“Ah, a bear in his natural habitat…. A Studebaker!” In 1979, audiences got to see their favorite Muppet characters make their big-screen debut in The Muppet Movie. The film was a road trip story, which followed Kermit The Frog and all his friends as they drove across the country to make their way to Hollywood. Now, the owners of one of those very cars are hoping to return the car to its former glory.
The car in question was one belonging to the comedy-loving Fozzie Bear, who got the car from his hibernating uncle. The two were on the run from the movie’s villain, Doc Hopper (played by Charles Durning), and hid in a church. It was here that they were introduced to the band The Electric Mayhem, who disguised the car in a psychedelic paint job while singing the song “Can You Picture That?” This paint job ended up getting the bear and frog out of a close call by blending into a soda billboard. Eventually, the car was traded in after a gag involving Gonzo’s plumbing truck and an impressive balancing act.
Two identical cars were used in the production of the film, both 1951 Bullet Nose Commanders. One car was unaltered for long-shots, while the other was modified to accommodate the Muppet performers while the car was in operation. Jim Henson’s signature use of miniature television screens was used for this achievement. A small camera was fitted into the car’s signature front, which fed into a monitor for the driver operating the vehicle… in the trunk! This allowed the performers to show Fozzie driving the car without endangering any felt or living cast members.
After filming was completed, the modified Studebaker was banished to the Warner backlot. For several years it sat in limbo until it was gifted by the Studebaker Driver’s Club Orange Empire Chapter to the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana. The museum has since been attempting to take donations for a full restore but has now turned to GoFundMe in the hopes of giving the project a much needed jumpstart. Here is what the official page says about their plans for their little piece of Muppet history.
The Museum is seeking funding to undertake an intensive restoration of the vehicle, which will bring back the psychedelic paint scheme fondly remembered by millions across the globe. Supporting this project will allow the car to delight and educate generations to come… Besides restoring the eye-catching design, the car will be restored to operable condition and the special effects modifications, necessary to show the Muppets driving the car, will be preserved.
The official page goes on to state that by restoring the car from the inside out, not only will a valuable piece of Muppet history be preserved but it will also allow the museum to loan out the vehicle to other museum exhibitions and car shows! As of this article, the museum currently has a little over $2,000 stacked up of their $175,000 goal.
You can view the car in its current state on the Disney+ original series Prop Culture, wherein episode 8, they focused on hunting down as many surviving props from the movie as they could, including the Studebaker museum! The paint job is sadly gone, and the components inside have seen better days, but it’s always nice to know that there are folks who are putting so much effort into preserving such cool pieces of entertainment history. Whether you’re a fan of cars, or a fan of Muppets, if you have a few extra dollars hanging around, this might not be a bad project to throw them at. Maybe in the next few years, you’ll be able to see a piece of Muppet history bringing some rainbows your way.