Norm Grabowski facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Norm Grabowski
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Grabowski in Herbie Rides Again, 1974
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| Born | February 5, 1933 Essex County, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Died | October 12, 2012 (aged 79) Cassville, Missouri, U.S.
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| Occupation | Hot rod builder, actor |
Norman "Norm" Grabowski (February 5, 1933 – October 12, 2012) was a Polish-American hot rod builder and actor. He was known for his unique custom cars and for appearing in many movies and TV shows. He often played minor roles in films from studios like Walt Disney.
Biography
Norm Grabowski was born in New Jersey on February 5, 1933. After serving in the US Army, he started building amazing custom cars. These special cars are called hot rods.
Building the Kookie Kar
Norm's most famous creation was a hot rod he built in 1952. He used parts from a 1922 Ford Model T car and a 1927 Ford Model A pickup truck. He even put a powerful Cadillac engine inside! This car had a very unique look that inspired many other hot rod builders.
His awesome car became super famous. It was featured on the cover of Hot Rod magazine in 1955. Later, it was painted blue with cool flames and appeared on the cover of Car Craft magazine and even LIFE magazine in 1957.
Norm's special hot rod became known as the "Kookie Kar." It was so popular that it was used in the TV show 77 Sunset Strip. A character named Kookie drove the car in the show.
From Car Builder to Actor
Because his car was so famous, Norm was asked to rent it out for movies and TV shows. This led him to meet people in Hollywood. Soon, he started getting acting roles himself!
He appeared in many popular TV shows. These included The Monkees, Batman (in 1966), and The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.
Norm also acted in several movies. Some of his films include High School Confidential (1958), Roustabout (1964) with Elvis Presley, and Disney movies like The Misadventures of Merlin Jones (1964) and The Monkey's Uncle (1965). He was also in Blackbeard's Ghost (1968), Herbie Rides Again (1974), The Towering Inferno (1974), Hooper (1978), and The Cannonball Run (1981).
Besides cars and acting, Norm was also a talented wood carver. He made unique hand-carved skull gearshift knobs for hot rods and custom cars.
Norm Grabowski stopped acting in the 1980s after his last film, The Cannonball Run. He passed away on October 12, 2012, at the age of 79.
Images for kids
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Grabowski in Herbie Rides Again, 1974
