The Golden Sahara 2, with the Goodyear illuminated tires, is finally out of long term deep storage, you know the kind... "I'll never sell it, I'd rather die".. and now, he's dead. He got his wish, though I doubt it made him thrilled. (thanks Ron!)

https://www.customcarchronicle.com/cc-builders/jim-skonzakes-customizer/jim-street-collection-uncovered/#comments

The Golden Sahara Kookie T and others will be auctioned in May, 2018 at the Indianapolis Mecum Auction.



Barris had a car after an accident cut the top off, and it inspired him to construct his most customized creation to date. Instead of merely chopping and channeling, Barris and his team—namely Bill De Carr—completely overhauled the car with the backing of an Ohio customer who agreed to fund the ambitious project—one James Skonzakes, better known as Jim Street.

Together, Barris and Street dreamt up a truly spectacular custom, more along the lines of a prototype vehicle. They changed the front end so drastically it was unrecognizable and added a wraparound windshield and a custom half-bubble top, a gold bullet bumper and gold-anodized panels on the lower section of the rear fenders that also included integrated scoops on their leading edge, Kaiser tail lights and single tail fins. The resulting aerodynamic design of the reshaped metal body further boasted a stunning two-tone finish of 24-karat gold in place of chrome, and paint that glittered like diamonds. According to Barris, it was “about 20 years ahead of its time,” and its exterior coloring alone was an innovative, albeit unconventional, foray into the creation of what Barris says was one of the first pearlescent paint jobs.

The car was a hit at the Motorama, and demand for its presence at other car shows and events was immediate. From 1954 to 1956, Street took it touring around the country to various shows and “rented” it out for displays at dealerships to attract curious crowds that might be converted to customers. The tour was a promotional endeavor Street undertook, in part, to recover the costs of the car’s build, which had come in at a shocking $25,000. It was hugely successful, as dealerships and companies clamored for the opportunity to use the car in commercials, in print ad campaigns, on magazine covers and more.

The car was a hit at the Motorama, and demand for its presence at other car shows and events was immediate. From 1954 to 1956, Street took it touring around the country to various shows and “rented” it out for displays at dealerships to attract curious crowds that might be converted to customers. The tour was a promotional endeavor Street undertook, in part, to recover the costs of the car’s build, which had come in at a shocking $25,000. It was hugely successful, as dealerships and companies clamored for the opportunity to use the car in commercials, in print ad campaigns, on magazine covers and more.

An automatic braking unit using antennas as sensors to “look” for things in the car’s path was installed in the front bumperettes, and the wheels were made with glass portions that lit up and acted as turn signals, while the tires boasted a revolutionary rubber compound developed by Goodyear that allowed them to actually glow in the dark.

The entire affair was straight out of the future or one of the popular sci-fi films of the day, and the final cost of the alterations brought the car to an estimated cost of a whopping $75,000. Public interest skyrocketed even more dramatically over what was now being called the Golden Sahara II.

Everywhere it went, its impending arrival was announced in newspapers and on the radio with announcements like “Car of the Future Being Displayed Here All Week” and “See the $75,000 ‘Golden Sahara,’ Here for This Week Only!”

So popular was the car, that it was used in the 1960 fantasy-romance film “Cinderfella” starring Jerry Lewis. It was selected for use due to its amazing presence and entirely unique, space-age appearance.

https://www.mecum.com/lots/SC0518-327376/the-golden-sahara-ii/