Louie Mattar's Fabulous Car

From a vehicle-obsessed child, Louie grew into a knowledgeable mechanic and craftsman who always had to be tinkering, solving problems that seemed impossible and dreaming up innovations that no one else considered. Soon, he was modifying the family car to enable it to travel across the country without stopping—a feat he accomplished after five years of work, in 1952. The Fabulous Car still runs and is on view at the San Diego Automotive Museum, where it first inspired author Heidi Lewis to write about it. As a child, Heidi Lewis always dreamed of what was just beyond the road ahead. She’s also fascinated by bizarre gadgets and outrageous quests, so when Heidi spied the Fabulous Car at the San Diego Automotive Museum, it was love at first sight.