Barris Kustom Hirohata Merc

Information

Named after the car's original owner, Bob Hirohata of Los Angeles, California
Iconic custom car built by Sam and George Barris
Debuted at the 1952 Petersen Motorama, and won its class
Featured in Hot Rod Magazine in March 1953
Cover car for Hop Up magazine in March 1953
Featured in Rod & Custom in October 1953
Appeared in the film 'Running Wild' in 1955 starring Mamie Van Doren
Restoration completed by Pat Ganahl in 1996 to 1952 Motorama specifications, which was documented by several issues of the Rod & Custom Magazine
Colors matched using spectrography and new paint was applied by Junior's House of Color using PPG materials
Displayed at the 'Hot Rods and Customs (The Men and Machines of California's Car Culture)' exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California upon completion
Restored again by the original builders, including Herschel 'Junior' Conway and Frank Sonzogni, in 2015 for Pebble Beach, won first in class.
Added to the National Historical Vehicle Register in 2017 and displayed on the National Mall in Washington, DC