Nudie Mobiles

Nudie Mobiles are vehicles customized by the designer Nudie Cohn

History

Nudie was a Ukrainian-American tailor, known for designing rhinestone-covered outfits worn by celebrities as Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. Between 1950 and 1975 he customized 18 Cadillac and Pontiac convertibles with typical Nudie icons, such a silver-dollar-studded dashboards, pistol door handles, and longhorn steer horns as hood ornaments.^[1] Presley almost got himself a Nudie mobile, "In 1972, Nudie made a [customized] car for Elvis 'cause Elvis thought, Well I've got to have that in my collection'...but his manager would not let Nudie get close to Elvis."^[2]

The "Nudie Mobiles" have become collector's items. Nudie's Online Car Museum with 16 cars, Los Angeles.^[3] One car is in the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1972 and 1974 two cars were bought by Bobbejaan Schoepen, a Belgian entertainer with a passion for country music.^[4]

References

1. ^ Nudie, Jamie Lee; Cabrall, Mary Lynn (2004). "Chapter 4: The Cars". Nudie: the Rodeo tailor. Smith, Gibbs Publisher. pp. 62–71. ISBN 9781586853815. http://books.google.com/books?id=PpYOhg1qrJQC&pg=PA62&dq=Nudie+Mobiles&hl=en&ei=jtJ2TK3WDcP88AaI94CjBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Nudie%20Mobiles&f=false. Retrieved 26 August 2010. 
2. ^ George-Warren, Holly; Freedman, Michelle (2001). How the West was worn. Harry N. Abrams. p. 159. ISBN 978-0810906150. 
3. ^ "Nudies Rodeo Tailors official website of Nudies suits". Nudiesrodeotailor.com. http://www.nudiesrodeotailor.com/gallery_cars01.html. Retrieved 2010-08-26. 
4. ^ Dixon, Chris (2005-09-05). "A Rhinestone Cowboy Who Grabbed Cars by the Horns". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/04/automobiles/04AUTO.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1. Retrieved 2010-08-26.