Crazy Kustom: What Happened To Redd Foxx's Lil Redd Wrecker?
In the realm of car customization, few names carry more weight than George Barris. That's in no small part because of Barris' work in Hollywood, with the legendary automaker helping design and build several famous vehicles, including the truck from "The Beverly Hillbillies" and the gothic family hot rod from "The Munsters. " Yes, he also built both the iconic O.G. Batmobile and the Munster's organ-piped Dragula drag racer.
Back in the mid-1970s, however, Hollywood's so-called "King of the Kustomizers" took his craft to wacky new heights when Redd Foxx commissioned Barris to build a tricked-out tow truck suitable for his wise-cracking character from "Sanford and Son." Barris likely surpassed even Foxx's wildest dreams when he delivered a low-riding salvage truck that looks better suited to space exploration than towing broken-down cars. Unfortunately, the "Lil Redd Wrecker" never saw its moment in the small screen spotlight as "Sanford and Son" was canceled before its episode was filmed.
For many years after, the Lil Redd Wrecker lingered in relative obscurity, with much of the world never having had the chance to see it. Thankfully, that changed in 2020 when the resurfaced vehicle was given the restoration treatment on the reality series "Car Kings." The work proved far trickier than the "Car Kings" crew initially expected. But once the restoration was finished, the Lil Redd Wrecker was back in showstopper mode, and after a well-deserved red carpet debut, the truck took up residence in the Galpin Auto Sports private collection.
The Lil Redd Wrecker wasn't entirely George Barris' creation
If you've seen the episode of "Car Kings" in question, you recognize the Lil Redd Wrecker as a one-of-a-kind build. You also know that George Barris didn't exactly design the vehicle and that the Lil Redd Wrecker wasn't even red originally. As for the designer, the intricately unorthodox wrecker was conceived by one of Barris' frequent collaborators, Ed "Newt" Newton, who initially painted it powder blue. Once Barris got his hands on Newton's gonzo, heavily chromed wrecker, he made numerous upgrades before covering up the original paint with a few coats of Candy Apple red and adding some seriously flashy lettering.
While Barris' name is featured heavily throughout the episode of "Car Kings," the hosts also pay reverence to Newton, who even stops by the shop mid-episode to marvel at his old creation during the restoration. As he does, host Beau Boekman provides background about Newton's place in automotive history, noting that he made his mark as a designer and artist whose sketches of crazed beasts driving hot rods continue to adorn the t-shirts and posters of gear heads across the globe. As it happens, Newton also helped refine some of the most distinctive designs from the legendary Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, including his famed Orbitron.
With names like Barris and Newton behind it, the Lil Redd Wrecker is a legit piece of automotive history. As such, it was beyond fitting that "Car Kings" finally helped it earn the Hollywood close-up it always deserved.