Mohs cars were built by Mohs Seaplane Corporation from 1967 to 1979. Officially, they only built two models but they were also coach builders. Both these cars were extensively ugly and impressively weird.
The first, the SafariKar, featured four wheel drive, a butane heater and a two way radio. With that, you were supposedly ready for one hell of a safari!
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| Here it is in its natural habitat |
The SafariKar was an oddball even for its time. It featured a retractable hardtop and sliding doors. Problem is, the doors would slide outwards on steel rods, not slide on the side of the car. I was also painted flat black from the factory for easy cleaning and maintenance.
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| Lets see your fat ass squeeze through that opening |
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| Robot in disguise |
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| Bosozoku's got nothing on this bumper |
Their second model was the Ostentatienne Opera. Yes you read that right. The Opera was a BIG car built on a truck frame made by International Harvester. It was also powered by an International Harvester truck engine.
The Opera distinguished itself from other cars in that it didn't have doors. It was designed this way to improve safety. Instead of getting in from the side, you would do so from the rear hatch.
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| Doesn't look awkward at all |
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| Nothing like climbing stairs crouched in your car to get to the driver's seat |
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| One big ugly blue turd |
If, for whatever reason you are interested in the Mohs Ostentatienne Opera, here's a restoration blog: Auto Restoration 101
And if you get the urge to google Mohs... PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, add "cars" or "automobile" to your query. You've been warned.
6 comments:
It's incredible to see one as a relic. Glad to see the Home Depot Early American hubcaps are in place. I actually bought '"The Amazing Mr. Mohs" book in hopes there would be scores of pictures of these monsters, but the guy had plenty of other accomplishments and intrigues to fill pages with. A Free Enterprise American Dream of bicycle sidecars, four-passenger motor scooters, seaplanes and Kittypillar Tractors.
Clearly, you have never seen this car, despite writing this article. The Safari Kar was not painted in matt paint, it was covered with vinyl, stretched over padded foam.
FYI - The link to "Auto Restoration 101" is dead.
I was 18 years old in 1970, & at the big Hershey, PA car show, when I saw the Gold Mohs Opera sedan parked near the old stadium. I walked up to it, and was invited to enter the back door where I met Bruce Baldwin Mohs. He was a most gracious host, and once seated in a very comfortable upholstered chair, (as if I was in his living room of his house), we had a fascinating talk for a couple of hours. At the end, he offered to take me back to my car, and I had a wonderful ride in this interesting vehicle. Problem was, even with the 20" tires, it rode like a truck. But a ride I will never forget. I still have the old Poloroid photos I took of the Mohs that day.
We show #1 of the three built SafariKars completely restored. It would be awesome to see the pics you took of Mr. Mohs in the Opera Kar
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