Back in the early 2000s, car enthusiast Gary Fioto revealed he was building a unique show car loosely based on the 1955 Ford bodywork. It took four years to complete and proceeded to sweep numerous show awards. It is now heading to a Mecum auction in September.
At a glance, the Beatnik Bubbletop resembles a UFO – or possibly the flying car of the Jetsons family from the eponymous animation. It lacks a fixed roof and rides on a 1988 Lincoln Town Car chassis. The full-size sedan platform allows it to wear rather large bumpers taken from two different Cadillacs from the late ‘50s, as well as the taillights of a 1960 Chrysler. All the body panels and trim bits in between were made by hand from stainless steel and welded using the oxy-acetylene approach to avoid visible seams.
The body was then crowned with a polycarbonate bubble top that swings back on hinges when the car is parked. It’s not exactly as functional as a removable top, but it does win in terms of sheer presence and style. Fioto handcrafted the entire dashboard with the instruments and the steering wheel, so the Beatnik Bubbletop is a truly unique ride. Despite all the retrofuturism vibes, it does have an Alpine infotainment system on board along with a Vintage Air climate control system.
In 2015, the car was bought by collector Larry Clairmont for U.S. $165,000. He passed away in 2021, so it is now heading to the auction block once more.