If you were a car-crazy kid like me growing up in the 1960’s, several TV shows featured wild-looking West Coast custom cars that were as much stars to the show as, say, Adam West or Davy Jones. And, I knew what night and on what channel these shows would be on. Each week, America was treated to such cool creations as The Munster Koach (and Grandpa Munster’s coffin-based DRAG-U-LA), The Green Hornet’s Black Beauty (a customized ’66 Chrysler Imperial), and the most famous, the Caped Crusaders’ Batmobile, which originated from the ’55 Lincoln Futura concept car. George Barris and Dean Jeffries were two of Hollywood’s most famous “Custom Car Kings, and in 1966, Jeffries designed and fabricated one of the wildest: the still outrageous-looking Monkeemobile for the new TV sitcom, The Monkees, which followed the antics of a fictional rock n’ roll band.
Two base 1966 GTO’s with automatic transmissions were supplied by the Pontiac Motor Division to be converted into Monkeemobiles. In the span of only four weeks, Dean Jeffries and his team created two bright red Monkeemobiles, one for the TV Show and one for touring car shows across the US. The car’s front and rear were both stretched by over a foot, the trunk area was converted to a curved bench seat, a huge canvas top kept the band from getting sunburned, and a GMC 6-71 supercharger atop the GTO’s original 389 four-barrel V8 stuck out of hood. (There was even a rear-mounted parachute.)
There have been a few tribute cars built over the years and the sellers says this one “was built by a longtime associate of Dean Jeffries and contains many part removed from the #2 original Monkeemobile” (which was used for the touring circuit). It was purchased at auction 10 years ago and treated to a complete restoration over the last year. The seller lists a number of upgrades, modifications, and fabrications that were made while trying to maintain most of the original look and function of the car.
It’s a long, detailed list that includes a new 500-horsepower LS3 small-block V8, a four-speed 4L80E automatic transmission, 4 wheel disc brakes, a power brake booster and new brake lines, digital gauges, cracked fiberglass body repairs, a new interior with repairs made to the dash, and even a new blue tooth stereo system with kick panel speakers and hidden sub woofers.
Recreating tributes of iconic custom cars isn’t a cheap endeavor. This Monkeemobile tribute car comes with a hefty price tag of $250,000, is located in Pleasanton, California, and is for sale here on Facebook Marketplace. Thanks to MisterLou for letting us know about this famous car. If you’re a Daydream Believer and have the extra cash and space to house this wild-looking, legendary Hollywood set of wheels, you’ll gain plenty of attention (okay, you’ll probably get mobbed like Davy Jones in 1966) at every car show you bring it to.
Am I the only here one who believes (Yes, I’m a believer!) that this sitcom killed the potential success of this band? My older sister was in love with Davey Jones…until she discovered he was about 5′ 2″ and at 17 she was already 5′ 10″. This one to me comes in 2nd to Grandpa’s Drag-ula from the TV customs of the 60’s.
What a great time to grow up and be a believer. RIP Davey, Peter and Mike. Mickey is the only one left and seems to be doing pretty good these days. He sang I’m A Believer, written by Neil Diamond and was #1 on The Billboard Top 100 for 4 weeks at the end of 66 and into 67. Daydream Believer hit number 1 for another 4 weeks later that year, but I’m A Believer remains their most iconic. Now I want to go outside and jump on the orange Schwinn Stingray 5 speed and ride a wheelie down the street!
The sitcom didn’t kill the band Cooter. The Monkees like the Partridge Family were created for television. The albums were released due to the show’s popularity.
True Pat, but I believe (here I go again) they would’ve been more successful if they went studio only and released the tunes that way. There was also a tune “Last Train to Clarksville” which did pretty well also. Man, that doesn’t seem that long ago!
Check out the theme song from their (later) movie “Head” called the Porpoise Song. They became legit in spite of it all. Frank Zappa even had a cameo in the movie.
We scoffed at the Monkees, but at least they started writing and performing their own songs (to a certain extent) toward the end. Michael Nesmith was probably the most talented, he went on to a successful solo career.
Anybody else remember the video for “Black Planet” by Sisters of Mercy, with lead singer Andrew Eldritch “driving” the Monkeemobile around various locations in the L.A. area? (He didn’t know how to drive at the time, so all the shots of him “driving” from the front were done with the car being pulled on a trailer.)