The famous TV cars created by George Barris -- like the Batmobile, Munster's Koach, Knightrider, The Dukes of Hazzard's Dodge Charger, and Starsky and Hutch's Ford--are on their way to the tourist mecca, Gatlinburg, TN.

More than 40 cars are heading east to the Star Cars Museum, which holds its grand opening this week. Barris will be joined in Gatlinburg for the big event by stars including John Schneider of "The Dukes of Hazzard" and Burt Reynolds of "Cannonball Run."

"Everybody would come here and say, 'We want to see your cars. We want to see your cars,' " said Barris. But he said his Kustom Industries studio in Southern California was too small. "My inspiration was to have a museum so they could see them." He chose Gatlinburg because the region is second in tourism only to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. [06/10/1997]