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Part of what makes many classic television series so iconic is the distinctive, handcrafted props they used over the course of their productions. Some of the most impressive props were vehicles used for driving scenes, often with impressive decals and curves or outlandish modifications to really sell you the idea of the fantastical in real life. It doesn’t get more fantastical than that classic 60s family of monsters, The Munsters, and the delightfully spooky vehicle owned by the family’s father, Herman Munster.

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In the show, the Munster family’s vehicle of choice was the Munster Koach, a family-sized car Frankenstein’d together from three separate Model Ts, which was rather apt, as Herman himself was a Frankenstein’s Monster. Alongside Grandpa Munster’s Drag-U-La, it was one of the hallmark props of the series. The Munster Koach was originally created by legendary car customizer George Barris, and the vehicle has a permanent home at the Volo Auto Museum in Volo, Illinois.

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Prior to the premiere of The Munsters in September 1964, representatives from CBS approached legendary car customizer George Barris with a challenge. According to his daughter, Joji Barris-Paster, who spoke with the Wall Street Journal in 2023, he had only 21 days to cook up an original vehicle to suit a family of friendly monsters. As the craftsman who would go on to create various vintage vehicles like the original 1966 Batmobile, Barris was not one to back down from a challenge.

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The Munster Koach is an old-school vehicle with a then-modern level of muscle. The elongated body was constructed from the parts of three separate Ford Model Ts, with three separate sets of seats to comfortably fit the whole family. It also packed a 425 horsepower Ford 289 engine with a four-speed manual transmission, fronted by an impressive gold-plated, hand-formed brass radiator shaped like a tombstone. The aesthetic touches are what really sell the Munster Koach, including incredibly intricate metal scroll work and functioning lanterns in lieu of headlights. The total price tag of the original production vehicle is ballparked at around $18,000 in 1964 dollars, which is approximately $185,000 by today’s standards.

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The tricky thing about classic television vehicles is that there are always those looking to replicate them and cash in on their brand. Just about any famous car has multiple duplicates floating around the car collector community, which can make it difficult to pin down the genuine article. The Munster Koach is no exception to this, with a handful of duplicates spotted in personal collections and automotive and pop culture museums over the years.

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Butch Patrick, the actor who portrayed young Eddie Munster all those years ago, owns a Munster Koach that he likes to bring to conventions, but it’s clear at a glance that it’s just a replica. Even George Barris’ daughter, Joji Barris-Paster, doesn’t have the original Koach in her collection, with the Koach in the Barris Kustom storage space merely being an exhibition vehicle wheeled out for car shows or charity events.

Thankfully, the Munster Koach is one of the rare few classic vehicles to have a pinpointed home, plus the proof to back it up. The original Munster Koach is currently in the possession of the Volo Auto Museum in Volo, Illinois, where it’s on display for the public. Unlike other replicas, this vehicle is backed by both a Certificate of Authenticity and a Letter of Authenticity straight from Barris Kustoms. It’s a licensed Barris Kustoms creation, signed off on by George Barris himself.

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