Is Kalamazoo’s BIG Banana Car Heading to the Small Screen?

Something BIG is happening with Kalamazoo's famous Big Banana Car.

Can a car be considered a local celebrity? Its owner, "Ridiculous Steve" has certainly made a name for himself in his own right!

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For those that aren't familiar, the Kalamazoo Big Banana Car is a converted 1993 Ford pickup truck that has now taken on the form of a banana.

Owner Steve Braithwaite a.k.a. Ridiculous Steve is originally from Oxfordshire, England but somehow managed to find his way to Southwest Michigan of all places to bring one of his most "ridiculous" dreams to fruition. According to his website,

As a youngster, like a moth to the flame, he was attracted to all things yellow

So I guess that explains that. Or does it?

Since 2011 Steve and his Big Banana Car have traveled the country making various appearances in commercials, parades, and of course that includes stops at local ice cream shops to give free rides along the way.

Yes, free! Steve's business model is as follows: pay what works for you.

What a guy!

Exciting Update

Like many Michiganders Steve is a snowbird and typically takes off to warmer weather each winter season; you can typically spot the Banana Car in places like Texas, Florida, and Georgia this time of the year.

However, Big Banana Car fanatics were recently treated to an unexpected update on the car's official Facebook page:

Out of the blue I received a phone call from a TV producer who was going through a stack of old business cards and came across mine. We had briefly met many years earlier...Instead of throwing my card into the bin he decided to give me a call and see what I was up to. We ended up chatting for 3 hours.

...because the goal would be to promote just that. Whimsy. There are many fun people in the world doing wonderfully creative and exciting things but it all gets overshadowed by the dark and depressing news that seems to be a constant part of our lives these days.