Larry's Legacy 2025

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The Klairmont Kollections Automotive Museum in downtown Chicago long served as a gathering place for those called to experience some of the most unique vehicles ever created. Curated by a couple whose love for automotive history truly knew no bounds, the collection is one that embraces everything from the tamest classics and historic eccentricities to the wildest customs ever built.

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The following list is one dedicated to the oddities—the cars that make passersby stop in awe and wonder to themselves what exactly they’re looking at. Klairmont had a special appreciation for those standout-from-the-crowd types, and this group is just a glimpse into how that predilection played out within the walls of the museum. Soon to be crossing the Mecum auction block, these cars deserve a closer look.

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A great candidate for inclusion in that “historic eccentricity” class is Klairmont’s <a href="https://www.mecum.com/lots/1151245/1947-tatra-t87/?aa_id=703773-0">1947 Tatra T87</a>. The shark-like Czechoslovakian-built car is a rarely seen piece of automotive history, with production spanning from 1936 to 1950. In that 15-year time span, just over 3,000 examples were built in total. The T87 was the immediate successor to the Tatra T77, a car recognized as the world's first production aerodynamic vehicle.

With a rear-mounted V-8 engine, teardrop back end and instantly recognizable fin-like protrusion, the T87 ranked among the fastest production vehicles in the world at the time of its creation. The unique fin wasn’t meant to serve as a gimmick or attention-getter; it actually helped to divide the air pressure on either side of the car, a technique later used in aircraft design and precisely what helped the T87 to earn its status as a high-speed aerodynamic all-star.

Tatra T87s have been owned by a handful of highly notable individuals, including American writer John Steinbeck and, more recently, prolific car collector Jay Leno. With a unique look and a rich history, the T87 was right at home at the Klairmont Kollections Automotive Museum. Now headed for the auction block, <a href="https://www.mecum.com/lots/1151245/1947-tatra-t87/?aa_id=703773-0">the Klairmont example </a>boasts a comprehensive restoration completed at Burnham's Garage in Delanson, New York, and is complete with the correct 2970cc SOHC air-cooled V-8 engine for an authentic look and feel.

Klairmont Kollections’ Space-Age Bubble Tops

So-called “bubble top” cars have long been an attention-grabbing genre within the custom car ranks, evoking visions of space-age rockets and other jet-like and exploratory air- and seacraft. The distinctive bubble top styling can even be found in some production vehicles of the ‘60s, which were likely inspired by the visionary customs such as those in the Klairmont collection. Originating in the 1950s, these iconic creations continue to fascinate collectors and onlookers today, appearing futuristic even some 75-plus years after their initial introduction.

Among the Klairmont Kollections bubble top cars is the well-known <a href="https://www.mecum.com/lots/1151243/1955-ford-beatnik-bubbletop-custom/?aa_id=703748-0">1955 Ford Beatnik Bubbletop Custom</a>, a professional build completed over four years by Gary "Chopit" Fioto in the early 2000s. The one-of-a-kind car has won numerous awards and been the subject of extensive coverage in the automotive media, including a feature in Street Rodder magazine.

It was the winner of Blackie Gejeian's 2005 Fresno Autorama Sweepstakes award, the Outstanding Custom and George Barris Kustom d'Elegance award at the 2006 Grand National Roadster Show, the winner of the Grand Prize at 2006 Darryl Starbird's National Rod and Custom Car Show in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and more.

Built on a modified 1988 Lincoln Town Car chassis, the Beatnik Bubbletop features extensively customized steel and aluminum bodywork, canted quad headlights, a front bumper adapted from a 1959 Cadillac, a rear bumper formed from a 1958 Cadillac front bumper, 1960 Chrysler finned tail lights and a Pearl White bucket seat interior with Chrysler Astradome instrument panel beneath its custom-molded Lexan bubble top. It’s a stunning creation that is sure to continue to be appreciated wherever it goes.

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Klairmont’s <a href="https://www.mecum.com/lots/1151242/1956-continental-mark-ii-custom-bubble-top/?aa_id=703745-0">1956 Continental Mark II Custom Bubble Top</a> is another unique space-age creation, this one custom-built by Barris’ protégé Lee Wells in the 1960s. Powered by a 368 CI V-8 engine with Hilborn fuel injection and an automatic transmission, the car was chosen for display at the 2023 Chicago Auto Show where it received a warm reception from attendees, demanding eyes and stealing hearts with ease.

Designed to be a direct interpretation of “Atomic Age” futurism, Klairmont’s <a href="https://www.mecum.com/lots/1151241/1960-ford-fairlane-the-spaceliner-custom-concept/?aa_id=703744-0&amp;aa_ev=related">1960 Ford Fairlane Custom Concept car</a> is another standout in the museum’s bubble top lineup. Known as "The Spaceliner," the wild ride features twin canopy electrically actuated roofs utilizing actual aircraft pieces and a seamless passenger side with welded-shut doors. It’s finished in a Turquoise Metal Flake Sparkle paint over a white interior, and it features a full 10 1959 Cadillac tail lights along with full-size wheel covers. As a neat little bonus, the car also features dashboard signatures of custom car legends Gene Winfield and Darryl Starbird.

Rounding out this group of rounded-top rides is perhaps the wildest of the bunch: the <a href="https://www.mecum.com/lots/1151239/1950-studebaker-ice-princess-xf58/?aa_id=703740-0&amp;aa_ev=related">1950 Studebaker Ice Princess XF58</a>. This custom six-wheeler bubble top beauty was built by Richard Fletcher and features a custom double-bubble canopy. There’s a lot of power on hand to propel forward all six wheels with a 500 CI V-8 engine under a custom hood with finned power bump.

It gets its name from the icy blue over light blue two-tone exterior and chrome side accent spears with rich gold accents. Furthering its unique appearance are a custom bullet nose flanked by stacked headlights up front and large tailfins with integrated stacked tail lights in back. Polished solid-face wheels finish off the look, with the front four featuring gold trim to match the body.

Looking like they came straight out of an episode of “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jetsons" data-type="link" data-id="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jetsons" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Jetsons</a>,” these bubble top customs hold just as much appeal and attention-grabbing attitude today as they did back in their heyday, when space-age styling and futurism were at the forefront of creative design.

Uniquely Inspired Custom Creations from Klairmont Kollections

The Klairmont Kollections Automotive Museum might truly have been home to one of the widest ranges of quirky cars to be found anywhere. In addition to historic eccentricities and ultra-cool bubble top customs, the collection also encompasses an array of other oddities, including a handful of those inspired by the sea.

Getting its name from the utopian city rumored to be long-ago buried along the ocean floor, Klairmont’s <a href="https://www.mecum.com/lots/1151290/1937-atlantis-custom-roadster/?aa_id=703897-0&amp;aa_ev=related">1937 Atlantis Custom Roadster </a>is an exceptionally stunning piece of custom-built class. A daring drop-top driver, the car was built and designed by Ron Santarsiero of Santarsiero Concepts Design Studio of Southern California and features dramatic, swooping fenders inspired by the French curves of Figoni et Falaschi's 1937 Delahaye 135MS Roadster.

Its overall rotund and suggestive body lines took influence from a Bugatti 57SC Atlantic of the same year, and the car also bears a Bugatti-type grille to finish off its front end. It’s a beautiful beast that expertly combines classic styling with imaginative innovation.

The final fantastical car to make it onto this short list is an absolutely unrestrained experiment in creativity in the form of a <a href="https://www.mecum.com/lots/1151329/2012-sea-lion-amphibious-prototype/?aa_id=703936-0">2012 Sea Lion Amphibious Prototype</a>. A sea-faring street terror, this custom build earned status as the world's fastest amphibious car at the time of its construction, boasting a Mazda 13B 1.3L rotary engine with a Camden supercharger and Holley carburetor under hood.

Designed and built by Marc Witt and SeaRoader Aquatic, the vehicle’s body is made up of CNC-milled pieces and TIG-welded 5052 aluminum, with a monocoque fused to the car's body in the middle. In preparation for a thrilling ride atop the waves, the Sea Lion’s front wheels suck up into the wheel wells with hydraulic actuation, and retractable side pods for cargo and flotation extend to meet the water. While it’s getting its flippers wet, a highly modified Berkeley 12 JC jet drive pump takes over power duties, and a fighter pilot-style stick is used to steer the vehicle through the water for an exceptionally cool aquatic cruise.

Bidding Farewell at Klairmont Kollections: Larry’s Legacy Auction

The upcoming Larry’s Legacy auction to be hosted on-site at the Klairmont Kollections Automotive Museum location is sure to be a bittersweet event for everyone who has known and loved this longtime Chicago staple, but with a lineup like this, the opportunities to take home something amazing are vast, so lean into the sweet side and get ready to bid.

All vehicles being offered from the Larry Klairmont Museum Collection, <a href="https://www.mecum.com/auctions/larrys-legacy-2025/">Larry’s Legacy auction</a>, have been set up for long-term museum display. Any vehicle purchased from this collection will likely require essential basic service prior to driving on the road including, but not limited to, fuel system and carburetors, batteries, brakes, etc. Please note that neither the seller nor Mecum Auctions warrants any claims to authenticity for any vehicles within the collection and it is the buyer’s responsibility to make his/her determination based on their own personal inspection. All vehicles are being sold as is/where is.

The Quirkiest Cars of Larry’s Legacy Collection

From historic eccentricity to water-bound road warrior, this is a roundup of the wildest rides from the Klairmont museum collection