Louie Mattar's Fabulous $75,000 Cadillac
San Diego, California
Balboa Park contains a number of fine attractions, including the San Diego Automotive Museum. Among its exhibits is a road trip marvel: a 1947 Cadillac transformed by San Diego resident Louie Mattar into his dream camping and travel vehicle. It cost him $75,000 -- a lot of money back then -- and took seven years.
The 8,500-pound car was modified to fill its own gas tank and to swap tires while moving. Its trailer held 230 gallons of gas, 15 gallons of oil, and 30 gallons of water.
In 1952 a crew of three drove an early incarnation of the Fabulous Cadillac in five hour shifts some 6,320 miles in a grand loop around the United States, refueling without stopping by driving adjacent to moving fuel trucks at airfields.
By 1954 Louie's ride included a trailer, a hydraulic jack tire changer, and other automation to eliminate any need to slow down, ever. The Cadillac was driven on a 7,484 mile "good will tour" from Alaska to Mexico without stopping.