Last Updated on August 23, 2022 by

An Introduction to Clown Cars
Clown cars are one of the props utilized by clowns in their circus clown traditions.
People who have been to the circus will see the renowned clown car and understand what it is. The process, which entails a ridiculously enormous number of clowns coming from a single, small automobile. Although the clowns in the circus do a variety of other amusing acts, nothing beats their famous automobile performance.
People all around the globe wonder how they pull off this trick and the secret behind it. In this article, we will tell you all about the iconic clown car, how so many clowns fit into it, and some interesting facts. Let’s get started!
What’s the Trick Behind the Clown Car Performance
Everyone who has seen the seemingly infinite number of clowns emerge from the tiny exit of the clown car would undoubtedly believe that there is a concealed access door under the automobile.
You might wonder what actual tactic is being used to create this utterly ridiculous effect.
The answer is so simple: all the car’s interior surfaces are entirely removed.
The individuals who create these types of vehicles would strip the car of all its internal components such as all the chairs, door panels, headliners, and any internal barricades.
After all of the internal elements of the automobile have been removed, the car now offers plenty of room within it so that clowns can fill the whole area of the car as much as possible.
The automobile’s windows are also tinted, and the driver sits on a milk crate while the passengers are crammed into this little decorated car. They snuggle up to increase the area inside the car so that they can save space and fit more clowns.
Exiting The Clown Car
The automobile then begins to move, and when it comes to a complete halt, the show begins in which the clowns begin to appear from the car in a way that amuses the audience and they proceed to laugh. They are able to roll out of the car one at a time because the small car does not contain any other materials or structure. This is how the clown car trick works: simple, effective and perhaps mind boggling.
How Does Such a Small Car Work?
Some people believe that the vehicle used in this trick is a specially customized vehicle designed with features that make it appear smaller than it is. However, this is not at all true. The majority of clown cars are decorated production vehicles such as Volkswagen Beetles, MINI Coopers, and FIATs. While they are small cars, the trick is not one of optical illusion.
How Many Clowns Can Fit Inside a Clown Car?
It would be interesting to know how many clowns can fit inside such a little automobile. A simple volumetric analysis can help provide us with an estimate. An ASC’s (American Standard Clown) height and weight are 5 feet 8 inches and 158 pounds.
According to these measurements, a clown would take up about three cubic feet of free space inside the automobile. The clown automobile would have a total volume of up to 120 cubic feet available, which means that 40 clowns could theoretically fit inside. However, research shows that only fourteen to twenty-one clowns can usually fit into the automobile for a variety of reasons, including:
- People inside the automobile will require some breathing room
- The clowns’ use of props
- The clowns’ rapid time to exit from the automobile
A Little History About Clown Cars and Their Iconic Performance
Lou Jacob, of the Ringling Bros Circus, popularized his version of the clown car prank in the 1950s. For over 60 years, he provided the audience with hilarity by fitting his 6-foot frame into a custom 23-inch tall vehicle during his solo acts, rather than stuffing clowns along with him. He also created his automobile with a washing machine motor which is currently on display at the Ringling Brothers Circus Museum in Sarasota, Florida. This circus is often regarded as one of the most renowned throughout the world.
In the French town of Castries in 2013, a group of 31 clowns crammed themselves into a Citroen 2CV vehicle to set a world record. The Citroen2CV was manufactured from 1949 to 1990 and was exclusively sold in Europe. An automobile named Peggy is known as the “King of Clown Cars,” and it was initially manufactured in Lawrence, Indiana. This information was discovered in a journalistic photo shoot on September 26, 1939, at an American Legion convention march in Chicago the same year.
Clown Car Summary
Here is all you need to know about clown cars. Now that we’ve told you the secret of clown cars and how they do the iconic clown performance, you no longer need to wonder how so many clowns fit in the tiny car. The clown car was and will always remain an iconic circus prop.
Not just in the circus, but this sort of automobile is frequently utilized as a comic joke in numerous films with one clown car appearing prominently in Mel Brooks’ adaptation of the film To Be or Not to Be. As a result, this classic circus clown prop has also been adopted in the film business to delight the audience as it provides tremendous excitement when watching clown vehicles.