Sonny and Cher's Mustangs stay together after selling at auction

[Titan ;x]

George Barris remains the first name in Hollywood car customizers, having created everything from the Batmobile to KITT from "Knight Rider." His custom work for TV shows led to special projects for celebrities for their own personal use, including a Pontiac station wagon for John Wayne.

But when it comes to Ford cars, Barris' best known work is the duo of 1966 Mustangs created for Sonny and Cher as gifts.

The two 289-cid Mustangs optioned with three-speed automatic transmissions were originally plucked from the assembly line and sent straight to Barris' shop. The "King of Kustomizers" created new front fascias for the cars, also swapping in Ford Thunderbird taillights and reworking the interiors with appropriately '60s colors and materials. The changes to the exterior are more extensive -- few people notice the shaved-off door handles -- as the wild colors dominate the designs.

Barris painted Sonny's car in Murano gold pearl, while Cher's new ride received a hot-pink pearl paint job. Had Xzibit been around in the 1960s, we're sure he and the guys from West Coast Customs would have approved.

The two just sold at Barrett-Jackson's Las Vegas auction, with Sonny's Mustang fetching $71,500, while Cher's brought an even $55,000. The two cars have been to high-profile auctions before and were offered with extensive memorabilia, both coming from the Tammy Allen collection. The two were sold as a pair, so they won't be parting company anytime soon, and we have a feeling that we'll see them at auction again sometime in the next 10 years.