How Do Clown Cars Work?

Clown cars have fooling and delighting audiences for decades—probably more than you think. But despite their absurd number of passengers, clown cars are actually just that—cars, and nothing more.
Written by Hannah DeWitt
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
We car journalists get to cover a variety of topics. While we sure do enjoy documenting popular subjects like
classic cars
, it is fun to branch out to more obscure pieces like the intersection of cars and culture
Which brings us to clown cars. Whether witnessing it on TV or in person, we all know what a clown car is—a seemingly tiny car that can somehow hold dozens of clowns, costumes, and props. Clown cars are a genuine piece of American culture, yet there are so many questions about this entertaining stunt that have gone unanswered. 

History of this circus stunt

The clown car trick is surprisingly older than you may think. Credible sources vary on exact details; most point to the first clown car appearing in the early 1950s. While Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey are the best-known circuses, the clown car stunt was actually started by the lesser-known Cole Bros. Circus.
The Cole Bros. Circus was home to famed clown Bob Strehlau, better known by his stage name Juggles the Clown. Legend has it that Strehlau was frustrated that he and his fellow clowns were being upstaged by the animal performers. Nearly all of the marketing posters for Cole Bros. featured horse riders and animal trainers, but never the clowns.  
Strehlau figured that just as cars replaced horses in the world of transportation, it could do the same in the world of circus entertainment. From this, the idea of stuffing as many clowns as possible into a car was born. Maybe. The true origins of the clown car is a heavily debated topic. But the story of Juggles the Clown trying to outcompete horse performers is our favorite origin story.  
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Are there any secret tricks to the clown car?

MORE: There's Nothing Funny About Getting Rear-Ended by a Clown
The clown car stunt doesn't rely on smoke and mirrors or hidden trap doors. All the clowns you see climbing out of the car were legitimately packed in there. Greg DeSanto, executive director of the Clown Hall of Fame and Research Center, told
Car and Driver
, "There's no trick to the clown-car gag." He added that "There are no trap doors in stadium floors, and the cars are real cars."
However, clown cars do go through some modifications. Everything from the car's interior that can be removed is discarded. This includes seats, door panels, headliners, and barriers to the trunk. Just about anything that can be removed from the car is taken out to increase the car's clown capacity. 
To add to the illusion of the stunt, all of the car windows are painted, except for a small viewing slit for the driver. The driver of the car is often sitting on a milk crate to offer more room for the packed clowns. Lastly, the car has beefed-up springs so it won't drag on arena floors. 

Clown cars as a TV trope 

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Many of us have never seen a clown car in real life, but have seen the gag used countless times in films and TV. This may have first started with the Mel Brooks movie To Be or Not to Be, which premiered in 1983. To Be or Not to Be isn't Brook's most well-known movie, but it did start the trend of clown car parodies on the big and small screen. 
While there are too many examples to count, a few favorites include Krusty from The Simpsons driving himself and fellow clowns to a methadone clinic. Another classic involves the police from Reno 911! discovering a serial killer who uses a clown car to dispose of bodies. 

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