Collector Spotlight August 2009: Anthony Taffuri
A.k.a. "limodoctor" at HWC™
by HWC Eve
08-11-09
Plenty of us collectors love the Batmobile™, but Anthony Taffuri, age 50, of Marmoneck, NY, has taken his passion far beyond what most of us only dream of. You see, Anthony has built himself his very own replica of the 1966 Batmobile™ with – get this -- a 700 HP motor and a flame thrower! But he hasn’t stopped there… he also built a 1:1 replica of the Black Beauty from The Green Hornet TV show and is completing another based on The Monkees show car. Read on to meet this owner of a limo company and custom car-building shop, and learn how his friendship with original Batmobile™ designer George Barris inspires him!
HWC Eve: How long have you been collecting Hot Wheels® cars, and what got you started?
Anthony Taffuri: I was about 5 years-old when I started collecting diecast cars. When I was ten, Hot Wheels® came out. The playsets were great fun and I just loved the cars. I still have my original Hot Wheels® cars and other diecasts.
HWC Eve: What’s your fondest Hot Wheels® memory?
AT: Spending hours playing after school with my cars. My first Hot Wheels® car was my Custom Fleetside and I always took it everywhere I went. I pushed my cars around, I ran them on the tracks, but never crashed them on purpose. I liked looking at them mostly. I still like looking at them today. Even my real cars. I never drive my Rolls or Bentley unless it is for a customer. I drive a custom diesel Excursion that I built.
HWC Eve: What’s the best Hot Wheels® car in your collection?
AT: The Deora has always been a favorite of mine. That is why I am building one. It is such a radical design, getting in from the front, the low roof, and movable steering. Even 40 years later, it is still innovative in these aspects.
HWC Eve: And the latest, greatest Hot Wheels® car release?
AT: The 1966 Batmobile™ Super Elite. I am a Batmobile™ fanatic and finally a 1:18 highly-detailed version comes out 40 years later. For me, this will be hard to beat. The Batmobile™ also means a lot to me as Burt Ward and Adam West are friends of mine. And I’ve met Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether, and Frank Gorshin.
HWC Eve: Do you customize? If so, how many have you done and what are your favorites?
AT: Yes, I customize. I’ve been at it for 35 years or so, and I’ve done about 40. My best work is my Deora slot car, my Batmobile™ zinger, and a hearse.
HWC Eve: What do you like about it and what got you into it?
AT: I like to do things differently, therefore I customize! I’m fortunate that I’ve become friends with a lot of celebs (Editor’s Note: see Anthony with Richard Gere, Erik Estrada, and Joyce DeWitt in the sidebar photos), but knowing George Barris is my greatest joy. His designs got me into cars 40 years ago. He showed how you could use your imagination and build anything you want. Who would have guessed ten years ago that I would one day be building his cars, and that in November I will be at SEMA in Las Vegas with him unveiling his Prius. He is in his 80s, but he is like the Energizer® rabbit. I always have a great time with him and his team, especially Tony Woods.
HWC Eve: How is customizing 1:64 cars different from customizing 1:1 cars?
AT: Small cars customize very easily. You can add wings to the car if you want. On real cars, you need to think of drivability and repairability. You just cannot add things. You must consider how the car will drive after you customize it -- is it strong enough, how do you replace something if you need to in the future. My 1:1 customs are like building a car from scratch, not just adding flares and paint. Anything I build starts at 550 HP and goes all the way to 705 HP, which is what my Batmobile™ replica is.
HWC Eve: What model/color 1:1 scale car do you drive?
AT: Mostly black cars. I have a new Mercedes, an Escalade with DIRECTV, the new Bentley Flying Spur -- all black. And, of course, the Black Beauty and Batmobile™ replicas. I do have a white Rolls-Royce Phantom and will have a red Monkeemobile replica in about six weeks.
HWC Eve: Do you have any other hobbies or collections?
AT: As a hobby, I build show cars. I have the Rolls-Royce Phantom, the Bentley Flying Spur, and just completed the 1966 Batmobile™ replica with the 705 HP motor. The Black Beauty replica from The Green Hornet has a beefed up 440 Mopar that’s over 550 HP. I am finishing up the replica of the Monkeemobile from The Monkees with a rear blower, and just bought a 1970 Dodge A100 van to finally build the ultimate car… an all-electric, full-size Deora!!!
HWC Eve: Very cool, but we have to ask… why?
AT: I think I started building TV show cars because I have every luxury car due to my business and they just do not impress me at this point. I had to go radical. You cannot get more radical than with my Black Beauty replica. I just finished setting up my trunk with a smoke machine and Gatling guns. The trunk automatically opens revealing the guns immersed in green neon, all controlled from the back seat. My Batmobile™ replica has a flame thrower in the rear.
HWC Eve: Something tells us you have other interesting hobbies.
AT: I also build RC planes, helicopters, and submarines. Whenever I can, I fly RC helicopters. I like them because I can fly them in my backyard. I now have some micros that I fly in my house. I am working on a 7-foot Seaview replica from Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. The submarine goes under water. My wife thinks that we bought our 24-foot round pool several years ago just so that I could play with my sub and boats. I think she was correct. I call it my nautical test site. And yes, I have chased my wife around the pool with my boats and subs!
HWC Eve: What does your wife think of your customs?
AT: Someone from the local paper did an article on my custom building and my wife told them, “He builds the cars for three reasons: 1) nostalgia, 2) because he can build them, and 3) my husband is crazy!!
COLLECTOR QUICKSTATS:
- NUMBER OF HOT WHEELS® CARS IN COLLECTION: “About 1,000 or more.”
- IN PACK OR OUT OF PACK: “The older cars are in cases on my wall. For the newer ones, some are in cases with the cards, others are displayed with the cards in protectors.”
- BEST HOT WHEELS® CASTING: “In 1:18, the Batmobile™ Super Elite is the best casting. In 1:64 scale, I love The Hood. I have three now.”
We're always looking for our next collector to spotlight. If you would like to be considered for the Collector’s Spotlight, we’d like to hear from you:
- First answer the questions found here: Spotlight questionnaire
- Include at least ten photos, including one of you! They should be JPG images, and 700 x 500 are best
- E-mail your answers and images to us at Spotlight@HotWheelsCollectors.com
You could be in the spotlight next!
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