Rift OverThe Monkeemobile And Black Beauty Ends Long Friendship

               Rift Over The Monkeemobile
          And Black Beauty Ends
 Long Friendship

              The Monkeemobiles #1,#2 cars, two                
       were designed by the Famous King Of Stripers
       Dean Jeffries,with the help of Dick Dean,who's
       George Barris main builder of custom cars.
              Infact,both Monkeemobiles #1,#2 were
       built in Barris Kustoms,for The Monkees TV
       show. The first car was used for the first season        
       of the show.The second car was the stunt car 
       used for the second season,also for the TV.
       There was a need to drive the stunt car,which
       Davy Jones,was chosen,as he was the most
       loved by girls,and woman,to drag race the
       second Monkeemobile,and rack up ratings,at
       the same time,by going against the evil man         
       played by Carol Shelby,in his Cobra Coupe.
             Other uses for both Monkeemobiles,were
       for publicity pictures for The Monkees,woman
       models,and to use them for show attractions.
       This would bring in ticket sales from the car
        shows attracting large audiences.
              Then in 1967 Davy Jones visited Mpc
        to see Dean Jeffries, Monkeemobile model
        kit,while Dean Jeffries,showed Davy Jones
        the new model,of their famous Monkee-
        mobile.In 1967 it was releases to the public,
        and was the highest grossing model,of that
        time.The Monkeemobile was actually designed
        from the second car,since,the second car was
        used in the second season of the show.The first
        Monkeemobile was used just for the first season.   
        It did it's job,with light duty in the show.

              When The Monkees and Green Hornet  were 
        cancelled,Universal Studios,wanted the designer 
        Dean Jeffries to tour The Black Beauty #1 with a
        special trailer, made just like the #1 Black Beauty
        picture below.However by 1971,Dean Jeffries
        business was too busy,so he had his parents
        pull the Black Beauty #1 in it's special trailer.
        It was after this time,that Universal Studios
        offered both The Monkeemobile #2,and the
        #1 Black Beauty for $1,500.00 a piece to
        buy both cars first.However he declined,and
        George Barris bought The Monkeemobile #2,
        and Black Beauty #1.
            Then George Barris started, to promote these
        cars.The thing he did,is start changing some of
        Dean Jeffries designs.First he ruined the original
        gold Monkee logo.It was now yellow orange,
        but the Monkee guitar on the doors was wrong.
        He also had DickDean paint the grill outer area
        yellow orange.Along with the megaphone openings,
        in between the headlight shells,and taillight openings.
        The parachute was yellow on The Monkeemobile #2.
        The parachute was not changed.Just see the show,the
        second season,and it is visible to all :Yellow Parachute.
        Next all wheel  and tires were removed,and replaced
        with different ones.The mags were now slotted.Then
        Then George Barris said he designed both the two cars
        The Monkeemobile,and Black Beauty.This got the car
        designer Dean Jeffries mad,since he designed,both sets
        of cars and built both sets with Dick Dean's help,while 
        in George Barris shop.
             The next thing George Barris did to get back at the 
        designer Dean Jeffries,is have Dick Dean, build third
        Monkeemobile, from a 1966 Catalina,to promote at car
        shows.Dean Jeffries did not give authoration for this car
        to be built.He did the same,by having Dick Dean build
        more Black Beauty's.
            The Black Beauty's built  by Dick Dean,had the same
        Dean Jeffries right nose,and grill,but had two sets of 
        rectangular  lights on each side,and stotted mags.
        You can find out all the changes that Barris Kustoms did,
        at:www.theblackbeauty.com.Click on the top for all cars.
            Dean Jeffries refused to allow Mpc in the late eighties
        to release The Monkeemobile kit,since he designed both
        cars,and here was George Barris, taking credit for designer

         Dean Jeffries work.
            The judge in Los Angeles ruled,if you sell a car,the new
        owner has the rights.This made George Barris happy.ERTL
        came out with a Blueprinter Monkeemobile in 1991 by sub-
        scription only.Then in 1999 George Barris had Dick Dean
        Build a AMT Monkeemobile,the #4 car.It was red like
        the first two,but had thin redline tires,with Craigar SS Mags.
        In the rear were 15 inch stock redlines tires with Craigars
        Mags.It was tan,and had a tan top,but had that ugly yellow
        orange,painted on the grill,head light openings,header open-
        ings,tail light openings,and a yellow parachute.The car was
        auction off ,through Mecum Auctions.
        The Monkeemobile is the number four car below.  
  
             

       

       1.Above far right corner,George Barris,adds 
       slotted mags to to the number #2 car.Since
       this does not have two sets of rectangle lights,
       it looks  it looks like the original car.The #1 has
       the rare mags  Dean Jeffries chose.The #2 car 
       has correct mags,since this picture was taken.It 
       also has the correct green LUCUS headlights 
       half cat eyes.2.Sideview #2 Black Beauty 
       3.Mecum Auctions has the AMT Dick Dean car
       which was used, to make a AMT Monkeemobile
       model kit.It came out in 1999.It is Monkeemobile
       #4.A man in Florida won the bid.George Barris 
       buys The Monkeemobile #2 and makes changes.
       5.The Monkeemobile #3 is 1966 Catalina.6.The #2
       Monkeemobile altered restored sold for$360,000 at
       Barrett-Jackson in 2008 to a comedian in Chicago.
       7.#1 Black Beauty had a matching trailer,that matched
       the photo above,commissioned by Universal Studios,
       for Dean Jeffries to  tour with the car,after the show was
       cancelled. 8.Dean Jeffries tried single lights first,but he

       switched to double headlights for both cars. 

       9.The Mpc Original Monkeemobile model kit made from second car.

          
             Then in 2006 George Barris,would again get even with       
        Dean Jeffries.George Barris had the car sent to Sacramento,
        and built The Monkeemobile #2,like the original Mpc model.
        First he had more of Dean Jeffries signature designs removed.
        The model above had three tubes for the exhaust,instead of
        four like the real Monkeemobiles #1 and #2.So Barris had 
        them make three pipes, underneath the dummy blower,on
        both sides.The top was now changed from tan to white,but
        chrome bands,went over the black dye,underneath the top.
        Next the computer video screens,and new audio were added,
        to the back of second middle bucket seats.There is no room
        to sit in the rear bench seat,unless you are a little child.The 
        three injector scoop baffles,are now chrome.Then from a red
        burgandy,to raspberry,with large original logos of The Monkees
        with a black background.The upholstery was now in white,instead
        of tan.The dashboard was now black.This is the story,of how       
        George Barris ruined Dean Jeffries.To this day neither will talked to
        one another.And it all started,because George Barris took credit,
        for two cars, that Dean Jeffries designed,and built.George Barris
        sacrificed money for a long time friend,and who worked for him.Rift Over The Monkeemobile And Black Beauty Ends Long Friendship