The custom street rod, now known as “Maharaja”, was built by Bill Hines in 1959. Later it was mistakenly given the name, “Mata Hari”, by one of it’s owners over the years and the name was pinstriped onto the passenger side lower door panel.

The vehicle appeared at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York City at the Cavalcade Of Custom Cars as the featured car after winning a “Best In Show” at Madison Square Garden in October of 1963.

The car was definitely decades before it’s time, it has shag carpet, rear-passenger radio in the backseat (so they could listen to different music in the backseat), and even a 10 inch tube tv screen between the front driver and passenger seat! I remember it being a big deal when my 2000 Chevy Tahoe had a radio in the back for passengers and a small lcd with a vcr hooked up to it.