SOUTH BEND — “Wocka wocka wocka!”
The 1951 Studebaker Commander that Fozzie Bear drove in the 1979 film “The Muppet Movie” is ready for its closeup.
After an 18-month restoration by Razorfly Studios of Sylva, North Carolina, the car will soon return to South Bend and make its public debut at noon July 12 as part of Studebaker National Museum’s Concours d’Elegance at Copshaholm.
In January 2024, Razorfly took possession of the car, which the museum has owned since 2004, to begin the restoration.
That included the car’s mechanical systems, meticulous recreation of the “psychedelic paint scheme” and of the remote cockpit used to operate the vehicle during filming, according to a press release July 2.
The team from Razorfly Studios will be present for the unveiling and available for questions about the process.
The museum has owned the car since 2004, when the Orange Empire Chapter of the Studebaker Driver’s Club in California acquired it and donated it to the museum.
After film production ended, the release said, the car spent years outdoors on a Warner Bros. backlot and had become weather-worn and suffered significant deterioration, including losing its famous psychedelic paint job that the rock band Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem gives it in “The Muppet Movie.”
In 2022, the museum launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise the money for the restoration.
Fozzie at the wheel
When director James Frawley began production on “The Muppet Movie,” the release said, he insisted the car driven by Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear be a 1951 Studebaker.
According to the museum, Transportation Captain Don Casella of Marble Arch Productions was tasked with sourcing two identical cars: one for long shots, and one extensively modified to allow puppeteers to control the Muppets from under the dashboard — while a professional driver steered the car from the trunk using custom controls.
The museum owns the latter, with the trunk-mounted controls.
Concours details
The Seventh Annual Concours d’Elegance at Copshaholm takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 12 at Copshaholm, the Oliver family’s mansion on the grounds of The History Museum and Studebaker at 808 W. Washington St.
A celebration of automotive heritage and design, the event includes displays of classic cars, speakers, and a pass-in review and awards ceremony.
This year’s previously announced categories are the following: Inspired Greatness: Rolls-Royce automobiles of all years; Step Out With Mercury: Mercury automobiles of all years; American Splendor: Open-bodied Full Classics; European Luxury: Full Classic European automobiles; Studebaker Sedans: Closed-bodied four-door Studebakers of all years; Kickin’ Brass: Brass-era automobiles; The Roaring ’20s: – An open class for popular-priced 1920-1929 automobiles; Carrozeria Ghia: Ghia-bodied automobiles; Think Small: ’60s Compacts; Think Smaller: Microcars; and The Silent Knights: Knight sleeve-valve engined automobiles.
The featured guest speakers are Steve Purdy, automotive author and historian, who will discuss the art and stories behind hood ornaments and radiator mascots worldwide; Rubén Verdés, one of the world’s foremost Rolls-Royce scholars, will deliver “Rolls-Royce: Givens and Heresies,”; Luke Chennell, associate professor at McPherson College, will present “The History and Future of Restoration and Education”; and Matt Anderson, Curator of Transportation at The Henry Ford Museum, who will explore the rise and evolution of Ford’s mid-priced division.
Tickets are $16 in advance and $20 at the door.
For more information, call 574-235-9714 or visit studebakermuseum.org and concoursatcopshaholm.org.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Fozzie Bear’s Studebaker returns to South Bend museum after 18-month restoration
Reporting by Andrew S. Hughes, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
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