This car predicted the future!

[@majornerd]

I was talking to the engineer that worked out the new tires (the ones on the car now) and the original tires were not designed to be seen on the road. They were designed because the vulcanizing process was expensive and Goodyear wanted to create a cheaper process for making tires. After completing the tires they were ugly. A semi transparent “grey” and it was a huge turn off. So they tried a few things and ended up putting 12 incandescent bulbs in the tire and powering them through the wheel hub.

[@MrLraewoo]

8d ago

[@ramon6890]

What do you mean by not meant to be seen on the road? Like no lights?

[@aesirofgames]

@ramon6890 They weren't meant to be used for production vehicles.

[@12345682900]

@ 9:46 Actually, car phones were available in the 1950's, they weren't cheap, but they were available. In fact, several movies made during that time, and even earlier (late 1940's) featured car phones. Great video, thanks.

[@MICHGO1]

"HIGHWAY PATROL" HAD ONE.

[@peterw2714]

They weren’t phones as you would think of them today, they either had to be plugged into a landline or they were transmitter with a telephone shaped microphone and receiver. A few CB radios used a telephone shaped microphone also.

[@12345682900]

@@peterw2714 Yes, of course. However, one could "speak on the phone" while driving. Crude, but effective.

[@lassikinnunen]

​@@peterw2714early commercial car telephones weren't much different. Nmt was a bit better than the earlier things but not that different to that either, at least you could dial yourself though and be called at. Gsm being all digital was a huge step that made mobile phones essentially modern.

[@rockets4kids]

Looks like something Elvis would drive.

[@slothzombi307]

I was thinking Liberace or Donald Trump. It would fit right in at Mar a Legos.

[@ascelot]

Thinking if it was pink, Lady Penelope.

[@Bob-v8b3i]

It was really George Barriss’s Brother Sam, who did Most of the Custom Metalwork at Barris Customs.

[@madmike2624]

A man way ahead o his time!!~ God speed RB.Great content Rick!!!~

[@RSF-DiscoveryTime]

Excellent thumbnail zero clickbait, it delivers....liked / subscribed.

[@burkestorti4586]

The "Batmobile" started as a Ford concept car in the 1950's. George Barris modified it to create the Batmobile for the 1966 Batman TV show.

[@garycamara9955]

Yep, the Predicta

[@rickdebruhlcars]

It was the Lincoln Futura. Interesting that both the Batmobile and the Golden Sahara were based on Lincolns.

[@mndlessdrwer]

The amount of effort that went into creating all of those systems in a pre-transistor era is quite significant. So it's important to remember that it wasn't that people didn't have ideas about what the future could be all the way back then, but that those ideas were tempered by significant limitations in what could be achieved with the technology of the time. At least, the consumer-available technology of the time. Pretty sure the military was already fiddling with transistors back then.

[@nikhester600]

I got to see this exact car in Chicago in person! Really cool!

[@jwalster9412]

I like how they predicted emergency braking, but its kinda pointless without ABS, because the brakes will just lock most of the time.

[@Eisen_Jaeger]

That unicontrol is very foreshadowing for some of the hand rigs for handicap drivers.

[@anibalbabilonia1867]

Wow! Absolutely stunning! Beautiful car!👌🥰👍

[@AddictedToMore_]

Just saw your post on Reddit. Great channel!

[@rickdebruhlcars]

Thanks!

[@ChrisWehadababyitsaboy]

I remember you from my younger years reporting the local AZ news! Great to see you on KZbin!

[@tobi3142]

10:17 right in the back what is the neon sign transformer needed for? was it for some neons mounted in those glowing tires?

[@danf321]

Wow! What a weird wonderful car! I say we should have glowing car tires today. How fun would that be?

[@rickdebruhlcars]

It really is a great idea. It would definitely add to the safety of the car... and be cool looking as well!

[@Iowa599]

Not glowing. Transparent with RGB illumination.

[@timelikeinfinity5142]

@@rickdebruhlcars hm, would it be a way around the law of undercarriage lighting on a car? lmao I don't drive but I asked anyway

[@blackturbine]

Golden Sahara II looks awesome. It looks like something Bowser would apsolutely dig

[@johnclements6852]

What a fascinating car, Rick, I'm glad Jim Street saved it for posterity. As for that phone, I believe the technology existed but would have taken a third to half of that trunk to fit in. Regardless, well done everybody concerned with its restoration. Hope they let you drive it. I just converted the 25K cost to 2024 dollars - $273,065.74, Jim Street must have been very wealthy.

[@andyrbush]

Fascinating thanks for showing it

[@garycamara9955]

I saw the Golden Sahara at the Oakland roadster show in 1960

[@rickdebruhlcars]

I remember going to car shows as a kid and seeing stuff like the Uncertain-T. I wonder if the GS II was around as well.

[@madmike2624]

A man way ahead o his time!!~ God speed RB.

[@johnrickard8512]

If that remote control module still works, I wonder how tricky it would be to hook up a Comma Three to give it self driving capabilities…

[@roorman]

this car was designed closer to the invention of the commercially available car than it is to cars being developed today

[@obsever97]

Look's like an odd mating of a B58 Hustler and Las Vegas!

[@jamespoling4586]

Jim Street was a good friend of mine. Remember walking around this car to get to his pet chimps room.

[@atomatman3104]

by the way there was phones in the cars in the 20s in metropolis

[@BrokenSoul79x]

one of the sexiest cars _EVER_

[@dafoex]

2:21 The first practical rotorcraft appeared in the 1920s, the first mass produced helicopter appeared in the 1940s. Flying cars were already a decade old by the 50s, I don't know why everyone thinks they are futuristic.

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

I love the pearl white paint. Not a fan of the gold though. Cool car for sure

[@djplonghead5403]

I think the Packard Predictor predicted the future.

[@SNYDAMAAN]

I bet they thought it was neat they could fit all those computers in the trunk of a car.

[@anthonyvalenti9093]

Well, and they make fun of the new Jaguar. Every pimp wants one.

[@SHAGG13]

Pimps haven't wanted Jaguars since pimping was actually a somewhat popular criminal past time. Pimps don't drive jags nowadays and I feel like they never actually did. 😂

[@7c8f9x]

DID U NOTICE THE TIRES WERE GREEN ON THE DRIVERS SIDE?

[@rickdebruhlcars]

They can change the colors. They just had two different colors for fun.

[@highrzr]

The only thing missing for me was what was under the hood.

[@ricksaint2000]

Thank you Rick

[@MileyonDisney]

The Batmobile - really? It was a concept car that already looked like the Batmobile. He didn't do too much more than paint it black, but he gets all the credit. My dad built custom cars, and he could have EASILY put Barris to shame! He drove one of Barris' brother's custom cars as his wedding car, in the 1980's. My dad had a '56 Crown Victoria. To open the door, you pressed on the crown, and the door popped open.

[@TheCrazyMoparDude68]

Your comment shows how ignorant you are about the history of the custom car scene. Barris was one of the greatest customizers in the 60s and 70s creating many amazing cars. The Bat Mobile isn’t one of his greatest creations, but it was far more than just painting it black. Every panel on the Lincoln Futra was altered in some way, with the front being completely reshaped. Barris was asked by the producers of the new Batman TV show to build them a Bat Mobile for the show and only gave him a few months to complete the project. They had asked a different designer to make one in 1965, but he quit shortly before the car was needed for filming. Barris had bought the Futra several years earlier and it was left behind his shop out in the elements. With not having that much time, Barris thought that the Futra would be a great starting point and allow him to get the project done on time. So he made several changes to the body work, which actually made it look better, and it became the Bat Mobile. But again, it is not one of his best cars, only the most known one. I would say that you look up,the many award winning cars he built over the years. Pretty sure that it would be your dad that was put to shame, because if he was that good, we would know who your dad is. Barris took care of customizing to a whole new level and people copied his look, doubt you can say that about your father.

[@MileyonDisney]

@@TheCrazyMoparDude68 HAHAHA! You funny!

[@1dave301]

@@TheCrazyMoparDude68 Or, you could've said, WOW, That's fascinating. Where can we see and appreciate some or all of his work? We would sure like to enjoy someone's automotive design genius as you've described. But the TCMD68 moniker explains why you didn't.

[@ausername7470]

If i had the money, id build one of these, but with more practical features. Actual door handles for starters.

[@ginfizz20]

Another tire story; Goodyear had the tires on a car touring to show them off and in Los Angeles they got a "ticket" for improper lighting .

[@rickdebruhlcars]

I hadn't heard that!

[@BrokenSoul79x]

i wanna see the Golden Sahara III.. :D

[@idlevalley]

Not a car guy but I like that

[@6XGate]

Car phones weren't the future when that car came out. The service was already available in some places in the 1940s.

[@Harley-D-Mcdonald]

They really bent um over at the auction. That poor car was an abandoned orphan. They made them pay for potential. The caretaker of that car should have been ashamed of the way he left it to fall to pieces. It's a beauty now though.

[@imdeaded]

Interesting why they never made those glowing wheels for bicycles. Be such a nice safety item.

[@rickdebruhlcars]

I think they should bring them back! Today's tech would make it so much easier.

[@stevelee4959]

Sam Barris was the designer and metal work of the earlier customs (smoother like the Hirohata Merc), George was marketing. Sam became ill and assed away and later 50s and early 60s were George's designs, when the 'more is better' philosophy of customizing was in place (Custom judging - if one extra set of fins is worth 10 points, two will be worth twenty). You want to see a smooth car, look at Dick Bertolucci's work. George Barris's work fit Hollywood well, but too many fins and extra chrome (and gold, I guess) for my taste. That being said, thanks for sharing an old school custom!

[@raymond_sycamore]

It looks like a HOMER

[@nftminter7922]

No mention that it's 545hp to boot!

[@61rampy65]

Is the martin Museum located at 43rd Ave and T-Bird? How long do they get to keep that car? I live about 7 miles from there and I really need to visit that place! I remember reading about those tires. They're cool, but not very practical, even if they had perfected them. Cool video, Rick.

[@rickdebruhlcars]

That's the spot. It will be here all month and part of January.

[@61rampy65]

@@rickdebruhlcars Thank you!

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

I'm sure that a modern electric car could be driven by remote control. If it has electric steering and brakes, it can easily be done. Imagine an RC Cybertruck 😂. It already looks like an RC car. Might as well sit in a lawn chair and make it drive around 😂

[@rickdebruhlcars]

There are definitely modern versions, but this was pretty amazing for 1958.

[@atomatman3104]

THOSE TUBES ARE MILLIONS OF YEARS OLD AUTOMATONS

[@buick1979]

Amazing ...

[@Just-Gi-404]

It's not prediction, it suggestions. The nowadays are just actualizing what the past has design .

[@supermaster2012]

The binder in those tires is actually very toxic and carcinogenic and on wear it would leave it as residue in the pavement, which is the main reason why that technology was abandoned along with high production cost.

[@MICHGO1]

TOO BAD WE DON'T GET A GOOD VIEW OF THE REAR.

[@rickdebruhlcars]

The trunk was partially open and we couldn't get it up or down so it didn't look right.

[@realshady16]

Haha!! The future looks bright!

[@worawatli8952]

Electric or button door opener is now become a norm, you don't even think about it, starting with electric trunk opener and central lock all operate with electricity since late 80s, now automatic door is becoming the latest norm.

[@jarletronerud]

This is cool 🎉

[@ronstiles2681]

American car history is cool

[@jordancambridge4106]

Long story short nothing in that car is still used on the road to day and in fact it tried predicting but failed on everything. Originally it has a triangle steering wheel then it broke during transporting it one time. It had wheels made from a stupidly expensive material that is too deadly to make anymore. The lighting system inside of it was never used in anything before or after. The way the doors open backwards not forwards but they open in a way that makes getting in actually harder because the hinges or on the back part not near the hood but near the trunk. The type of lights were literally banned on the road do to them no allowing anyone not even the driver to see properly. The way the car is designed you can't see over the hood at all. Its also designed so low to the ground that anything it drives over the entire underneath would get shredded. It was never designed for the road at all either. The back was build lower while the front was build higher up causing massive issues especially because the engine is in the back not the front causing it to weighted massively in the back. Its actually insanely loud when you drive it because there is no exhaust pipe at all which causes the thing to be so loud you can go deaf standing to close to the back. It also was equipped with a 23 record player which is a really really rare type of record that barely any were ever made and the things were so hard to use that if it slightly moved wrong they would break and snap records so driving with it was blatantly stupid. Oh it was equipped with an alcohol dispenser with cup and everything to drink while you drive. It had a tiny ice maker to make 3 ice cubes at a time to go with the brandy or scotch or bourbon that would be installed in it to drink. It also had a neck belt that would decapitate the user. Nothing of this actual vehicle was ever actually used.

[@Originalusername.]

10:30. Uhhh is that radiation causing camera fuzz? Once the camera goes near the chest made of crystal tubes the footage gets a little grainy.

[@charlesdalton985]

Chip Foose often says, "It's what you learn after you know everything that counts". I, somehow, had never heard of this car and am absolutely fascinated. Thank you and thanks to those that saved it. ~ Chuck

[@rickdebruhlcars]

I pay a lot of attention to the car wold and had never head of this car. I'm kind of surprised that it never ended up as an AMT model back in the day!

[@charlesdalton985]

@ Excellent point - it has all the makings for something like that. I guess part of the charm of this hobby is, there's so much to learn (and as time has gone on decipher). Thank you again sir, have a good weekend ~ Chuck

[@Iowa599]

Are those tires radioactive?

[@rickdebruhlcars]

I forgot my geiger counter...

[@CATTO1000]

A car in the 19s has more futuristic features than a modern car wtf happend to car making?

[@hamburgerhamburgerv2]

We decided we didn’t want to die in car crashes. And/or Reagan + Ralph Nader

[@CATTO1000]

Good point

[@GreenBlueWalkthrough]

Hoenstly it's ones of those thing that painly gets the future 100% correct when people got it so much wrong with way more plobicty... Like to me this cocapt car is amassive check list of what we have... Which is all of that although not always in passanger cars.. Like the uni control is 100% just a joystick which both gamepads took over PC gaming after the Xbox 360 came out in thelate '00s it was very common for people to play racing games and sims with a joystick meant for flight games/sims as driving a car with a keytboard and mouse has never bween figured out... And what you showed is exactly how you drive a car with a joystick back then.. also when controls came to exsitnce with the N64 so did gamepad racing games which still to this day can use use that input sceme for them alough with gamepads it's far more popular to use the triggers for throttle and break but you still can... But to be fair that sceme is how the move on gamepad on foot and on hourse back or in mech suits that are like beinbg on foot... So just incredible he got an control sceme so right despite not having dacades of hard fought experience which is hownormaldefault control sceme in gaming come to be!

[@GreenBlueWalkthrough]

Also while having RGB tores whould be cool and whould be hard to pull off and kinda wastefull... But we can easly do rims instead and I want to say RGB rims do exsist just very rare... But to be fair the safety function was made madtory as marker lights around each wheel well so he and goodyear got it painfull right just not as RRGB tires...

[@chrisjeffries2322]

[@davidbrown4180]

Did you see the HP rating 😮

[@davidbrown4180]

Talk about the future great video

[@diegosilang4823]

Do you think custom made cars fro. SEMA had gone far enough? Glowing Tire: nope 😅

[@chrisjohnston4400]

I have a hard time with some of it. I don’t believe the finger controller thing is real. The autonomous brake thing I’m not so sure of. Some of the tube style electronics boxes seem empty. At of it is understandable. Car phones were actually two way radios with an operator that would dial the number for you even in the 1970s. In the trunk you would have inverters to run the 110 volt stuff and the radio for the phone. Inverters back in the day were a 12volt motor that would drive a 110 volt generator. That’s why they were so big.

[@rickdebruhlcars]

It was definitely more gimmick than roadworthy reality. Still, it predicted the future!

[@genius1a]

I thought the same - its just a solid brass block carved to resemble some working assembly. On the other hand: When it comes to Sci Fi shows like Star Trek (TOS) or Raumpatroullie Orion, you come to realize, that they had a lack of predicting how future controls could even look like. In that regard a "slider" control would not be too shabby, if it was really meant to be used like that back in the day. There seem to be even more "devices" like the cylindric things on the dash ... maybe the radar emitters for the aoutonomous break idea? At least the breaks could be triggered remote controlled for real. The amount of electro mechanical controllers in the trunk is surely impressive. I recently found a video about the electro mechanic analog computer design of the V2 rocket done by a britsh guy who has a huge collection of original parts. They not only had inverters, but even a timing oszillator to "computer" control the stepper motors for the vector control of the rocket engine. They operated on the cutting edge at what could be done with battery powered automated systems with the available technology in 1941.

[@timelikeinfinity5142]

I want it

[@paulzammataro7185]

The 1966 Batmobile is not the original. There was one in the '40's or '50's.

[@Aztec73]

That's a nice ride, I wonder if the original designers had anything to do with the 1953 Manta 🤔#Aztec73

[@rickdebruhlcars]

Both came out of the Los Angeles area, but I don't think the Barris brothers were involved with the Manta

[@Aztec73]

@rickdebruhlcars I was just wondering, Is the kind of remind me of each other.

[@zeeldaazoonk]

This car predicted especially bad taste !

[@rickdebruhlcars]

It was definitely over the top.

[@zeeldaazoonk]

@rickdebruhlcars over the top of the bad taste ? OMG there is hundred buttons to open the door ! Whitch one is right ? This car was made only for Marvel heroes 🦸🏻🧚🏻🦹🏻🧞🧛🏻🧜🏻

[@AML-FRL]

🚗🚗🚗

[@Romiman1]

I truly love glamurous classic American cars. But this? Please no. It's way too much...

[@rickdebruhlcars]

I think that was the whole idea!

[@slothzombi307]

Thank God we aren't all expected to drive cars this ostentatiously ugly. But if it got rid of the gold, glitz, and worthless tires it may be nice.

[@ut2k4wikichici]

Ugly as fuck the glowing tyres are like boomer rgb PCs we have now

[@locklear308]

"boomer rgb"? No "boomer" has a freaking gaming PC, lmao. Not to mention using the term "boomer" is just for morons.

[@digitalxtremehg]

I own a 2024 KIA EV6 and it's impressive how much my car takes after this car lol

[@rickdebruhlcars]

Same fins, right?

[@digitalxtremehg]

@@rickdebruhlcars Something close to it yeah and some other things lol