Permanent Galleries > Louie Mattar's Fabulous Car
Louie Mattar's Fabulous Car
A rolling home, an endurance legend—the car that redefined road travel
On Exhibit
1955 Ford Country Sedan "The Highwayman"
- Publicized world-wide by T-V, radio, press and magazines.
- Built by Louie Mattar of San Diego as a hobby at a cost of 7 years of labor and $75,000.00.
- Built for non-stop cross-country recordmaking—it has all necessary hygienic and living conveniences.
- It can refuel, change oil, add water, change tires, inflate tires and telephone without stopping.
The History of the Louie Mattar’s Fabulous Car
During the trips, Louie and his co-drivers had all the comforts of home, although space was limited. The equipment in the back seat includes an electric stove, a refrigerator, a washing machine, a chemical toilet, an ironing board, a medicine cabinet, and a kitchen sink. All of these appliances can be stored under the back seat cushions.
Up front, in addition to the many switches and dials surrounding the dashboard, are a nationwide mobile telephone, a tape recorder, a bar, a public address system (which has speakers in both the trailer and on the hood of the car), and a Turkish water pipe. On the right running board is a shower and at the rear taillight is a drinking fountain!
It took Louie Mattar 5 years and $75,000 to make his dream a reality. But this car was worth far more to Louie. He said, "If I sold that car and had all the money in the bank, I wouldn’t meet the important people I do. That's worth all the money in the world."
Come see Louie Mattar's Fabulous Car in-person at the San Diego Automotive Museum!