Godzilla

[kingsburgphil]

I'm having a hard time finding any info on a car from the mid sixties. A VW cabrio with a 215 ci (3.5L) aluminum Oldsmobile V8 in front of a rear mounted
Corvair powerglide. Supposedly owned by a Hollywood actor (newman/garner?). The car was mentioned in a contemporary magazine and dubbed
Godzilla. I recall seeing a pic of the car with a tonneau over the engine.....we're going back 40+ years here and my memory is fragmented.

[Rick Meredith]

I think it was owned by Newman

[Fastbrit]

Paul Newman, indeed. I cam across a magazine feature on it in my stuff the other day, but have no idea where it is now, such is my filing system!

[speedwell]

vw trends oct 80 

fabs

[speedwell]

 

[speedwell]

 

[johnl]

Don't know if this is the same car that I use to hear stories about, but Paul Neuman was suppose to have driven a red '63 VW convert that looked stock.  It had some big American V8 installed in the rear seat area with a cover over it.  As the story way told he would pull up to some unspecting person on the street and then proceed to "blow their doors off".  I heard that this car was in the Newport Beach, Ca area. 

Because of the local, could Dan Gurney been involved as I think he and Neuman were pals.  Possibly there was actually (2) cars with this same theme???

[LuftsickTero]

Don't know if this is the same car that I use to hear stories about, but Paul Neuman was suppose to have driven a red '63 VW convert that looked stock.  It had some big American V8 installed in the rear seat area with a cover over it.  As the story way told he would pull up to some unspecting person on the street and then proceed to "blow their doors off".  I heard that this car was in the Newport Beach, Ca area. 

Because of the local, could Dan Gurney been involved as I think he and Neuman were pals.  Possibly there was actually (2) cars with this same theme???

this one?

[speedwell]

Don't know if this is the same car that I use to hear stories about, but Paul Neuman was suppose to have driven a red '63 VW convert that looked stock.  It had some big American V8 installed in the rear seat area with a cover over it.  As the story way told he would pull up to some unspecting person on the street and then proceed to "blow their doors off".  I heard that this car was in the Newport Beach, Ca area. 

Because of the local, could Dan Gurney been involved as I think he and Neuman were pals.  Possibly there was actually (2) cars with this same theme???

this one?

found this on the web tero 


The 1968 and 1969 type 1 dealer brochures show Paul and his red 1963 vert

[johnl]

Don't know if this is the same car that I use to hear stories about, but Paul Neuman was suppose to have driven a red '63 VW convert that looked stock.  It had some big American V8 installed in the rear seat area with a cover over it.  As the story way told he would pull up to some unspecting person on the street and then proceed to "blow their doors off".  I heard that this car was in the Newport Beach, Ca area. 

Because of the local, could Dan Gurney been involved as I think he and Neuman were pals.  Possibly there was actually (2) cars with this same theme???

this one?

found this on the web tero 


The 1968 and 1969 type 1 dealer brochures show Paul and his red 1963 vert

That could be the car.  It certainly looks stock with the possible exception of chrome wheels.  As I remember the exterior was not all that nice and this one looks good.  Possibly Neuman purachsed the car new and through the years changes occurred including the "new look" going away.

[Neil Davies]

Don't know if this is the same car that I use to hear stories about, but Paul Neuman was suppose to have driven a red '63 VW convert that looked stock.  It had some big American V8 installed in the rear seat area with a cover over it.  As the story way told he would pull up to some unspecting person on the street and then proceed to "blow their doors off".  I heard that this car was in the Newport Beach, Ca area. 

Because of the local, could Dan Gurney been involved as I think he and Neuman were pals.  Possibly there was actually (2) cars with this same theme???

Looking at the scuttle of the red and white one, it's definately a pre-'65 'vert, and in the article it says that the college resprayed it in red and white, so it could be just the one car? The photo of the car at the event with the other college cars looks like it had no cut outs in the bonnet at that time.