There’s a good chance you may not know who Jay Ohrberg is unless you are a car geek like me. However, I’m pretty sure you’ll be well aware of many of his creations. An overlooked figure, Ohrberg is the man behind some of the most famous movie cars of all time. Everything from the KITT from Knight Rider to the General Lee from The Dukes of Hazard, the Back to the Future DeLorean, the Batmobile from Batman Returns, the Flintstones car, and even the Mad Max cars have all been made by this Hollywood legend. But there’s one ginormous creation in particular that perfectly demonstrates Ohrberg’s unmatched skills as a car builder and his passion for eccentric and unique automobiles. I am talking about The American Dream, a 100-foot-long super limousine he built more than three decades ago, which still holds the record for the world’s longest car. The only person brave enough to try breaking the record was Ohrberg himself. The mad genius tried building something even more outlandish than The American Dream in 2015 but miserably failed.
After building The American Dream that gave global recognition to Ohrberg, the California-based custom car guru went on to make several other unorthodox show cars. But none came close to the super-limo in terms of popularity. In 2015, he announced his plans to build an even longer limo and set the bar even higher. To eclipse its predecessor, Ohrberg claimed that the record-breaking limo would be based on an uber-luxurious Rolls-Royce sedan, measure more than 110 feet in length, and feature ever crazier features than The American Dream. He even joined hands with Phoenix-based artist and longtime collaborator Richard Fletcher to come up with early designs.
To fund the project, Ohrberg decided to take the crowdfunding route. He listed the project on Kickstarter with the aim to raise $200,000. With the money raised from the platform, he had plans to purchase a pair of newer-model Rolls-Royces and start the build process. However, the plan failed spectacularly as the crowdfunding campaign only managed to secure $30 from one person before it was shut down. Sadly, Ohrberg has never tried again to turn the 110-foot Rolls-Royce limo into reality.
It’s also necessary to discuss what made the American Dream truly special and why no other automobile has been able to shatter its world record. You’ll be surprised to know that Ohrberg started out as a truck driver. His job was to haul Craig Breedlove’s land-speed record car, The Spirit of America, around North America to car shows in the mid-’60s. Noticing the attention Breedlove’s car received wherever it went, Ohrberg decided to open a Hollywood car shop and build outlandish automotive creations.
After making numerous movie cars and also doing private commissions for celebrities, the car builder took up the challenge to build something truly exceptional. The idea was to build the world’s longest limousine. Built in Burbank, California, in 1986, The American Dream initially measured 60 feet long. Ohrberg thought it wasn’t long enough and decided to extend the limo to 100 feet.
The American Dream was so long that it rode on 26 wheels. In fact, it was hinged in the middle and featured two engines. Measuring 100 feet in length, it was obviously a complete nightmare to maneuver the super-limo. Which is why it needed a pair of drivers to operate, one at the front and one in the rear. Furthermore, it could be disassembled into separate pieces, making it easier to be transported to different locations on trailers. The limousine had so much space inside the cabin that it could accommodate up to 75 people.
But it’s the long list of features and amenities that make The American Dream one of the wildest automobiles ever built. It came with chandeliers, a water bed, a tanning bed, a spa area, separate themed rooms, and even a pool with a diving board. If that was not all, the 1976 Cadillac Eldorado-based vehicle also had a touch-and-go helipad that could also be used as a miniature golf course.
The American Dream was such a hit that Ohrberg toured over 30 countries with the super-limo, with TV shows and magazines across the world regularly featuring it. The Guinness Book of World Records recognized it as the world’s longest limousine sometime in the ‘90s. However, the vehicle slowly faded from the limelight and was ultimately left abandoned to rot in a New Jersey warehouse for many years. It was eventually listed on eBay and changed hands twice.
Purchased by its current owner, Michael Dezer, in 2019, The American Dream was transported to Florida for a full restoration. The intensive restoration process included a full-body rework, an interior makeover, an engine rebuild, and upgrading the existing amenities. The project took three years and cost more than $250,000. However, the painstaking undertaking brought the super-limo back to life from the dead. In the process, the restored American Dream broke its own record by measuring an inch and a half more than the original.
