Photo: Hemmings
Dean Jeffries, one of the most well-known custom vehicle designer and car painter in the United States, died on Sunday at the age of 80, leaving behind a rich automotive legacy.
Born in Osage, Iowa, on February 25, 1933, Eduard Dean Jeffries created the famous 1967 Pontiac GTO “Monkeemobile” and painted the first-ever Carroll Shelby built Cobra back in 1962. As a matter a fact, he painted the first Cobra several times to help Shelby promote his inaugural automotive adventure.
Jeffries also built an award-winning Mantaray prototype in the 1960s and the Chrysler Imperial-based Black Beauty from the “The Green Hornet” television series. He did some paint work on James Dean’s Porsche 550 Spyder as well, while his 1947 Mercury convertible is just one of the famous Powerhouse Era-built American cars he customized.
Besides customizing and building vehicles, Jeffries also worked as a stunt driver in Hollywood, being hired for movies such as "The Blues Brothers" or "Die Hard With a Vengeance".
Jeffries also built an award-winning Mantaray prototype in the 1960s and the Chrysler Imperial-based Black Beauty from the “The Green Hornet” television series. He did some paint work on James Dean’s Porsche 550 Spyder as well, while his 1947 Mercury convertible is just one of the famous Powerhouse Era-built American cars he customized.
Besides customizing and building vehicles, Jeffries also worked as a stunt driver in Hollywood, being hired for movies such as "The Blues Brothers" or "Die Hard With a Vengeance".
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