Studebaker Museum to restore classic ‘Muppet Movie’ car
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A “before” shot of the “Muppet Movie” Studebaker car. (photo provided)
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A rendering of the “after” look for the “Muppet Movie” Studebaker car. (photo provided)
In a move that has been years in the making, the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend is restoring an iconic car featured in 1979’s “The Muppet Movie.”
The bullet-nose 1951 Studebaker Commander driven by Fozzie Bear and Kermit the Frog is one of two that were used in the film; one was not preserved and no longer exists, while the other sat for years on the Warner Bros. studio back lot.
The museum is partnering with Slyva, North Carolina-based RazorFly Studios to bring the car that did survive back to its original glory, complete with the modifications made to support the movie’s special effects.
Museum Executive Director Patrick Slebonick told Inside INdiana Business said the project is part of the Studebaker story that they’re trying to tell.
“This is an icon for a whole generation of people, and anytime that we can try to connect our collection and the whole Studebaker story with pop culture, it helps us make it relevant to a whole generation of people,” Slebonick said. “People love movie cars, and people love their childhood, and this combines all of it, and it really gives us a compelling story to tell so many aspects, whether it’s the Muppets story themselves or the Studebaker history.”
The “Muppet Movie” car that survived sat on the back lot for about a decade and was acquired by the Studebaker Driver Club’s Orange Empire chapter, which gifted to the museum. It has been on display for some 20 years.
Slebonick said the bullet nose car was the automaker’s most successful production model, and certain modifications were made for the movie.
“It had the bullet nose that could be popped out, and you could place a closed circuit television camera, which allowed it to be operated from the trunk of the car,” he said. “That was perfect because with the Muppets, they needed to seem like the Muppets themselves were doing the driving, and this was the perfect solution for it.”
The museum chose to partner with RazorFly Studios, a costume, prop house, and custom car builder that specializes in building screen-accurate replica vehicles.
Slebonick said RazorFly owner Mark Zoran reached out to the museum after learning about fundraising efforts for the project, and museum officials were impressed by the studio’s work.
“He’s done work with a number of automotive museums and a number of the most prestigious collections in the world,” he said. “So with his guidance and looking at the budget and the scope of the project, we were really able to form a partnership, including some generous in-kind contributions from RazorFly Studios that helped our fundraising reach the goal that we needed to kick this off.”
The project will involve a complete restoration, Slebonick said, including restoring the mechanical systems, interior and exterior appearance, and the trunk’s remote driver compartment where the stunt person operated the car during filming.
At the end, the car will receive the same psychedelic paint scheme that it had in the movie.
“We are honored to be working with the Studebaker National Museum, and are humbled to have been chosen to partner with the Museum to restore ‘a Bear’s Natural Habitat,'” Zoran said in written remarks. “This is truly a one-of-a-kind opportunity and it’s absolutely amazing to be a part of American car history and American cinematic history as well. We have spent countless hours rewatching scenes from The Muppet Movie to make sure that this restoration is (motion) picture-perfect.”
The restoration began this month and is scheduled to be complete and back on display in the summer of 2025.
Slebonick said the project has an overall cost of $80,000, and the museum has secured $60,000 in funding thus far. The museum continues to seek donations for special components of the restoration and to build an exhibit in the museum for the car’s display.
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