Going bananas: Big Banana Car visits Bowling Green

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Picture driving down a road and catching sight of a giant piece of fruit wheeling along among the other vehicles. That’s exactly what happened this week, to the amazement and amusement of many residents and onlookers in Bowling Green.

Unique Banana on Wheels

The distinctive fruit in question is the Big Banana Car, owned by Steve Braithwaite. Braithwaite took his unique vehicle—which, to the uninitiated, resembles a giant banana on wheels—for a ride through Bowling Green, turning heads and sparking joy in equal measure.

“To my knowledge, it’s the only banana car in the world,” Braithwaite remarked. His claim is further backed by the Guinness Book of World Records which has listed the car as the world’s longest banana.

Bowling Green residents who were lucky enough to witness the banana car in action were thrilled and astonished in equal measure. The giant fruit on wheels giving rides up and down Nashville Road was quite a sight!

A Life with the Banana Car

Driving his Big Banana Car has been an integral part of Braithwaite’s life for the past decade. His unique vehicle has seen many a state, spreading happiness and intrigue among people wherever it rolls. But the idea of building a car that resembled a fruit didn’t come to him overnight.

“I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is a once-in-a-lifetime-type of thing,” exclaimed Bowling Green resident Jennifer Dotson, who had an opportunity to ride the car.

Braithwaite’s dream was always to create an extravagant car. But what form exactly it would take, lingered as a question in his mind for a while until one day, he found inspiration in an unexpected place – a gas station – in the shape of a banana.

His curiosity piqued, he picked up the banana and started visualizing it as a car. “The wheels would go there, the windshield, the bumper, the seats,” he recalls thinking as he assessed the fruit.

The Birth of the Big Banana Car

Motivated by his quirky vision, Braithwaite embarked on the journey of creating the Big Banana Car in 2009. Working primarily on Sundays and occasionally through weekdays, he gradually gave shape to his vision and two years later, converted a 1993 Ford pickup truck into the now renowned Big Banana Car.

Since its first roll on the road, the banana car has drawn smiles and giggles in many places. Bowling Green is just the latest to experience the charm of this unique vehicle.

Looking Ahead

Where will the Big Banana Car journey next? Residents of every town and city across states keep their fingers crossed, waiting to see if their roads will soon bear the tracks of this humongous piece of mobile fruit. As for Braithwaite, he seems set on continuing his adventure, spreading joy and amusing with his delightful creation.