1966 "Drag-U-La" (Grandpa's Car / The Munsters TV Series)

It's "Freak Week" on Chaz & AJ in the Morning...and keeping with that theme, here's another freaky creation with loads of horsepower...

The famous "Drag-U-La" (as well as "The Munster Koach"), was designed by Tom Daniel while working for King of the Customizers George Barris, and Barris Kustom Industries for the Munsters TV show. While the car came from George Barris' shop, the car was constructed by Richard "Korky" Korkes and others who worked under Korky's direction while he managed the Barris facility.Its fiberglass body was built from a real fiberglass coffin that Korkes was able to purchase out the back door of a funeral home in North Hollywood. It sported a 350 hp , 289ci Ford Mustang V-8 and a four-speed stick shift. Two 4 barrel carbs sat on a Mickey Thompson Ram-Thrust manifold.

10.50  inch Firestone racing slicks filled the rear , mounted on custom 10-inch Rader aluminum & steel wheels. Each center cap donned a large silver Spider. The front tires were 4-inch Italian tires on Speedsport English buggy wire wheels. To further enhance the car's "Gothic motif" , George Barris installed four "Zoomie style" Organ Pipes on each side of the car in lieu of standard exhaust , and mounted antique lamps on the front and rear. The front of the vehicle sported a marble gravestone with the inscription: "Born 1367, Died ?". A "hidden" radiator was topped with a small golden casket. The driver sat in the rear of the vehicle behind the engine, under a plastic bubble.

Later in the cars history , some subtle changes and variations were made to the car , such as tires etc., generally for during different aspects of filming for the movie "Munster, Go Home!" and also for the TV Series.  "Drag-U-La"  was sold at the closeout auction of the Chicago Historical Antique Automobile Museum in Highland Park, Il. in 1985.

The original 1966 car was housed in an Atlantic City, NJ Planet Hollywood , where it hung from the ceiling on display. (That Planet Hollywood later closed.) The car now makes the Volo Auto museum in  Volo, Illinois it's current home . Volo Auto Museum had the car completely restored in 2011.

On The Munsters TV series, the car was built by Grandpa Munster (played by the late Al Lewis),  so he could win back the family's Munster Koach , of which son in law Herman Munster (played by the late Fred Gwynne) had lost in a Drag Race in the episode, "Hot Rod Herman".  Hysterical ending scene in that episode. The current owner of the Koach realizes he may be outgunned going up against Grandpa and "Drau-U-La" for Pink Slips , so he steals the parachute off Grandpa's car. After defeating the Koach on the strip and winning the car back, Grandpa attempts to release the chute, but nothing happens. He continuously circles the track at high speed, until Herman grabs the back of Drag-U-La, and drags his feet until the car comes to a complete halt, saving Grandpa. ( His shoes still smouldering as he's standing there). His excuse for saving Grandpa being that he had to get the coffin back to the Funeral Parlor where he worked by Monday.

Other "Drag-U-La" trivia nuggets: The 1966 movie " Munster, Go Home !"  features Herman driving DRAG-U-LA in a cross-country race Also, Rocker Rob Zombie titled a song on his "Hellbilly Deluxe" album "Dragula". Episode footage of the drag race was included in Zombie's horror film House of 1,000 Corpses. And the DRAG-U-LA is a playable vehicle in the car combat video game "Twisted Metal 4."

I believe that you can still catch reruns of the Munsters TV series on certain cable channels. Keep an eye out for "Hot Rod Herman" for the episode where Drag-U-La makes it's debut. You won't be diappointed.

Powered by BMW of Bridgeport and Connecticut International Auto Show.