Viva Las Vegas: Red Baron Tribute Car

Editor

Help me out here: I realize the whole Iron Cross thing is kind of trendy right now, thanks in part to the various chopper shows, but to be so committed to WWI-era German military imagery as to build a whole car replete with proto-fascist trappingsis that sketchy at all? And doesn’t a giant silver helmet tend to ruin the look of some cars? Sure, it’s got a great straight-8 with a row of six Stromberg carbs, andhell, yeahany excuse to mount a machine gun on your ride is generally commendable. The cops sure seemed to be into it, and I guess it’s cool in a grotesque sort of way, and obviously meant to be tongue-in-cheek as well as a full-sized replica of the "Red Baron" dragster model kit that Tom Daniel created for Monogram in 1968 (thanks, Adam). But the spectacle kind of reminded me of that kid who built the 1/2-scale Panzer tankall I remember thinking is, thank God he did that instead of shooting up a school. See the full freakshow after the jump!

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Posted at 10:03 pm in Events, Gawker, Jen Dunnaway, Viva Las Vegas

Comments

nigel
Apr 20, 2008 at 2:04 pm

The car was built (the original car at least) by George Baris, hot wheels did that car and the bat mobile for him as well.

nigel
Apr 20, 2008 at 2:02 pm

The car was built (the original car at least) by George Baris, hot wheels did that car and the bat mobile for him as well.

Avery K
Apr 16, 2008 at 6:24 pm

I saw this car at the Sacramento Autorama it was very cool in person. Looked like something I wanted to have when I was a kid. The straight 8 looks great here. I’d love to take it for a spin. My two boys loved it too, they didn’t want to stop looking at it.

GTwildfire
Apr 16, 2008 at 5:09 pm

I’ve seen this before… hot wheels?

Daddy358
Apr 16, 2008 at 1:14 pm

Wow! The Red Tri-winged airplane is the icon that represents the Red Baron in WW1. This car is a tribute to the show car that was, for me, one of the coolest show cars. The show car was a tribute to the plane. The plane was a bad ass war bird, that our allies in the war, dreaded to see in the air. I had the model car and it came with the model of the plane. I think, if you don’t look to closely, the guy pulled it off.

Ed
Apr 16, 2008 at 12:01 pm

Chck this:
http://www.showrods.com/showrod_pages/red_barron.html

Xyling
Apr 16, 2008 at 7:05 am

Jen, it’s a tribute to a vintage Hot Wheels car. Sorry, but a real car guy/gal would understand the reference.

Anonymous
Apr 16, 2008 at 6:33 am

Pretty funny that the builder was unknowledgable enough about his hardware that he mounted the Maxim MG upside down.

Adam
Apr 15, 2008 at 10:27 pm

The car reminds me of the Tom Daniel’s Red Baron.