The Milner coupe is famous. Marty Feldman is famous. Tammy Faye Baker is famous. Donald Trump is famous. Famous sometimes is ugly. An ugly truth, no?
Yes and no. Supposedly the Lucas camp found the car in the LA Recycler and had some changes made for the movie.
It's starting to sound like there's an echo in here, but to me, this hits the nail squarely on the head. I'm 36 so I was a kid in the 80's. My dad is/always has been a hot rod guy, so I had seen American Graffitti several times and Milner's coupe WAS what a hot rod was to my young foolish mind. (Didn't have a clue about stuff like way out of whack proportions until later in life, I was a kid and it looked like a hot rod to me.) All of the other kids I knew, however, didn't have car guy dads. So when my old man bought a 34 Ford sedan in the mid-80's and would drive us around in it, I remember damn near EVERY SINGLE PERSON that said anything about it at all calling it a "ZZ Top car".
To be very influencial you have to be widely known. Time frame is also a factor. Ala Cart-I didn't like it even in the early 60's but every kid I grew up with had the model kit. It had to have influenced some of them. Norm Grabowski's T influenced a whole generation. Through the years many cars have influenced the "hot rod world". Most of the cars mentioned turned a whole bunch of folks on to hot rods. I can't believe that maybe the last influencial hot rod I can think of has gone unmentioned-The Bishop-Tardel roadster. It's also one of my favorites.
I agree. Most famous among the average person. Most famous to a hot rodder or car guy? Hard to tell, but Milner's piss yellow/puke green coupe and the California Kid are probably on the top of the list.
I just found a copy of the California Kid for $5.99 at the Drugstore, they beat the s--t out of that car in the movie! And no stunt double's. For me the car is Gray Baskerville's 32 he showed us that cars do not have to be magizine pretty to be cool.
Wasn't there a red roadster owned by Dick Kraft, it was on the cover of Hot Rod Mag.. Always turned me on, but then I'm old.
thanks for all the great responses. i guess everyone can answer it for themselves. its such a loaded question. different cars mean different things to people and what era they grew up just glad this newb didnt get flamed for asking haha.
the model i built when i was little is long gone, but a couple of years ago i scored a vintage diecast still in the box of the badman ii with a tom daniel action figure!!
As I recall, the changes were minor in nature. I can look it up later. Yes, the car is probably the most "famous" hot rod. I usually equate the word "fame" with "ugly, tasteless crap loved by people who have no clue or taste" but I guess if you value "famous" the AG coupe is it. I dont see the AG coupe as being very influential, other than a few guys who build clones of it. Sorta like taking a perfectly decent Charger and painting confederate flags on it...UUUGH!
I think it really does depend on your age...The Grabowski "T" always did it for me but I remember a chopped, full fendered 32 that was painted purple with a pink and white tuck and roll interior that I just could not stop looking at...I guess some cars just have it really together and have that special look...
What'd the American Graffiti Coupe ever do to you? Is your insulting attack on people who like the Coupe part of the satire you mention in your signature or are you just trying to make friends?
One that sticks in my mind is the Gray Baskerville roadster, as someone else mentioned...it was originally built by Paul Hornung (sp?), and I remember it well, Paul worked at a shop on N. Lake in Pasadena/Altadena...car was simple but finished right, to be driven on the street, not shown, and when Paul died in a motorcycle accident Gray got the car and put his own pedigree on it....the Grabowski car was also very influential, and also built to be driven in his driveway (although I noticed that only the front of the rear axle was painted candy red and only the front of the rear spring was chromed...still, very influential car, hope it gets found though Von Franco's clone is first-class!
How old were you when you became 'hot rod" aware. I have to agree with the AG coupe, the Pete & Jakes coupes, Super Bell Coupe, Barry Loebecks flamed 40 coupe and John Butera's white and smooth billet '29 roadster. These all turned my crank and rods at the time. Clearly I am a 70's guy. Jay
#1 munster coach #2 california kid #3 milner but wtf do I know I just grew up in metro detroit and watched millions of mustangs go down the tracks near my parents house
The California Kid Milner's Coupe (AG) Norm Grabowski's T roadster (77 Sunset Strip) Falfa's 55 Chevy (2Lane Blacktop and AG) perhaps double famous Eliminator (ZZTop)
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