A Cadillac owned by late wrestler Giant Baba was unveiled to the public on Wednesday in his hometown of Sanjo, Niigata Prefecture.
The company that manages Baba's portrait rights and other licensing donated the car to the city on Tuesday in a bid to keep the brawler's achievements in the public eye.
The 5.8-meter-long, 2.03-meter-wide white Cadillac, made in 1976, was Baba's "last beloved wheels." Baba, whose real name was Shohei Baba, died in 1999. He used to drive the Caddy in Hawaii where he had a vacation house.
Bruno Sammartino, a rival wrestler nicknamed the "human power station" and a close friend of Baba, once gave him one of the cars, saying, "It suits your frame." After that, Baba -- who was 2.09 meters tall -- continued to drive the same model in the same color.
"I want this car to serve as a catalyst for people to get to know Baba better," said Kimitoshi Ogata, the president of the management company. "He used to love driving this car to go shopping with his wife or to the golf course."
Until the Sanjo city government prepares an exhibition space, the Cadillac will be on display at Suwada Blacksmith Works, Inc., a company known for high-quality cutting tools based in the Koanji area of Sanjo. Suwada Blacksmith Works' president is a wrestling fan.
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