Author: Ken Gross

Ken Gross is a Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Chief Class Judge and a founding member of the International Chief Judges’ Advisory Group (ICJAG). He served as Executive Director of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, and his 15 critically acclaimed auto exhibitions have drawn record crowds at major fine-art museums nationwide. The author of 25 books, Ken has been contributing to SCM for more than three decades.

1936 Ford Model 68 Deluxe Phaeton

• Original steel body sectioned 2½ inches, top chopped two inches • 427-ci Dart Ford V8 with Kinsler Fuel Injection • Heidts’ IFS with Corvette C5 disc brakes • C5 Corvette IRS and disc brakes with Winters quick-change • Goodguys finalist for “America’s Most Beautiful Street Rod”

1955 Ford “Glass Wonder” show car

This one-off hand-laid-fiberglass-bodied special was located in 2003 in partially restored condition. Built in California on a 1933 Ford chassis (and titled as a 1933 Ford, despite the “1955” catalog designation), it’s powered by a 1942 59L Ford flathead V8, with a ’39 Ford 3-speed manual floor-shift transmission. The engine […]

1940 Mercury Custom

 • One of the very first California customs • Built in 1940 by Charles Marr and Gerry Huth • Owned for four decades by Carl Morton • Equipped with the best speed equipment and trim of the period This Mercury is a work of art and one of the earliest, […]

1929 Ford Dick Flint Roadster

• 1952 Hot Rod magazine cover car • Clocked at 143.54 mph at El Mirage dry lake • Class winner at the Grand National Roadster Show • First in Class and Dean Batchelor Award at the 1999 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Dick Flint and a friend stop at a crosswalk, […]

1936 Ford Model 48 roadster

• A period all-steel Ford hot rod • Well-known car from the Pacific Northwest hot-rod scene • Striking color combination of Cadillac Ivory over dark green • Beautifully presented throughout • A usable hot rod for cruise nights or local shows

1933 Ford Woodie Custom “Coupe”

Six figures worth of fun? Starting with a Squeeg’s Kustoms concept and a Jimmy Smith rendering, this woodie was built from the ground up with a ’33 Ford roadster cowl from Steve’s Auto Restorations, custom SAC frame rails (patterned from the Vern Luce 3-window coupe by the late Boyd Coddington), […]

1955 Lincoln Capri Custom “Mucha Muchacha”

“Mucha Muchacha” is a fantastic cruiser that runs and drives well. The first known ’55 Lincoln chopped radical custom, it looks as perfect as when it was finished in 2009. It was built by some of the best contemporary custom practitioners, including John Aiello, Bob Divine, Ferby Miguel and Alex […]

1932 Ford “Golden Rod” Roadster

This little roadster was built in 1953 by Jack Lentz after he returned from service in Korea. “I built a new auto body shop in Bedford, New Jersey,” Lentz recalled. “I liked the ‘Deuce’ Fords. There was a guy in the next town with one. I made a deal with […]

1966 Batmobile

The 1966 Batmobile by George Barris is the most recognized car in entertainment history. This vehicle marks a time in television history where the car became the star. Still as beautiful as when it first came out of the paint shop, this former 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car has been […]