Dwarf Car Museum

We talk about many different auto makers here on MotorWeek, but have you ever heard of Dwarf cars? They’re small, replicas of classic American cars hand built by an Arizona man. Our Stephanie Hart sat down with the Dwarf Car creator, in his very own museum, and brings us his inspiring story.

STEPHANIE HART: Quirky is one word I would use to describe the Dwarf Car Museum. These dwarf cars are all precious, about half the size of a regular car; yet they are street legal, and some have been even driven across the country.

The man behind this endeavor is 84-year-old Ernie Adams. He’s been creating iconic dwarf cars for over 60 years. It’s a labor of love for Ernie who had the idea at age 15.

ERNIE ADAMS: I saw an old refrigerator laying in the weeds. It had the top towards me, it didn’t have a door on it, and it had an old tire swing laying by it; and what I saw was a miniature touring car, so ten years later I built that car out of refrigerators.

STEPHANIE HART: Turning his imagination into horsepower, Ernie went on to design and build several scaled down replicas of classic cars which are now on display at the Dwarf Car Museum in the historic town of Maricopa, Arizona, about 50 miles south of Phoenix.

ERNIE ADAMS: They look just like the real car inside and out and that’s the fun of building them. I make everything. I make the door handles, all the chrome pieces and things, trim pieces.

STEPHANIE HART: And essentially, you’re self-taught?

ERNIE ADAMS: Yes, definitely.

STEPHANIE HART: That’s amazing.

ERNIE ADAMS: I have had the question asked: are you teaching anybody else what you do here? But my answer to that is I can’t teach people what I do here because I don’t know what I’m doing until I do it.

STEPHANIE HART: You’re a real creative?

ERNIE ADAMS: Yes, it just comes from here to reality.

STEPHANIE HART: It takes 3,000 hours over a period of 3 to 5 years to build one dwarf vintage car. Under the hood? Toyota Corolla motors from 1972 to 1984.

How do they feel on the road when you’re driving them?

ERNIE ADAMS: Oh, they feel good. A lot of times they ask me how they ride and I say they ride just like [expletive], like a Corvette, you know; but then I put my foot on that ’39 Chevy and show them that it rides like a baby buggy, actually.

STEPHANIE HART: And Ernie, this is your favorite in the collection?

ERNIE ADAMS: Yes, this is my favorite because it doesn’t have any putty on it, it’s all raw. You can see the actual metal work on here.

STEPHANIE HART: That remarkable natural talent, even translated into a race car design. In the 80’s, Ernie opened up his own shop where he created hundreds of dwarf race cars that were sold globally. He quickly became a celebrity in his own right, dubbed Mr. Dwarf Car.

Ernie, this is my favorite in your collection. It is so cute, adorable.

ERNIE ADAMS: Well, it’s kind of a favorite of mine also. That’s why I named it sweet little Sheila, after my wife.

STEPHANIE HART: Aww, that’s sweet.

The one-of-a-kind dwarf cars on display here attract about 150 spectators a day to this family-run museum, and most can’t wait to chat with Ernie.

GINGER ADAMS: We’re so happy he has not sold one of the cars. For example, out then in the ‘49 Mercury, he wasn’t offered, he had to stop the man at $450,000…

STEPHANIE HART: Whoa.

GINGER ADAMS: …for this particular car. That is crazy.

STEPHANIE HART: Wow.

GINGER ADAMS: Yes, and we are so happy again that Ernie said no because with him saying no to selling his cars we still have the full collection.

STEPHANIE HART: And all the memories that go along with them, like cross-country road trips that include getting pulled over by the police.

ERNIE ADAMS: When they get done checking your license and insurance and everything, they say I guess I just wanted to see the car.

STEPHANIE HART: I bet. I bet. That’s funny.

He says that happened twice.

Whether Ernie knows it or not, his adorable dwarf cars redefined the automotive landscape leaving an unforgettable legacy in the rearview mirror.

I love that sound.