Did this car inspire the Soopa Coopa?

[matchbox360]

This custom’s called the ‘Calico Surfer’ and it was made by George Barris in 1970. Does anyone else see the resemblance to the #37 Soopa Coopa of 1972? Your thoughts, please!





Here’s where I got the Calico’s pic.. if you haven’t already seen George Barris’ site, it’s got many other weird and wonderful customs, each with its own description:

http://www.barris.com/carsgallery/novel ... surfer.php

Cheers, Ken

[Tinman]

These two are completly different designs, different types of chassis and body construction. I really see no connection between the two.

[nickjones]

Most of George Barris's customs were built with the idea of marketing the finished concept by turning into a model kit. Matchbox would have had to pay to use Barris designs and Barris was pretty much unknown here in the UK.
Although Lesney got in early with the TV related stuff by marketing the 'Muffin the Mule' but then they waited for at least 20 years before they did anything like this again.
I still think someone from Lesney copied quite a few of their futuristic designs from from me and my schoolmates as our school books were full of pictures like this, and my school was the nearest secondary school to the factory.

[matchbox360]

Thanks for your responses, guys!

Just to make it clear, in no way did I suggest that the Soopa Coopa is based on the Calico Surfer. My theory is that the Calico influenced the Coopa’s styling (just look at that rear roof and sides, for crying out loud), and the time frame matches up. It’s not impossible that a Lesney designer (or designers) saw this custom, either in print, or ‘in the metal’, and the idea caught on and filtered through into the ‘concept’ stage. Fact is, we’ll never know for sure, which is why it’s fun (and interesting) to join the dots and try to arrive at the most likely scenario. I think it’s a shame that none of the Lesney design briefing documents have survived (to the best of my knowledge). They would’ve given us an invaluable look into how models were conceived, from the rough sketches to a final approximation of the real thing.

...I still think someone from Lesney copied quite a few of their futuristic designs from me and my schoolmates as our school books were full of pictures like this, and my school was the nearest secondary school to the factory.

An intriguing theory, Nick! That means in a way it all turned full circle; Lesney gave to the kids, and the kids gave back to Lesney, like a feedback loop!

Cheers, Ken

[fixer]

wasn't George Barris the man responsible for the monkey mobile , the munsters car and Adam West's batmobile

[nickjones]

wasn't George Barris the man responsible for the monkey mobile , the munsters car and Adam West's batmobile

Yes Reg he was, and a whole heap more as well.
Ken, I started reading the American 'Hot Rod' magazine in 1970/71 so there's no reason why a Lesney designer would not read it too.

[motorman]

I am of the opinion that Matchbox at the time latched onto the quirky car designs that were coming out of American Comic strips and TV at the time, and wanted to test the water with a couple of outlandish model designs resulting in the Tyre Fryer and the Soopa Coopa which were in some way test models to assess their appeal to the British and International Market.

[matchbox360]

Thanks everyone, for your thoughts and opinions! No doubt Mr. Barras was extremely talented, and a dab hand at the actual mechanics of customising. To me, the Coopa would be a clever way of Lesney circumventing the patent/copyright issues involved in adapting the custom.. hence they only used one or two elements of the Calico Surfer, the "shack at the back" being the most obvious. A cunning and ingenious bunch, our Matchbox designers were!

Cheers, Ken

[Tinman]

It\s also possible they were just copying the trend hotwheels was using.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Hi guys, added to this is that so many plastic kits from the 50's and 60's are 'futuristic' based and didn't George Barris design kits for both 'REVELL' and 'AURORA' so it is only logical that the 'Diecasters' would try and capture some of the market with similar designs.

GHOSTHUNTER.