The Monkees’ Car: Fascinating Facts About the Iconic Monkeemobile

One of the most desired TV custom cars of the ‘60s, other than the Batmobile, was one sweet ride. The Monkeemobile debuted on “The Monkees” TV show featuring a four-man band trying to make it big in the rock ‘n roll scene.

Jerry, your favorite super car app, takes a closer look at The Monkees’ car. 

The artisan who brought the electric red Monkeemobile to life was Dean Jeffries, who was no rookie in the custom car scene. Remember the Black Beauty we saw Bruce Lee driving on “The Green Hornet”? Jeffries. The modified Porsche 550 Spyder that the legendary James Dean died in? Jeffries worked on that, too.

Jeffries collaborated with George Toteff, head of Model Products Corporation (MPC) before he built the Monkeemobile in a span of 10 days.

A blue customized 1966 Pontiac GTO, also known as Tony’s convertible from “I Dream of Jeannie,” was used to create this iconic sitcom car. We can’t say we’re surprised that General Motors repurposed the vehicle, as they sponsored Screen Gems/Columbia which also produced “The Monkees.”

The Monkeemobile wasn’t just a car for show—it packed some serious performance. According to Driving, “Side-exit exhausts poked out from just behind the front wheels, and a huge blower erupted from the front hood. Behind, the trunk had been hollowed out to make room for a curved bench seat, and a giant canvas top was stretched over the whole shebang like an early Ford Model T.” 

With a long nose and tail, it even had a drag-style racing chute fitted. The legendary vehicle sported a 389-cubic-inch V8 engine with Hydra-Matic automatic transmissions.