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The Red Baron. Originally designed by Tom Daniel as a "wild and unique" hot rod for Monogram Models, he took inspiration from Southern California rodding and surfing culture, with some wearing German World War I helmets produced by Ed "Big Daddy" Roth as a sign of rebellion. It was originally designed as a C-Cab T-Bucket with a helmet of a body with a Mercedes-Benz D.III inline-6 from a Fokker D.VII.
The Monogram model debuted in 1968 and was extremely popular; in fact, it was so popular that Monogram worked with car show guru Bob Larivee Sr. to bring the project to life, with Larivee commissioning Chuck Miller, owner of Detroit Styleline Customs, to build the car.
The life-sized Red Baron was built using the frame of a Ford Model T; the helmet was fabricated. The car was painted red, fitted with Chester slicks and a pair of Vickers machine guns with heat shields fitted to the body. A Pontiac OHC inline-6 was then fitted to the car instead of a V8 (as the model had an inline-6). Finally, side pipes and a helmet-shaped air cleaner were added and thus the Red Baron was born.
The car then toured the country on a cross country tour; the Red Baron would be a smashing success, with Monogram kit sales for this specific car going through the roof, and also inspiring a certain Hot Wheels car in the process. The car remained on the show circuit until the 1970s, at which point it disappeared; it is currently on display at the Smith Collection Museum of American Speed in Lincoln, Nebraska.
