Most concept cars unveiled at major auto shows are decidedly futuristic. But one currently on exhibit at the New York Auto Show is an impressive mix of the future as envisioned in the past and a bit of the Hollywood magic of your youth. Retired New York City police officer Tony Garofalo, who goes by the name of Sgt. Pepper, has put his spare time and retirement savings to good use, creating a street-legal replica of that iconic flying car from the 1968 musical Chitty Chitty Bank Bang.
Seriously, E3 Spark Plugs fans of a certain age, you KNOW you wanted that ride. It took Garofalo five years and $100,000 of his hard earned cash to turn a 1914 Overland Coupe with a 1928 Ford engine and a few handcrafted elements like a wooden passenger compartment and copper-plated exhaust headers into the dream car of his youth.
"They say everyone has their own Mount Everest, something they want to accomplish in their life," Garofalo told the New York Times in a recent article. "This is my Mount Everest, my lifetime ambition."
To some degree, Garofalo’s Mount Everest has been in the works since he was 4 years old and sat wide-eyed in the theater at the original New York premiere of the film (based on a book written by Ian Fleming, author of the iconic James Bond novels), thanks to his uncle, who worked for United Artists.
Admit it – You want it in your garage, right? Too bad. Garofalo has been turning down offers left and right, including at least one that reached $1.5 million. But he’s far from ready to part with his childhood dream come true.
Which ride from the movies of your childhood would you most like to drive home? Tell us on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook Fan Page.
