Wild Bill
Tattoo Artist, Magician, Creator and Wild
"We take cars to over 30 shows a year and the Dream Machines Show is by far my favorite. If you plan to go to only one car show this year, this is the one to go to! No telling what you will see there and Half Moon Bay is just spectacular at this time of year," said Wild Bill.
Wild Bill started collecting cars over 40 years ago with a Model-T Speedster and now has a garage full of specialty cars including a 1964 Amphicar, 1932 Ford Phaeton with a matching mini, a 1954 Porsche Spyder, 1959 Messerschmitt, 1959 Nash Metropolitan (with a 15' flame thrower), 1966 shortened flame throwing VW Bus and matching mini, 1972 three wheeled Freeway with matching Trailer, 1932 Ford Phaeton with matching mini, 1999 Chevy flat-bed car hauler, 2002 Panoz AIV Roadster, 2005 Panoz Esperante, 2017 Lincoln MKX, 3-wheel 1963 B&Z Electra King, 1966 Harley-Davidson with sidecar, a 2/3 size Bobber, 1954 Cushman Truckster with matching trailer, 1915 Model T-Ford Speedster with a matching mini, 2006 ZAP Micro Car and four mini-bikes.
Roxanne and Wild Bill's 1964 Amphicar
This is number 137 out of just 3,000 Amphicars built in West Germany from 1961 to 1967. But just less than 200 are known to exist in this condition worldwide. The Amphicar is equipped with water tight doors that have double locks and seals to keep out the water, a rear mounted water cooled 4-cylinder Triumph Spitfire engine producing 43 horsepower, and twin nylon propellers. A special two-part land-and-water transmission allows the wheels and propellers to be operated either independently or simultaneously. In the water, the front wheels act as rudders.
Specs:
- 32 mpg on the road
- 1½ gallons per hour on the water
- Weight: 2,292 lbs
- Top speed: 7 mph on water, 70 mph on land (hence the "Model 770")
Fun FAQ
- Yes, it floats.
- Yes, we take it in the water all the time.
- Yes, it's great for fishing.
- Yes, you can still get parts.
- Yes, one sold at auction recently for $127,000.
- No, the wheels don't fold up.
- No, you can't water ski behind it.
- No, I would not take it in the ocean.
- And, no, it's not for sale.
Wild Bill's Tattoo shop has been located in downtown Roseville, CA for over 40 years, with a staff of ten artists. Every year the artists at Wild Bill's shop host a "Tattoo-A-Thon" benefiting the UC Davis Children's Hospital.
More than 25 volunteer tattoo artists contribute their entire wages for the day, including tips. To date they have raised over $200,000 for the hospital's Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the hospital. "The hospital named part of the new wing after the Tattoo Shop, what an honor!" said Bill. The Tattoo-A-Thon is held annually on the last Saturday in February.
Bill and Roxanne's garage now has 19 vehicles in it. To check out their amazing collection, visit Wild-Bills.com and click on Bill's garage.
