Steve Parker Motoring / The Car Nut: ...AND SOME NEWSPAPERS DO GOOD! LOS ANGELES TIMES EXPOSES GEORGE BARRIS!

EXCLUSIVE PHOTO ALBUM! 2009 GUMBALL RALLY 3000

See Steve's exclusive Gumball Rally video from NBC-TV's Whipnotic website (copy and paste): http://www.whipnotic.com/videos/viewvideo-558.html Over 120 gas-guzzling super-exotic sports cars, Hummers, Cadillac Escalade SUVs and an occasional interesting older car roared on May 2, 2009, from a California beach-side parking lot directly onto I-10, the Santa Monica Freeway, also known as the Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway, for the start of this year's Gumball Rally. The world's most politically-incorrect automotive street event, the Gumball Rally 3000, left Santa Monica (CA) Pier on Saturday, May 2, 2009 and headed toward its ultimate destination of Miami, FL eight days later. Participants reportedly paid $44,000 per car/team to enter the event. Though the Gumball stresses the skills of its drivers (and their cars) there are only two race track "special section" stops scheduled for the 3,000-mile long event, which will be run on public roads with all entrants subject to all highway rules and regulations. All photos (c) 2009 by www.SteveParker.com

May 04, 2007

...AND SOME NEWSPAPERS DO GOOD! LOS ANGELES TIMES EXPOSES GEORGE BARRIS!

For decades, George Barris has held sway in the automotive world as creator, builder and owner of many, many of the msot famous of Hollywood's TV and movie cars. From the Monkeemobile to the Batmobile to the General Lee to many others before, after and in-between, Barris' name is the one bandied about when it comes to the best and most memorable vehicles modified for use in movies and on TV shows.

Recently, Barris even had a section of road in front of his North Hollywood, CA office/studio renamed in his honor.

But an article in the LOS ANGELES TIMES by staff writer Bob Pool calls into question not only Barris' claims of creation and ownership of many of these world-famous cars and trucks, but also Barris' entire past. In fact, after reading the devastating piece, many might say that Barris started "creating" his own history many years ago, and together with Hollywood publicist Ed Lozzi, has simply been around so long making so many claims that antire generations of car enthusiasts simply accrpt Barris at his word.

Well, those of us in the auto journo have known for many years that Barris wasn't even the original owner, much less the designer and builder, of many of the cars and trucks he claimed in his stable. Why don't the 'enthusiast mags' write about it? Because none of the car magazines would attack Barris, his name is so revered and "his" cars and trucks on a cover still sells magazines off the rack ... And you definitely can't take that away from him. Also, any of the new auto journos writing for magazines, BLOGS and the new websites, simply do not know the real Barris story.

Thanksfully, the LA TIMES has fulfilled at least one of its newspaper duties ("To afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted") with a great piece on Barris, calling into question many of his claims, and quoting many people in the industry who have waited years to tell their versions of the Barris story. Give the TIMES' story and read then revisit this site to read our take on it. The LA TIMES story can be found at:

http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/news/local/~3/114067592/la-me-custom4may04,1,7419406.story.