Here at Restomods, we love to talk about the great Kustom cars of the mid-20th Century. One legendary machine from this period is the Golden Sahara II, created by George Barris and Jim Street in 1955, and updated in 1960, it is nothing short of jaw-dropping. If you have a staggering amount of cash burning a hole in your pocket, it could soon be yours. The car will be going under the hammer at Mecum’s 31st Original Spring Classic auction, taking place at the Indiana State Fairgrounds from May 15-19.

Featured on the cover of Motor Trend upon its completion as a “$25,000 Custom Car” and finding mainstream fame in the Jerry Lewis film Cinderfella, the car has a great backstory. Based on a 1953 Lincoln Capri owned by Barris that was totalled in a wreck, it gained new life when commissioned as a project by Jim Skonzakes, AKA, Jim Street.  Having gained Street’s financial backing, Barris and Bill DeCarr set to work creating a completely custom car. This was to be no simple job.

The front end was warped into a bullishly aerodynamic form, complete with a wraparound windshield, gold bullet bumper, and gold-anodized panels on the fenders. Barris wanted the paint scheme to be a unique, pearlescent gold, and his solution to the lack of pearl paint at the time was ingenious, if a little bizarre.

“Shirley and I went down to the fish market, and I remember fish were very ‘pearlish’ looking. And I had the fish guys turn all the sardines over so their bellies were showing till I found the right belly that had the gold. So we took it and scraped the scales off the belly and put it in a jar and took it back to the shop and mixed it in with a natural cellulose clear lacquer and toner lacquers. And then I based it in a very dull white and then sprayed that over it, and it just came out really pearly gold. The only problem was it was very hard to smell it because it smelled like a fish.”

Inside, there’s gold and white brocade on the seats, dash, and door panels, perfectly complementing the white mink carpets. In an effort to become the ultimate futuristic car, the Golden Sahara also featured a TV and tape recorder.

Following an appearance at the 1954 Motorama, and on the cover of Motor Trend, it became the face of Seiberling Rubber Company’s “Tires of Tomorrow” campaign. This spurred further investment in the car, with an estimated $75,000 being spent on the next round of upgrades. What upgrades they were, however.

The windshield, headlights, hood, and roof were all reworked, more gold was added, new tailfins were installed, and the tires now glowed in the dark. It’s the electronics that steal the show, however. An electronic control system was created by Jim Rote, which featured automatic braking (controlled by two antennae on the front bumperette), the wheels now featured lit glass portions which acted as turn signals, and, get this, the Golden Sahara now featured voice control. The driver need only ask, and the car would start, stop, accelerate and brake.

Seen as a true car of the future, it toured extensively in the 1960s, before being quietly and suddenly retired. Despite it being the question on so many people’s lips, no one seemed to know its location. It had, in fact, just been in storage at Jim Street’s home, untouched for nearly 50 years.  Unsurprisingly, there is no reserve on the Golden Sahara II. I just hope whoever walks away with it is charitable enough to take it out on tour once again.