Mitt Romney Ordered $55,000 'Phantom Park' Car Elevator, Designer Says
The man designing a custom car elevator for Mitt Romney's La Jolla, Calif., home said the Republican presidential candidate has ordered the "Phantom Park" model - the same one installed in the homes of actor Harrison Ford and singer Britney Spears.
"It's exactly what he's getting," Brad Davies, who owns American Custom Lifts in downtown Escondido, Calif., said in an interview with ABC News' San Diego affiliate, KGTV. "For the cost of the lift, delivery and installed, it's about $55,000."
The company's website describes the elevator as a "dream for auto aficionados who like to maintain a hands-on relationship with their machines."
Davies said he has created and installed the system in several other homes in the area.
It's billed as a "smart solution" for property owners seeking a "safe and affordable parking space," particularly in neighborhoods where narrow streets make parking difficult. Company video clips obtained by KGTV offer a glimpse of the elevators in operation.
Romney's car elevator will raise and lower his vehicles to a 3,600-square-foot basement garage, according to public plans for a pending remodel of the home. Construction on the projects has been put on hold until after the November election, the Romney campaign has said.
ABC News visited the Romneys' luxurious southern California retreat earlier this year and reported on the planned expansion, as well as how Democrats intend to use it against Romney heading into the fall.
Liberal advocacy group Americans United for Change today circulated KGTV's report as "must-see TV." They and other allies of President Obama have been working to portray Romney as out of touch with middle-class Americans.
The Romney campaign has defended the elevator, saying they are common fixtures in the area because of space constraints.
You can watch KGTV's report HERE.
ABC News' Michael Falcone and Emily Friedman contributed to this report.