‘Car Kings’ Uncovers Liberace’s Awesomely Opulent Zimmer Golden Spirit
Legendary musician’s 1981 custom ride has a classic style that echoes of Vegas, gangsters, and glamour — with a candelabra thrown in for good measure.
Liberace may have taken some ribbing over the years on Saturday Night Live and in comedians’ monologues as being a bit schmaltzy, but when it comes down to it, Liberace was actually quite badass. He was fashionably flashy but softspoken onstage while entertaining blue-haired old ladies, but offstage he was all player, living a fast lifestyle filled with sold-out Vegas shows, controversial affairs, fast cars, and Sin City mystique.
In fact, he was proudly sporting full-length mink coats long before Axl Rose and Jared Leto started wearing them. His Vegas gigs famously included lots of candelabras decades before Motley Crue and Ozzy Osbourne began incorporating them into their shows and publicity shots. Plus, Liberace’s middle name is Valentino. How badass is that? And mister Władziu Valentino Liberace was known by one name long before Cher and Madonna came along, and entertaining sold-out audiences with Vegas residencies decades before Celine Dion steered her ship into the arena.
Wisconsin born musician Liberace was a piano virtuoso who amassed a fortune back in the day that would make even Kanye go, Dayum, that’s a lot of money and excess! And Liberace famously spent a lot of that cash on awesome, very fine, high-end luxury automobiles. This is the reason why “Mr. Showmanship” was the subject of a recent episode of Discovery’s Car Kings.
The episode featured Liberace’s 1981 Zimmer Golden Spirit coupe, and awesome Eighties gem that was custom built for the iconic pianist in Pompano Beach, Florida, in September 1981. The luxurious and awesomely outrageous Zimmer includes Marchal driving lights, custom Tru-Spoke wire wheels, four 17-inch air horns, and bullet-shaped tri-bar headlamps.
The rear has decorative genuine leather straps over the trunk area that must be unbuckled to access the trunk.
And, of course, in addition to sporting Liberace’s signature alongside a cool piano graphic, the Zimmer includes a Liberace trademark: a candelabra hood ornament.
Check out Viva Las Vegas’ test-drive video below and you’ll totally understand why the Golden Spirit was Liberace’s favorite car to drive around Vegas. That candelabra hood ornament is totally gangsta on a Snoop Dogg level of awesomeness. Sure, it’s distracting, but what on this car isn’t?!
Car Kings airs Mondays at 10 p.m. PT/ET on Discovery. The Liberace and other past episodes are available on the Discovery Go app.
Photos: Kahn Media; Discovery’s Car Kings
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