This year's Keels and Wheels in Seabrook is calling on the classics - namely singer Bobby Darin and his car the DiDia 150. Event organizers say the car was built by clothing designer Andy DiDia. It took from 1953 to 1960 to finish. Originally the car cost roughly $150,000 to create, a number they say by today’s standards would be around $1.5 million.
The car rides on a 125-inch wheelbase, about twice the length of the Smart Car’s wheelbase. The "Dream Car," as it’s often referred to, featured a list of innovations in its time, including thermostatically controlled air-conditioning that keeps the temperature constant, hidden headlights, taillights that swivel when the car turns a corner and glass windows on hinges.
Darin recorded such hits as “Splish Splash,” “Dream Lover,” and “Mack The Knife,” which won him a Grammy in 1960. Darin was also nominated for an Academy Award in 1963 for his portrayal of a shell-shocked soldier in Captain Newman, M.D. His record company, TM Music/Trio, launched Wayne Newton and other famous singers.
You'll be able to see it April 30th and May 1st, 2011 as well as a vast collection of classic cars and wooden boats at the Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook, TX for the 16th Annual Keels and Wheels Concours d’Elegance.
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