The King of the Kustomizers made his name creating pavement-scraping customs, but in 1965 he built a blinged-out Bronco for the Ford Motor Company.
From their dusty body shop in Compton, George Barris (above) and his talented brother Sam Barris were among the leaders of the Southern California custom car movement in the early 1950s. But as the original custom scene died out and Sam left the business, George shifted to TV and movie cars, and to modified show cars for the Detroit automakers, especially the Ford Motor Company. Branding himself as “the King of the Kustomizers,” Barris created the Munster Koach for Universal Studios and the original TV Batmobile, the latter from a castoff Ghia concept car, the Lincoln Futura.
Ford and Barris partnered on a number of projects, with Ford stylists developing the ideas and Barris executing the modifications—from his small shop, he could work more quickly and cheaply than the Motor City’s prototype facilities. As Ford was preparing its first sport utility vehicle, the 1966 Bronco, for its official launch in August of ’65, the automaker commissioned Barris to build a tricked-out promotional version for the auto show circuit, the Bronco Duster. As usual, the modifications were called out by Ford styling personnel and performed by the Barris crew.
The extensive modifications, mostly add-ons, included custom paint in Golden Saddle Pearl with faux walnut vinyl inserts, a roll bar with integral headrests, a modified windshield, stainless steel side rails for the stubby cargo bed, custom steel wheels, and exposed chrome exhaust pipes (simulated, we can guess). Brown suede and perforated leather lined the cockpit, along with more walnut trim and beige pile carpeting. A fabric half-top was sewn up but it wasn’t terribly attractive, and it doesn’t seem the Duster was ever on public display with the top in place.
The Duster made its debut at the International Auto Show in the New York Coliseum, then toured the auto and hot rod show circuits through the 1966 season. That would be the end of the story, except that in 1970 the Duster was dusted off and recycled as the Wildflower, with a new psychedelic paint scheme and the interior redone in yellow vinyl and red carpeting (below). After making the rounds of the auto show circuit in 1971, the Duster aka Wildflower disappeared and its fate is currently unknown.
