The producers of the 1960s TV Series, "The Munsters," hired renowned car designer George Barris to build the Koach specifically for the series. Many do not know that Barris hired Tom Daniel to design the original and paid him $200 for the design. The Koach was assembled by Barris Customs using parts from three Ford Model T bodies on a custom chassis. The vehicle measured over 18 feet long and featured Gothic hot-rod styling, standing out with gold-plated accessories, a velvet interior, and details such as custom headers and chrome coffin handles.
The Munster Koach appeared in more than twenty episodes across "The Munsters" and later in the feature film "Munster, Go Home!" (1966). The car was considered a character in its own right and was especially memorable in episodes like "Hot Rod Herman," where it was lost in a drag race and later recovered. After the show concluded, George Barris retained ownership and displayed the car at shows and events throughout the following decades.
John Mueller, who oversaw product and mold design in the early 1960s, became a Model Roundup Customer and a friend. John frequently regaled us with stories of the grand old days of the early 1960s, when the designers like George Barris would be regular visitors to the AMT Troy, Michigan, facility. Many may not know that John worked with the current owners of Round2 to go through the vintage tooling and rediscover what they had left. Many of the resurrected reissues, from tooling that many feared was long gone, are the direct result of John's labor of love to salvage the historic tooling.
