RESTORING CARS FOR ROBERT DOWNEY JR.
My father worked at a Chevrolet dealership. I could name every car on the road when I was five. In high school, cars represented freedom—it was a big thing. But I really love the design aspect. Around 50 or 60 years ago, they were making the coolest, most stunning cars. These things were works of art.
I started a little business in high school: buying cars in the $50 to $200 range from the pennysaver, fixing them up, and selling them. I began collecting cars about 20 years ago, and founded my current business, Dream Car Restorations/CMC Motors, on Long Island about 10 years ago.
In the summer of 2020, Robert Downey Jr. approached me because he wanted to modify his vintage cars in an eco-friendly way and give them away as part of a paid sweepstakes benefiting the FootPrint Coalition [which promotes technology solutions for a greener future; Downey is a co-founder].
I suggested doing a TV series to support the sweepstakes, and that’s how Downey’s Dream Cars came together. I’m the co-host of the show, and in each episode we focus on modifying one car from Downey’s collection in a sustainable way. We customized a 1965 Corvette with mushroom leather that feels like regular leather. For a 1969 Mercedes—his mom’s car—we put in a suede-like interior made from recycled plastic bottles. Either I take the car to my shop for modifications, or I connect him with another expert who can help with the specific modifications we’re looking for. It was challenging but very rewarding to modify these unique, classic vehicles and make them eco-friendly.
Hot-rodding has always been about choice. If there’s a way to make a car more sustainable and get rid of waste, why not do that?
Mazzilli is co-owner of Gotham Comedy Club and executive producer and co-host of Downey’s Dream Cars, which won a 2024 Daytime Emmy in the Lifestyle Program category.