Andy Di Dia was a clothing designer from Detroit who spent seven years (from 1953 to 1960) and over $150,000 building a car that puts the Lincoln Futura concept car that evolved into the Batmobile to shame. Di Dia’s friend, singer Bobby Darin, bought the car from him in 1961 and drove it to the Academy Awards and in movies until donating it to the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, MO in 1970.
The car’s metallic red exterior is from 30 coats of paint with real ground diamonds for sparkle. The body was made from hand-fashioned soft aluminum. There are hidden headlights and tail lights that swivel as the car turns. Inside, the seats each have their own ash tray, cigarette lighter, and radio speaker. On the dash are oversized levers that control the air conditioning, heater and defroster. The car has a 125-inch wheelbase and is powered by a V8 engine.
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