The 2019 Detroit Autorama is in the books, and the late Steve Barton’s 1959 Cadillac Brougham takes home the check, the jacket and the Ridler award. This custom Cadillac started its transformation 16 years ago and was ultimately finished after the owner’s death. Still, the owner’s brother Craig Barton helped the car pass the finish line, fulfilling his brother’s dream of competing for a Ridler award.
Why are the fins so small? You might be wondering. Well, this Cadillac was custom-bodied by Pininfarina. Cadillac produced only 99 examples, making the foundation for this radical custom one of the rarer starting points. While there was a good amount of Cadillac’s original design incorporated into the new shape, hardly any of it is untouched.
Built by the team at Super Rides by Jordan, the most obvious alteration is the Chevrolet Nomad roof that’s been grafted onto the Cadillac, turning it into a wagon styling experiment. The rear doors were removed, the body was shortened by over 18 inches and over 2 inches of metal was removed from the car’s side. Oh yeah, and the car was narrowed to help the Nomad top better fit the body. A custom color called “Fawntana Rose” is inspired by the similarly named Cadillac color, but is far from off the shelf. The custom bodywork is draped over a custom tube chassis, also provided by Super Rides by Jordan.
The original Cadillac engine was good enough for the debutant who ordered the car in 1959, but it’s not quite over the top enough to help it win awards. Now nestled in the engine bay is a 632 CID Chevrolet big block V8 with a pair of 88-millimeter turbochargers force-feeding its supply of air. Nelson Racing Engines is responsible for the mill — and all 1,025 hp and 950 lb-ft of torque.
As for the wild custom interior, Ron Marqus is the man responsible. Though it’s hard to see given the constraints of an indoor car show, the interior managed to incorporate the exterior styling changes while doubling down on the luxurious nature of a high-end custom car.
To take top honors, this Cadillac outshined seven other worthy would-be Ridler winners. The other Great 8 finalists were:
– The 1941 Willys built and owned by Quint Walberts, a labor of love built on nights and weekends over the span of eight years.
– The 1964 Pontiac Acadian owned by the Jadresko family. It traveled from Victoria, British Columbia, and sported a similar engine to Cadmad, also built by the team at Nelson Racing Engines.
– The 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle is a subtle yet radical custom car built by Mike Goldman customs.
– The 1932 Ford Victoria owned by Phil and Debbie Becker was built by Fast Lane Rod Shop and is an intricate blend of coachbuilding and hot rodding.
– Another prewar Ford made the running, with the 1935 Ford sedan owned by Robert and Lorna Chapman is the closest to a ‘street rod’ to make the field.
– A 1947 Ford Sedan Delivery owned by Mel Harbaugh also made the cut with its Coyote powerplant and modern interior.
– Rounding out the field was a 1969 Camaro owned by Pat and Debbie Moran that blended elements of a fifth-generation Camaro into the custom build.
Receiving the award in his brother’s honor, Craig Barton said he was simply “overwhelmed” after the award ceremony. Who wouldn't be?
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