now in unrestored and slightly rough condition, will be sold at Mecum's Indianapolis auction. It will be a no-reserve auction, but the smart money suggests it will go for considerably more than the $75,000 it originally cost to build.
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