The Studebaker National Museum in Indiana, USA has officially announced a fundraiser campaign to restore a particularly unfortunate exotic , a 1951 Commander coupe that starred in the 1979 The Muppet Movie, the first appearance of The Muppets on the big screen.
According to the newly filmed video, the car was discovered sitting out in the open, abandoned by the filming studio for years and decaying. Its current condition leaves much to be desired.
Two different cars were used on the filming set, and the one discovered had been customized for movie purposes. In order to make room inside for both the Muppets and their controllers, engineers had moved the actual steering wheel, pedals and other controls to the trunk and put replicas in their place. It is also reported that a video camera was mounted at the front end of the car to enable its operator to see the road ahead from the darkness of the trunk. Whether such a contraption was possible in the late 70s remains unaddressed.
The museum hopes to be able to raise $175,000 USD, which it claims will be enough both to restore the car itself and all the contraptions used on the filming set. The authors of the incentive hope that the car becomes a true gem of the museum collection and will be exhibited with a list the donating patrons’ names next to it.
At the time of writing, the total amount donated online and in cash was $4,315.