One of a kind Economy
Before George Barris built the Batmobile or the Monkeymobile or the Munster family car,
he was a research engineer for Sears & Roebuck. Sears knew they needed to appeal to the younger boys on the farm to secure future growth. They employed George to rework the stodgy old Economy design into a more youthful offering. The result was the Barris-Economy, a visually appealing, aurally stunning work of art in the cast iron medium.
he was a research engineer for Sears & Roebuck. Sears knew they needed to appeal to the younger boys on the farm to secure future growth. They employed George to rework the stodgy old Economy design into a more youthful offering. The result was the Barris-Economy, a visually appealing, aurally stunning work of art in the cast iron medium.
Using some clever water baffle design and cam driven delayed valves, Barris was able to masterfully duplicate the sound of the then popular Ford 221 flathead V-8 with futuristic Zoom tubes. The unusual exhaust design made it difficult to start and prone to leaking water into the head dooming it to a single prototype test unit. The engine was discovered in a northern Michigan barn where it had spent that past fifty years pumping hog slurry. Lovingly restored to its original glory, the Barris-Economy makes one appearance a year at the Rough & Tumble Thresherman's Reunion each August.
Click the picture to hear it run!