The Mohs Automobile Company only ever built two models, and only a total of four cars. The first was the truly magnificent Mohs Ostentatienne Opera Sedan (picture below). Only the one was built, as apparently the world wasn’t yet ready for something so over the top and blinged-out back in 1967. It was just ten or twenty years ahead of its time.
So Mr. Mohs took a smaller dose of magic mushrooms for Mohs #2: the Safarikar. Somewhat surprisingly, a total of three were actually made. And one is now on the market, for a mere $349,500. If you’re looking for something only semi-ostentatious, here’s your car.
Just to put the Safarikar in perspective, here’s the Ostentatienne Opera Sedan. Riding on an International medium-duty truck chassis and sporting 20″ wheels at a time when everyone was riding on 13 and 14 inchers, it was a very prescient car indeed.
Without getting political, I’m a bit surprised that Donald Trump didn’t buy it. It would have suited him perfectly: The Trumpmobile. Maybe he’ll revive it in his next career.
Mr. Mohs gave it a break until 1973, when he went back to the well for the Safarikar. It’s based on an International Travelall, but obviously it’s been heavily redecorated.
Of course the top opens, for proper safari-ing.
In the front, there’s three genuine bucket seats. And a period-correct CB radio.
In the back, there’s a seat for the shooters, complete with rifle holders and even two rifles.
The back seat folds down for sleeping safely in the wilds of Africa.
Although toned down from its predecessor, Mr. Mohs’ fixation on large grilles and hood ornaments are still very much on display.
Under the hood is an International 392 V8. It’s downright boring, compared to the rest of the Safarikar.
The doors swing out and back in such a way as to make ingress and egress as difficult as possible. Brilliant! The rear door of the Ostentienne was undoubtedly much easier to use.
Hyman LTD is handling the sale, and here’s the ad with lots more pictures. And a tip of the hat to Oliver M. for pointing me there.
I have a fair level of confidence despite only a novice amount of experience with bodywork that I could probably build this body and all its tidbits around an international travelall in my garage in the span of a week for about $1,000
Those dragster style bucket seats are about as comfortable as sitting in a real bucket, especially now that the 45 year old foam padding has most definitely turned to goo.
Godalmighty
Between these and the Bugazzi, it’s been an eye-bludgeoning day on the site. That Trabant in the last article is starting to look tasteful and refined.
Around 1975, I actually built cars that looked exactly like these, although smaller. IIRC, the base material was called Lego.
Comment of the day!! 👏👏
I was just thinking of the Ostentatienne a few weeks ago, as it seems an Italian company is building its spiritual successor:
https://www.autoblog.com/2020/11/06/ram-1500-aznom-palladium-limousine-unveiled/
I use to draw cars looking exactly like this.
When I was six years old.
Bruce Baldwin Mohs built FOUR vehicles, fifty years ago. That’s really an infinitesimal number of cars in the grand scheme of things.
Yet here we are, some 50 years later, still discussing Mr. Mohs and his cars. That’s a pretty amazing legacy, if you think of it.
I remember seeing one of these at a small museum in Wisconsin sometime in the 80s. They looked like ‘roided out Checker Marathons that had been driven at speed through a jewelry store.
I have many questions about this. Just picking one, why cover it in Naugahyde?! Noise reduction? Dent resistance? Crash protection? To give the lions you’ll meet on safari something to scratch?
I much prefer the International products these horrors began as.
Funny, that blunt chromed front end reminds me of the typical full size pickup of today.
Ahead of its time indeed.
Elvis owned pretty much every over the top production car imaginable. Even he knew when to just say no.
If I won a couple of hundred million dollars I’d buy it to have the Ultimate Travelall to go with my mostly stock one. However I have a hard time seeing anyone paying anywhere near that asking price, pretty much have to take a zero of the price.
I should add that this is a perfect resto, with all the right NOS hoses, clamps and marks, but it left the IH factory in 1971 or earlier based on the bi-color HVAC controls, the washer fluid bag instead of a rigid plastic unit, the drum brake master cyl, booster and brackets, and the steering column with the rag joint up so high.
Simply put: HIDEOUS! As for the V-392 engine, the rear axle had to be reworked or replaced to accommodate the torque of that engine. Driving a truck engine of that caliber requires much attention to ensure that it does not carbon up from lack of laboring the engine. In short – stupid. This vehicle is not worth the powder to blow it to hell. However, thanks for the enlightenment of its existence. Yours in mirth (and my girth), Tom
“As for the V-392 engine, the rear axle had to be reworked or replaced to accommodate the torque of that engine.”
No the Dana 44 was more than sufficient for a 392 in the 1/2 ton Travelall.
Tragic that so many Naugas had to die for this restoration.
That front end is reminiscent of the current Lexus line-up.
Holy Crap! Naugahyde monsters are going for between $500 – $2,000 on-line.
I can honestly say that I’ve been to the Mohs Automobile Museum. As a budding pre-teen auto enthusiast, I was well aware of Mohs’ creations from car books my dad bought me and on a road trip from Winnipeg to Wisconsin (probably en route to Road America in Elkhart Lake) I had dad detour to the Mohs museum to view the spectacle that is the Opera Sedan. I remember the cars being enormous, and enormously ungainly, but damn I was happy to have made the visit. There were all sorts of contraptions on display in the showplace, which was more of a large garage than a museum. Dad had a helluva time finding the place (this was latter part of the 70’s) but persevered. I’ll leave it up to you to decide what my enthusiasm say about me.
Englestad had a Safaricar in his collection in the Imperial Palace when I was there. SHMBO was more enthused about the Doozy room.
I’ve been rolling this article around in my head for a couple of days, deciding whether or not to read it. Ultimately it proved enlightening, but I feel the need to post the most contradictory comment this section will receive: I like almost everything going on here. The idea of an outlandish luxu-truck/sedan being built almost exclusively for traversing the plains of Africa – albeit for the pointless machismo of trophy hunting – brings joy to this hopeless Checker and Marauder fan. I personally love the styling going on here. The proportions are ridiculous, but all I see is a more angular take on the modern Fischer Price proportions of today’s cars (here’s looking at you, Challenger). The bulky, uh, everything feels substancial and the addition of toxic levels of chrome and pseudo-tasteful details like the Impala-style tail lights all come together, in my mind, as a hilarious and cheer-worthy antidote to the wifi-enabled eggs of today. Though certainly not worth the asking price, with larger production numbers and a smaller price tag, I would be happy to be in the presence of this bastardized Land Rover tank.