The Car Challenge

[richard]

Well here's the designer

The.designer.jpg (51.53 KiB) Viewed 512 times

[Siani]

Was it designed for a famous movie star, like frank sinatra?

[STEVE G]

I found it after realising that the mention of dreams was a big clue, it's Bobby Darin's 1960 DaDia 150 Dream car.

[PeteC]

Now that we know that, what I can't find and probably never will is who made the V-8 engine it had. No way the designer did that. I also doubt the frame was original. I think borrowed from big bodied American sedans of the era. Pete

[Dannie Boy]

Now that we know that, what I can't find and probably never will is who made the V-8 engine it had. No way the designer did that. I also doubt the frame was original. I think borrowed from big bodied American sedans of the era. Pete

A bit of a cut and paste job so hope it makes sense.

The car is powered by a 427 high-performance Ford engine with a 125-inch wheelbase, with a tubular aluminum frame and a hand-fashioned soft aluminum body. The normal V8 engine is located at the front, being a petrol V engine with eight cylinders driving a central crankshaft and an engine displacement of 365/427. It has a rear-wheel drive, the body and chassis is hand-formed from 064 aluminum with a unitized alloy tube frame.
It has a glass cockpit in back, a squared steering wheel resembling a superellipse (with n = 3⁄2, a = b = 1) and thermostatically controlled air conditioning system. The interior is rust coloured in contrast to the ruby paintwork. The design included the first backseat-mounted radio speakers and hidden windshield wipers, that started themselves when it rained. Other features include retractable headlamps, rear indicators that swivel as the car turns, 'floating' bumpers and a trunk that was hinged from the driver's side. Each of the four bucket seats have their own thermostatically controlled air conditioning, individual cigarette lighters and ashtrays, as well as a radio speaker. The original engine, a Cadillac V8, was later replaced by a 427 high-performance by Ford when it was taken on the show circuit.The car has Batmanesque set of rear fins dominating the bodyline and ruby red hubcaps on whitewall tires. Writer Daniel Vaughan describes it as an exotic vehicle that is overdone in every detail and in every respect, an iconic dream car. Its metallic red paint was from 30 coats of paint with real ground diamonds for sparkle.The body is from hand-fashioned soft aluminum. There are hidden headlights and tail lights that swivel as the car turns. Inside, the seats each have their own ash tray, cigarette lighter, and radio speaker. On the dash are oversized levers that control the air conditioning, heater and defroster.

The car was designed by Andrew Di Dia, a clothing designer, who Bobby Darin had met whilst on tour in Detroit in 1957. Darin telling Di Dia at the time that he would purchase the car if he ever "hit it big". For seven years, from 1953 to 1960 the DiDia 150 was hand-built by four workers, at a cost of $93,647.29 but sold to Darin in 1961 at a cost of over $150,000 (1.5 million today). At the time the car was listed as most expensive "custom-made" car in the world by the Guinness Book of Records. The body was hand-formed by Ron Clark and constructed by Bob Kaiser from Clark Kaiser Customs.
Darin drove his wife, Sandra Dee, in the car to the 34th Academy Awards in 1961.
When Bobby drove the car to the Academy Awards, I and Steve Blauner followed behind him in a limousine. The car had two fans and a switch that you had to turn on. Bobby didn't realize, so it heated up. All the magazines said the car caught fire but it didn't.

Di Dia toured the car around the country, when Darin wasn't using it for public appearances. After publicity and film use, Darin donated his "Dream Car" to the St Louis Museum of Transportation in 1970 where it remains. It was restored by Mike Manns of Manns Auto Body in Festus, Missouri before going on display.

[hhfarang]

Ok here's one:

[Siani]

It is made in the USA?

[hhfarang]

It is made in the USA?

It was.

[richard]

I found it after realising that the mention of dreams was a big clue, it's Bobby Darin's 1960 DaDia 150 Dream car.

The 'dream lover' with his expensive wheels

The.Dream.Lover.jpg (45.53 KiB) Viewed 449 times

[jimmy40]

I think that is a lancia box 4 intergrail???

[Dannie Boy]

I think that is a lancia box 4 intergrail???

Made in America???

[Siani]

Am I correct the last challenge was solved?
Anyway, try this one....

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car2.png (80.29 KiB) Viewed 421 times

[Frank Hovis]

I don't think the other competition is finished yet, which is just as well as I was about to blurt out 'Lotus Eclat' - which I'm sure would be wrong (and it was before I saw the white picture as well)

[Dannie Boy]

To be fair to HHFR, we should wait until his mystery car is identified, although other than being American, we are not any closer!!

[Siani]

To be fair to HHFR, we should wait until his mystery car is identified, although other than being American, we are not any closer!!

Yes, I wasn't sure if it was, sorry Wait until the previous post is checked out by HHFR