This is the 1960 Di Dia 150, a one-off coachbuilt vehicle constructed from the ground up by a clothing designer by the name of Andy Di Dia. This rarity started to become a reality in the year 1953. For the next six years, until 1960, Di Dia and a team of four talented individuals would begin to construct and develop the one-off Di Dia. The total cost of development is reported to have been in the neighborhood of just over $93,000, but iconic American singer, instrumentalist, and actor, Bobby Darin, developed an interest in the automobile during the late 50’s, making it apparent that he’d one day like to purchase the car. In 1961, Darin did eventually purchase the one-off for a price of around $150,000, making it the world’s most expensive ‘custom car’, which was verified by the Guinness book of world records. The body itself was handmade by hand-formed by Ron Clark and Bob Kaiser of Clark Kaiser Customs, and notably, Darin drove himself and his wife, Sandra Dee, to the 34th Academy Awards show in this exact car. When Darin wasn’t making use of his daringly-designed automobile, Di Dia would have the car shown at various events around the world, and today, it’s believed that the car is currently held at the National Museum of Transportation (NMOT) located in St. Louis, Missouri. There are a number of design elements and features found on this car which simply aren’t ever seen anywhere else, such as individual thermostatically controlled air conditioned seats, swiveling rear turn signals, and of course the dramatic seat of rear fins which can be found on the back of the car. The metallic red paint finish is said to have been created by using over 30 different coats of paint, and incorporating real ground-up diamonds to create a sparkle effect. The car was originally powered by a Cadillac engine, however, later used a Ford-powered engine, and still remains this day to be one of the most unique one-off vehicles ever created!
How many made? 1 of 1
Engine: Cadillac V8/Ford V8
Debut: n/a
0-60mph: n/a
Photo Credit: @only_50s_cars
Research: @rarecarsonly