As a child, we loved two things: musclecars (especially GTOs and B-Body Mopars) and the Monkees. In fact, the first rock show we ever saw was the non-Nesmith reunion lineup on tour with "Weird Al" Yankovic in the summer of 1987. Lack of Mr. Woolhat not withstanding (we're still big Mike Nesmith fans, by the way), the thing we missed most during the show was the absence of their Goat-on-acid Monkeemobile. The Dean Jeffries-designed Pontiac A-Body came about via a precipitous confluence of Universal execs, Southern California hot rodders and model producer MPC.
Not greenlighted until four weeks before production began, Jeffries and his crew built two cars (one for use on the show, another to be utilized for promotional event), the #1 (TV) car actually had a solidly-mounted rear axle and a fully-functional 6-71 blower with a weighted rear to allow the car to pop wheelies at will. It also made the car a bear to drive, so a dummy blower was installed. It later disappeared in the Land Down Under, only to resurface in '92 at an auction in Puerto Rico, where it fetched the princely sum of $5k.
The #2 car ended up in Barris' hands, who recently sent the car up to Mike Gray in Sacramento for a full restoration. Somehow, knowing that the Monkeemobile ended up being rebuilt in the town where we learned to love rock 'n' roll and fast cars puts a big grin on our face.
Video of the #2 Car Under Restoration [BarrisBilt]
Related:
The History of the Monkeemobile [Monkees.net]
Maserati Chassis, plus Ford Engine, plus Aluminum Body = Mantaray [Internal]