In a 2022 episode titled “Big Bucks Bubbles” (Season 23, Episode 18), Mike Wolfe and Danielle Colby paid a visit to Rick Klibenski’s garage in Michigan to purchase what might be one of the coolest vehicles ever uncovered on “American Pickers.”
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Klibenski, who lives near Ann Arbor, has been working on cars for more than half a century. His impressive collection includes avant-garde, custom vehicles known as bubble cars. Bubble cars were seen as the future of automobiles in the 1950s and ’60s – or at least, the people who built them thought such designs would be commonplace in a few decades. That did not really pan out, but bubble cars have become iconic representations of 1960s futurism, capturing the imagination of car enthusiasts and collectors alike.
The negotiations did not go smoothly. Klibenski proved to be a tough negotiator and wouldn’t accept Wolfe and Colby’s initial offers, insisting that his vehicle was worth far more than they were willing to pay. Here’s what happened.
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Who made Rick Klibenski’s Ultimus bubble car?
The specific model Rick was selling was dubbed the Ultimus. The Ultimus is a 1959 model of Chevrolet’s now-discontinued El Camino, customized by Tom Holden of Detroit in the early 1960s.
As Wolfe pointed out on the show, bubble cars like the Ultimus were prominently featured at car shows and in magazines at that time, but they gradually faded away from public interest as automotive trends evolved. Klibenski explained that he initially wanted to work on the bubble cars he had bought, but focused on other projects and gave up on the idea.
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“I was going to restore these cars, but I was building everybody else’s cars,” he said. “My stuff was always on the bottom of the list. I enjoyed them when I had them, but I think it’s time now to let them go and see somebody else have some fun with them.”
What the Ultimus ultimately sold for on American Pickers
Wolfe, for his part, fell in love with the Ultimus as soon as he laid eyes on it, and made Klibenski an offer. Acknowledging that the Ultimus was a classic car worthy of restoration, Wolfe offered $65,000 — $10,000 below Klibenski’s asking price. Klibenski just shook his head and reiterated that he would not sell the car for less than $75,000.
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“Work with me a little bit,” Wolfe pleaded, but Klibenski insisted he was “pretty much firm” on $75,000. Colby chimed in, explaining that she understood why he wouldn’t budge, noting that “cars are his business” and that he knew the true value of his unique Ultimus.
Wolfe refused to walk away, pointing out that he would spend about $2,000 just to transport the car from Michigan to Tennessee. He then raised his offer to $70,000, but Klibenski rejected it again. After some deliberation, Wolfe made his final offer: $75,000, on the condition that Klibenski handled the car’s transportation to Tennessee. At that point, they shook hands, sealing the deal.
