World’s longest car just got even longer! ‘Super limo’ measuring 100ft breaks its own 1986 Guinness World Record after being restored by its owner
- ‘The American Dream’ is the longest car in the world, measuring 100ft and 1.5 inches (30.54 metres) in length
- It comes with a jacuzzi, mini-golf course, helipad, TVs, fridges and even a swimming pool with a diving board
- First built in Burbank, California in 1986 by car customiser Jay Ohrberg and measured 60 feet (18.28 metres)
- He later extended car and it has since been restored, breaking its own Guinness World Record by a fraction
If there’s one vehicle you wouldn’t want to get stuck in traffic behind, it’s this one.
Measuring a whopping 100ft and 1.5 inches (30.54 metres) in length, ‘The American Dream’ super limo is the longest car in the world, having originally been built 35 years ago.
It comes with features fit for a king, including a jacuzzi, mini-golf course, helipad and even a swimming pool with a diving board.
Not only that, the limo can be driven from both ends and fits more than 75 people.
To put its immense size into perspective, most cars measure between 12 to 16 feet (3.6 to 4.2 metres).
Enormous: Measuring in at a whopping 100ft and 1.5 inches (30.54 metres) in length, the ‘American Dream’ super limo is the longest car in the world, having originally been built 35 years ago
To put its immense size into perspective, most cars measure between 12 to 16 feet (3.6 to 4.2 metres). The limo can be driven from both ends and fits more than 75 people
It comes with features fit for a king, including a jacuzzi, mini-golf course, helipad and even a swimming pool with a diving board
Coming into land: ‘The American Dream’ originally measured 60 feet (18.28 metres) long, rolled on 26 wheels, and had a pair of V8 engines at the front and rear. The helipad on ‘The American Dream’ super limo is pictured above
https://youtube.com/watch?v=sNE_dqkmLF0%3Frel%3D0%26showinfo%3D1
KEY FACTS ABOUT ‘THE AMERICAN DREAM’ SUPER LIMO
Built: 1986 in Burbank, California
Who by? Car customiser Jay Ohrberg
Original length: 60 feet (18.28 metres)
Current length: 100ft and 1.5 inches (30.54 metres)
Restoration cost: $250,000 (£190,725)
Records held: Guinness World Record for world’s longest car
Owner: Michael Dezer, owner of the Dezerland Tourist Attractions
On show: At Dezerland Park Orlando’s Auto Museum in Orlando, Florida
First built in Burbank, California in 1986 by famed car customiser Jay Ohrberg, ‘The American Dream’ originally measured 60 feet (18.28 metres) long, rolled on 26 wheels, and had a pair of V8 engines at the front and rear.
Ohrberg later extended the limo to 100 feet (30.5 metres) long before it was abandoned at the back of a New Jersey warehouse for years and fell into a state of disrepair.
It was eventually listed on eBay, where it changed hands twice but was ultimately purchased by its current owner Michael Dezer for an undisclosed amount.
He then recruited its interim owner Michael Manning to help restore it and on March 1 this year the limo was officially recognised for breaking its own Guinness World Record by a small fraction, having been extended by a couple of inches.
The project, which cost over $250,000 (£190,725) in shipping, materials, and labour, took three years to complete.
‘We had to source some parts because they were destroyed,’ said Manning.
‘It was very hard to find an Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser roof for sale, but I happened to find somebody that had the roof cut off and in storage for 30 years that was willing to part with it.’
The American Dream originally shot to fame in 1986 when it was first recognised by the Guinness World Records as the world’s longest car.
As one of the most unique vehicles to ever roll, the lengthy limo was often rented out for cinematic appearances and was featured in various movies.
But after the world lost interest, the legendary car sat unloved for years and began to rust until parts of it were rendered unsalvageable.
The car was originally built in two sections and joined in the middle by a hinge for turning tight corners.
On top of its grandiose features, it is also equipped with several TVs, a refrigerator and a telephone.
‘The helipad is structurally mounted to the vehicle with steel brackets underneath and can hold up to five thousand pounds,’ said Manning, who owns Autoseum, a technical teaching museum in Nassau County, New York.
After purchasing the dilapidated limo, Manning was hoping to restore it with the help of community donations, but these never materialised and once again the car’s fate was left uncertain.
‘We were going to restore it at my school but there wasn’t enough funding to take on the project. It sat behind my building in Mineola for approximately seven, eight years,’ said Manning.
Autoseum’s lease with Nassau County was eventually terminated, leaving Manning struggling to find a place he could relocate the car to.
‘I ended up listing it on eBay again and figured if I didn’t sell it, I would transport it up to some property I have in the Catskills,’ he added.
In 2019, Michael Dezer, owner of the Dezerland Tourist Attractions, saw the iconic car listed on eBay and contacted Manning.
After Dezer bought the limo, it was shipped to Orlando, Florida to be restored, and Manning agreed to assist with the project that he had always dreamed of completing.
To prepare for its cross-country trip from New York to Orlando, The American Dream was split into two parts and loaded onto trailers.
After the world lost interest, the legendary car sat unloved for years and began to rust until parts of it were rendered unsalvageable
After purchasing the dilapidated limo, Manning was hoping to restore it with the help of community donations, but these never materialised and once again the car’s fate was left uncertain
Michael Manning (pictured) said he would miss working on the unique car, which was a part of his life for over a decade
After its long-awaited restoration, the American Dream is finally debuting its fresh paint job and a new flashy set of wheels
The 100ft long ‘American Dream’ limousine is now on display at Dezerland Park Orlando’s Auto Museum in Orlando, Florida
With help from autobody repair students and fellow auto repair experts Paul Novack and Stephen Wepprecht, Manning went to Florida where the group began working together to restore the car.
Most of the exterior work was completed by using additional parts from donor Eldorados to assist with its restoration.
The car also had some interior issues that had to be addressed.
‘Getting it to drive again was difficult. We took the whole cab of the car out — the dashboard, the front seat, the motor, the tranny, and we cut it off the car,’ said Manning.
‘We put a new drive train and Eldorado cab in there from a few donor cars because it was totally destroyed, and we couldn’t rebuild that section.’
After its long-awaited restoration, the American Dream is finally debuting its fresh paint job and a new flashy set of wheels.
Although it will no longer sit in a warehouse waiting to be admired, it won’t necessarily be hitting the road either.
‘You really couldn’t put it on the road because it’s too long,’ said Manning.
‘It was built to be put on display.’
Manning said he would miss working on the limo, which was a part of his life for over a decade.
‘Yeah, I feel an attachment to it. Everybody thought that I was out of my mind for wanting to restore it, but I had a vision.’
The car is now on display at Dezerland Park Orlando’s Auto Museum in Orlando, Florida.
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