The Victorian

Here it is, one of my Top 10 Favorite Customs of all time, The Victorian.

Built over a 2 year period by the amazingly talented Alexander Bros of Detroit for Sy Gregorich, the first version of the car began taking shape in 1957 and was completed in 1959. Starting off with a stock (and almost new) 1955 Ford Crown Victoria, the A-Bros molded in '53 Studebaker pans front and rear. '55 Oldsmobile headlight trim was added and a chromed mesh grill was set behind the narrowed '59 Chevy front bumper, while a pancaked and louvered hood with rounded corners completed the front end. Around back, they frenched in '55 Mercury station wagon tail lights, and chrome side-pipes were molded into the rocker panels. The door handles and superfluous trim were removed to give the rest of the body a clean, un-cluttered appearance. The car was then finished in a brilliant pearl white with subtle, understated candy red scallops.

The car didn't stay in this form for long, eventually evolving (as was normal for show cars in those days), including several wheel/hubcap/tire combos and at least one new interior. The stock trim was replaced with modified trim from a '57 Ford and a tasty candy red paint job was applied.

To me, this car is pure, functional art. One of the most perfect Customs to ever hit the show circuit. Just how much time the car saw on the street is unknown to me. Much respect to Mike and Larry (RIP) Alexander for their impeccable taste, style, craftsmanship and trend-setting forward thinking.

For comparisons sake, first I'll show you a few stock, un-molested '55 Crown Vic's:

 

Here's the finished car:

Sy eventually sold The Victorian and it was shown by its' new owner for a while before falling off the face of the earth. Pictures of The Victorian have surfaced in the last few years, showing its' dilapidated condition. Rumors have been circulating about it's restoration, but as of this writing, I have yet to come across any current news regarding this amazing Custom.