Puzzle #841 - Solved! Di Dia 150

Otto Puzzell · April 27, 2008, 06:56:03 AM

1961 DiDia

Know what it is?

Please, respond below and let us know the make and model designation of the car posted here.

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Otto Puzzell · July 03, 2008, 04:13:26 AM

Easy work for Experts...

Ray B. · July 03, 2008, 05:36:08 AM

It's Bobby Darin's custom, by DiDia and Barris.

Otto Puzzell · July 03, 2008, 06:10:10 AM

Quote from: Otto Puzzell on July 03, 2008, 04:13:26 AM
Easy work for Experts...

See - I told ya!

Ray B. · July 03, 2008, 06:27:16 AM

A nice car who deserves a front view.

Otto Puzzell · July 03, 2008, 08:45:06 AM

Certainly unique - I wonder how much Mr. Darrin actually used it? I'll bet the AC was turned up to 11 every time it was sunny!

Djetset · May 06, 2009, 03:48:43 AM

A point is going begging for as much information as you know on this one.

Otto Puzzell · May 06, 2009, 04:00:14 AM

Merged

Djetset · May 06, 2009, 09:40:10 AM

Thanks Otto. I just searched this car again on its full name (DiDia 150) as I did before I posted it, and the Search function still comes up with no result found. You might want to try it for yourself. All very strange!

Ray B. · May 06, 2009, 09:47:56 AM

Not so strange.
If you do that and select "match all words", the engine will only show posts with "DiDia" and "150".
If you want to have more chances, select "match any word" or just search for "DiDia".

Djetset · May 06, 2009, 09:59:50 AM

Thanks Ray B, the 'match any word' tip is a useful one, as I've been searching on 'match all words' in the past, which may help explain why I've had a few re-posts. Searching will never be the same again!

pnegyesi · December 08, 2009, 02:28:22 PM

Who built it, who designed it, when wasit built and what was its name? A point awaits you

white12 · December 08, 2009, 03:02:48 PM

Desiner: Bobby Darin
Year: 1960 (costruction started in 1953 and finised in 1960)
Named: Di Dia 150

pnegyesi · December 08, 2009, 03:07:08 PM

Yep, that's the one:
The Bobby Darin "Dream Car" is a one-of-a-kind custom car designed by Detroit clothing designer Andy Di Dia in 1953 and completed in 1960.

pnegyesi · December 08, 2009, 03:09:36 PM

Oops, would someone please move this to the solved section? Thanks!

Otto Puzzell · December 08, 2009, 03:10:14 PM

...and merged again

pnegyesi · December 08, 2009, 03:58:28 PM

My search for DiDia did not reveal this one. Sorry

Otto Puzzell · December 08, 2009, 04:00:38 PM

No worries. I've seen the car as the Di Dia and the DiDia.

We're all quite pleased you make AutoPuzzles your part-time home on the web.

Otto Puzzell · February 13, 2011, 07:24:47 AM

Since this one hasn't be re-posted in over a year, I'm adding a larger and clearer period photo

Otto Puzzell · January 02, 2012, 07:26:23 AM

Bobby showing off his car:

Otto Puzzell · November 24, 2013, 06:48:01 AM

From Modern Mechanix

Otto Puzzell · September 05, 2016, 06:28:03 AM

Clearing up some of the misstatements and the reposting of errors made on other sites:

The car was conceived by Andrew Di Dia (not Bobby Darin), a clothing designer, who Darin had met while on tour in Detroit in 1957. Di Dia enlisted the help of his neighbor, Chrysler designer Edward V. Francoise, to turn his sketches into a proper design and a clay model of the car that was eventually built. For seven years, from 1953 to 1960 the Di Dia 150 was hand-built by four workers, at a cost of $93,647.29; it was sold to Darin in 1961.

Francoise' sketches were presented to Detroit custom shop Clarkaiser Customs (along with a clay scale model). Unlike the firm's normal custom jobs, Di Dia's car was not based on an existing vehicle, it was created from the ground up, using a framework of round chrome-molybdenum tubing fabricated by Clarkaiser's principals, Ronald Clark and Robert Kaiser. (Not Barris)

When completed, Di Dia towed it behind his Buick to Los Angeles in time for an official debut at George Barris' third annual Bakersfield Motor and Boat Show which was to be held November 24-27, 1960 at the Kern County Fairgrounds (which is the only connection to Barris)

A '58 Cadillac 365-cubic-inch V8 was fitted into the car using a marine induction manifold that gave the Cadillac a low engine profile. A matching '58 Cadillac automatic transmission sent power to the rear wheels. It was later replaced by a 427 Ford engine when it was taken on the show circuit

As an added bonus, here is the car with the flip-down headlights showing.

Otto Puzzell · September 05, 2016, 07:26:48 AM

Quote from: Otto Puzzell on December 08, 2009, 04:00:38 PM
No worries. I've seen the car as the Di Dia and the DiDia.

We're all quite pleased you make AutoPuzzles your part-time home on the web.

Di Dia signed his name with a space. Thread title fixed.

Ray B. · September 05, 2016, 09:21:53 AM

A piece of automotive history by Otto Puzzell.
We all love it here.

Allemano · December 11, 2017, 07:21:01 AM

Quote from: Ray B. on September 05, 2016, 09:21:53 AM
A piece of automotive history by Otto Puzzell.
We all love it here.

That was his last post as far as I can tell...

Sadly Ray B. passed away ~ three weeks later. I did not know that and it makes me sad.

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Puzzle #841 - Solved! Di Dia 150