My Mother the Car

Dave Crabtree

Barbara Crabtree (30 episodes, 1965-1966)

Gladys Crabtree

Cindy Crabtree (24 episodes, 1965-1966)

Randy Crabtree (22 episodes, 1965-1966)

The producers had researched automobile history to avoid duplicating a real car. However, there was a real-life, unrelated Porter automobile. The small Bridgeport, Connecticut-based company produced 36 cars between 1919 and 1922. It was named for automotive engineer and designer Finley Robinson Porter, creator of the T-head Mercer automobile.

Jerry Van Dyke agreed to star on the series after turning down the lead role on Gilligan's Island (1964) and an offer to join the cast of the The Andy Griffith Show (1960).

"Mother" was a 1928 Porter, but not one of the two real-life Porter makes. It was created by George Barris, who modified the experimental 1950s Lincoln Futura into the Batmobile. The car was built from a 1927 Ford Model T Touring car, with a 327 Chevy V8 engine and automatic transmission. Barris built two Porters for the show; one is now in Tennessee, the other is in Alberta. One car had removable floorboards and controls, which allowed the car to be driven with a driver out of sight, controlling it by watching through hidden mirrors.