20 photos of rides hidden in Jeff Dunham's garage

The men we idolize on the big screen or even on streaming seem larger than life. We often attribute outlandish traits and personalities to who we think they are (kind of like filling in the blanks to draw a profile of a character based on what we know). For comedian and actor Jeff Dunham, a unique stage performance brought him national fame and recognition for an art that seemed to be sustained by him alone.

Not many ventriloquists are popular enough to become mainstream, and not many of those few will even show up when you search the internet. The fact is that this is not exactly a rapidly developing entertainment environment. If anything, this should only reinforce the case for Dunham's comedic talent, as he dug into a market niche that only he fits into, and no one else would probably even try.

Despite an admirable list of career accomplishments when he quits performing and returns home, there is a side to Dunham that would make our hearts fill with pride and admiration, unless you WHAT big hater of ventriloquism, that is.

Jeff may have some obscure hobbies, but there's one main thing he does better than most (besides all this puppetry): collecting various bits and pieces of classic car history to make an impressive collection. He doesn't seem to have much interest in cars other than wheels. The truth is that Jeff just really loves his cars.

He is a comic nerd, water lover, amateur race car driver and overall funny guy who has his own tastes when it comes to how his cars should look. All of this comes at a price, though, and despite a net worth that would make Jay Z take his hat off in appreciation, Dunham owns several collectibles that risk putting smaller people deep in the red. Whether he can afford them or not depends on your financial experience. I'm only here to provide information.

20 Batmobile ($1 million)

There are many impostors, but only one original. Well, there are actually three "original" Batmobiles from Batman Returns parts, but there were essentially two "original-original" ones, and there is this one that acted as an understudy. It was only built to travel a few hundred feet at a time, only three or four times in production. The powerplant was the least of the vehicle team's worries, and a 350-box engine was all they gave it. He was given the appropriate power setting only after he left the kit and now rides on LS running gear with the same brand of engine. Chassis numbers cannot be identified and, to Dunham's knowledge, it is nothing more than two frames welded into one with little flair.

19 Lincoln Batmobile Futura ($4.2 million)

Fiberglass Freaks, based in Indiana, does exactly what you would expect a company with that name to do. They turn fiberglass into strange things, and among those strange things is a little piece of history from our collective childhood memory that holds a precious place in our hearts: the original Batmobile. In fact, they've built many replicas of the Batmobile in the past, so when Dunham approached them with a 1955 Futura and a strange request, they knew almost immediately where he was headed. Dunham got his hands on it and hired fiberglass freaks to start fully restoring it into an accurate Futura Batmobile.

18 Plymouth Barracuda ($100,000)

It is difficult to estimate the exact cost of Dunham's Barracuda. A model with a few rare variations has become so popular that prices for original examples of such cars can range from $20,000 to over $100,000. Dunham doesn't seem to care about things like market value, though he's more of a guy who does things like buying that Barracuda on his wedding day (that's what he told his wife, anyway). Most people rent limousines; Jeff buys muscle cars. He said he drove his wife in this car to a comedy show in 1989. Cuda has been professionally priced (by those guys who charge around $2,000 to come out and tell you what's not so great about your overinvested project). and received a score of 9.9. only The reason for the less-than-perfect score was one screw that wasn't painted the right color. (For my two grand, it's best to ignore that screw when judging my car, just saying.)

17 Challenger RT 440 Six-Pack ($100,000)

By the time Dodge was about to assemble the Challenger, the time-tested muscle car formula was simple: there's no substitute for displacement. However, as displacement increased, more air and fuel were needed. While air delivery was a physics puzzle of its own to contend with, the formula for solving the fuel delivery problem for large displacement engines was simple: just add a carburetor (or two). The Six-Pack 440 was not only a measure of performance, but also a statement. The Challenger also came with a host of other attractive options, like the 383cid or the 425bhp Hemi 426, but the six-cylinder package sounds cooler. Jeff's 440 wears this Sublime Green color with the same pride as the black striped 440.

16 Hellcat Challenger ($85,000)

When you're a guy like Jeff Dunham, good things come in pairs. Good jokes (like all the Dunham gas workers you know and love), Batmobiles and, of course, Dodge Challengers. What good is one without the other? (That would be just as good, but Dunham doesn't want to risk it.) When Dodge announced that the new SRT Challenger would be available in Sublime Green retro livery — a perfect match with its 1970 440 Challenger — it could have just as well been written in stars. After all, if you're going on stage planning to put your hand on the back of a puppet while making weird noises, you might as well enjoy your commute.

15 Amficar ($25,000)

Quandt Group is responsible for this multimedia driver, which is not all that pleasant to look at either on the road or in the water. But unlike other cars that have tried to mix modes of transport (usually without success), water turns out to be the best place for something that should be a car but likes to pretend to be something else on a lazy Sunday afternoon. This Amphicar is actually such a good boat trip that Jeff sometimes takes it with him to Castaic, with his decrepit old puppet in tow, of course, for a relaxing day of catch and release. (Don't ask me how he reaches so far to the puppet controller, I was wondering the same thing.)

14 Ferret Scout ($17,000)

With a modest $17,000 price tag, the Ferret Scout is arguably the best option for taking on post-apocalyptic biker gangs and fighting zombies. This is the only possible theory that attempts to explain why he needed an armored car in his fleet of Challengers and Batmobiles. (Of course, he cracked a few shady jokes from time to time, but I don't think they're bad enough to justify light armor.) Whether he's afraid of zombies or fans doesn't matter, because with a steel skin that encases the occupants this little mini-tank, he can tell the worst jokes in the world, and few people can do anything about it.

13 1934 Ford Firepower ($25,000)

via justacarguy.blogspot.com

I'm going to be fair and give this thing a decent enough value. He definitely didn't build it nearly that cheap, but as with all custom cars, as nice as it looks to the owner, this skull induction supercharger just doesn't work for me. That, and something about the half-tilted, curving chassis, makes it look very cartoonish. I either hate to love it or I love to hate it, but from the looks of it, what really matters is that it's a cool hot rod (and a very loud one at that). He could easily spend over $100,000 to turn his hobby into automotive art, but then again, like all custom car projects, they are never worth what you have.

12 Ford GT ($500,000)

Is it a coincidence that the Ford tech leader who brought the GT40 back to life has almost the same name as the funny guy who happened to own one of the modern iterations of the Ford legend? Jeff Dunham owns Ford GT and a guy named JIM Dunham brought the GT40 back to its racing glory with a Ford feature. It seems that the Dunham name attracts the Ford GT out of nowhere. Well, either that, or he has so much money he could buy a fistful of it and not worry about losing one here and there. Ford GTs are already expensive cars, even as older models, though the Dunham model itself is something of a little legend and probably costs a bit more just because of that fact. At least his GT ownership redeems any trace of Ahmed's ugly face sitting on a hot rod blower.

11 George Barris Calico Surfer (?)

via carmag.com

Some cars have Jeff to be cool, but some cars have to have Jeff to be cool. Which of these two categories does this blue thing belong to? I guess it depends who you ask, but it's something Jeff can't live without after owning it at least once. He clearly has a particular taste for ultra-rare and unique cars, as you can already see. Calico Surfer was designed exclusively for International surfing magazine publisher Calvin Clark in the 1960s. It cost $22,000 back then, and with a list of notable owners like the one he compiles, one can only guess how much this thing is worth these days. I believe that someone is willing to pay for it.

10 Dodge Viper ACR ($125,000)

Jeff Dunham describes his 2008 Dodge Viper ACR as "hardcore". The Viper Special Edition was a high-performance, limited edition version of the Viper that was reduced in weight by approximately 100 pounds. It may not sound like much, but hauling that extra bulk around corners and from a complete stop makes incur a performance penalty. Is the price difference worth it? Not today. At least if you want a big, fat bang for your buck. Demand for this type of vehicle has fallen slightly in recent years, resulting in a devaluation of nearly $20,000 on average. However, this one, which belonged to Jeff, was worth several thousand dollars. Details than he was new. (Pays to be famous, doesn't it?)

9 Plymouth Superbird ($100,000)

via zanesvilletimesrecorder.com

The Plymouth Superbird is a short-lived version of the Roadrunner with a distinctive design and graphics package that has captured the hearts of hot rod enthusiasts across the country. It garnered undivided attention with an aero package that was considered cutting-edge and a wing high enough to give Stance Nation Civic owners a reason to keep a few extra wipes on their nightstand. None of this worked so well because our rudimentary understanding of fluid dynamics and how they apply to a race car was extremely unpolished at the time. However, it is an icon, and an extremely rare version of the standard 70s Mopar, sometimes mistaken for a small boat.

8 Chester ($500)

Don't think that Jeff Dunham is some snooty comedian who is too good to act like the rest of us. In most cases, the term "arrogant" - at least in relation to Jeff - refers more to the integral function of his actions, rather than his attitude. (Jeff is actually a very down-to-earth guy.) The bottom line is that we question a lot of things about Jeff with owning this particular car, no matter how luxurious it might be. (Who else owns vans like that?) It has all the retro bells and whistles of the late '70s that a young, misguided man could offer: extra Daylighters on the grille in case your headlights are twin. all It so happened that the sea portholes and even the soft body kit failed. (You know you want it.)

7 Vox Mobile ($216,000)

It is called Vox Mobile and is considered the fastest guitar in the world. (I doubt that outside Mad Max: Fury Road soundstage.) Unless you have very large hands, it is unlikely that you will be playing sound from quarter panels. But if you're in the driver's seat, it's equipped with the sweet sound of a 427 Cobra engine. This is a roadster that you can actually squeeze into while cruising the boulevard. (You never know when you'll need to jam on the fly.) It hardly makes sense if you don't accept the fact that the late '60s was mostly about psychedelic rock and its nefarious contraptions. The $30,000 adjusted build figure equates to more than $200,000 in today's dollars, though it seems doubtful that someone who isn't in the midst of a serious memory would ever buy one.

6 Bradley GT ($10,000)

The Plymouth, Minnesota-based kit car company began selling its wares in 1970 and thankfully ceased all operations by 1981. I don't want to be a hater here, but I just want to say: this thing is one seriously ugly bunch! BUT, before you can hate it (like me), understand the genius of the Bradley GT's circuitry. It may be a terribly underpowered kit car, but you have to admire the business savvy of the company's founders: They advertised in performance magazines and charged people $1.00 for a pamphlet about a car that didn't even exist yet. They also offered 80,000 shares of the company at $1.00 per share. Is this business wise? Well, they've been off the ground long enough to infiltrate the market with a bunch of Volkswagen-powered buggies, and Jeff Dunham has one.

5 Expensive real estate (more than you)

Here, in the background, you can see the Batmobile in its first variation, as well as several Mopars and Woody, taking up a little space. The sheer economic security required to build a car collection, even if only a few times smaller than Dunham's, requires far more than the average person can even hope for. Dunham's net worth varies a lot depending on where you get the figure from - some estimates even go as high as three-figure millions - and he's reportedly making over $25 million a year. So don't be discouraged when you see a row of cars that are worth more than anyone alive would pay for your ransom. It's just that your jokes aren't as good as Jeff's. (Or mine, for that matter.)

4 Collection (Priceless)

After a long walk through Jeff's personal car collection, one can only begin to wonder if there is some hidden connection between what he chose for his profession and some of the cars he chose to introduce his auto-sickness to the world. Admittedly, many of them are nothing more than jokes (if not exorbitantly expensive jokes), and the reasons for his purchases are as great as anyone could imagine. He says he just always liked to make people laugh, and driving a car with character allows people to have fun. Whatever, Jeff! Nobody buys two Batmobiles because they want to other people smile. With cars-boats and tanks nearby lines of contenders, it's safe to assume he has an incurable addition to cars that would border on self-destruction if he wasn't financially secure. Well played, Mr Dunham.

3 Ultraviolet Challenger (Dunham Edition)

Being somewhat of a Challenger connoisseur, Dunham is popular enough that his penchant for being a good asphalt racer is well known. Dodge knows this and decided to use his love for Mopar to create a truly unique concept for SEMA. It was a special edition Challenger fitted with a 426-box engine that put out over 500 horses through a six-speed gearbox on its way to the rear wheels. You may not like his taste in jokes, but it's hard to argue with his taste in cars. Just one corner of his garage would bless the average car enthusiast for the rest of his days with sunshine. Dunham has as many cars as you would expect from a man who makes millions.

2 Woody ($64,000)

What's good дерево No car collection is complete without Woody? (See what I did there?) It's safe to say that my jokes are almost as good as Jeff's, although my car collection is sadly lacking compared to Jeff's fleet. And to top it off, he has a classic woody in immaculate condition. And it's not the Griswolds' family-friendly wagon, which handles like a slow boat and looks even worse - while timbers come in all flavors, Dunham is clearly eyeing the good stuff. While this trend has led to wood being attached to models from Cadillac to Packard, Dunham's Woody is one of the most beautiful to look at.

1 Time Machine ($30,000–$541,000)

"Activate your time circuits," he says. “Don't even worry about those Indians,” he says. I always thought that if you're the type of guy who trusts a wild-eyed professor when he tells you "those Indians won't even be there" when he instructs you to step on the gas pedal and accelerate straight into the wall. you deserve what awaits you. Also, if you can't find a long and straight stretch of road in the desert (out of all the places you can find a long and straight enough road) to hit 88 mph, you really should have stolen a Ferrari from the Libyans with all that plutonium. Then a lot of these problems you need to solve would never have happened, Marty.

Sources: Adam Carolla CarCast, Carscoops, Motor Trend, CarBuzz, Motor Authority and Hot Rod Network.