Solved NIC#383 - Ford Ardun Special Roadster

[nicanary]

I have a feeling that this has been here before, but I can't find it with a search.

What is this car?

[nicanary]

Experts?

[datsone]

Yes, seems like it was here but maybe it's because it got auction attention in recent years. It's the '32 Ford Ardun Special inspired by oval-track roadsters. Flathead 296 Mercury (corrected), Borrani wire wheels, aluminum bodywork by Tom Kinney.

[nicanary]

Yes, seems like it was here but maybe it's because it got auction attention in recent years. It's the '32 Ford Ardun Special inspired by oval-track roadsters. Flathead 289, Borrani wire wheels, aluminum bodywork by Tom Kinney.

That's good enough for the point. It's based on a '32 Ford but completed in 1999. According to my source the power was a 1953 Mercury 296ci.

Lovely looking thing.

[nicanary]

A front view.

[streamliner]

The beginning for this car was a drawing of a Mercury roadster by Alex Tremulis (of Duesenberg, Tucker, Ford fame) in 1949.  He later gave the rendering to Vic Hickey, the off-road master.  Tremulis had done plenty of work for Hickey, including the stripes on James Garner's Grabber 442's.  Ray Kinney also ran in these same circles with Hickey and Tremulis and later decided to build the roadster in the drawing that Tremulis dedicated to Hickey. Great history goes with this one...