I have been looking for pictures of this custom car built by the Alexander Brothers. I'am not even sure if it was ever finished but I believe it was at least photographed completed but in primer. The car is based on a sectioned four door 55 Ford of which the wheel base was shortened. The rear quarters are from a Pontiac. I believe the design sketches where made by Harry Bradley. Doe anybody here have ano more info on this custom, and perhaps more photo's of it. I would really appreciate it.
I don't know anything about the car sorry, but if that's the engine for it in the background on the stand, that's an FE series Ford engine. Based on what I see with the surge tank, tri-power, and valvecover design that's either a 390HP or a 406. Sweet!
oh man . what a waste . that thing looked cool as hell .....anyone have any more pix or details on the car ?
That would be really great if you could 40 Panel 348. Man what a shame if that car got crushed!!!!. That is just something I cannot believe. I also read in one of the Barris books where they sectioned a Shoebox Ford that the owner lost interest and it sat at the shop for years after they sectioned it... and in the end they just had it crushed... why???? Put so much work inot a project, soemthign like this Alexandria... and nobody is interested in finishing it???? man what a shame. I know somebody who said he saw a photo of it in a magazine where it was more finished than in these photo's. It looked to be in primer? But unfortunately he is unable to find the photo. Hope we hear more about this custom soon. Thank you.
Back in the late 60's, when I was travelling with a custom car show promoter, we had a '65 or '66 Ford convertible that had a Carson top (w/landau arms) that was built by the Alexander brothers as a concept car for Ford Motor Co. Ask them if they remember that car. I'd like to know where it ended up.
Hey, That sectioned Shoebox you speak of was featured, in the background, of many Barris shop photos of the time. The owner quit paying and the job just stopped. I beleve it was scrapped, along with many others after the shop fire. Perhaps, the Alexandria suffered much the same fate?
Somebody should re create/build that car NOW......it would be Killer!-Id be game ....... 56 Ford or Mercury?
If I was doing the car in the drawing I'd start with a '61 or '62 Pontiac, since most of it is anyway. Possibly a two door "flat roof" and shorten the roof to '59-'60 El Camino roof length. Yea, I wouldn't do that B pillar that gets lost in the 1/4 panel. It just doesn't flow well for me. But if ya like the roof in the picture, start with a '68 El Camino that's already got that roof done and graft on the Pontiac 1/4's and door skins. Use Ventura/Catalina 1/4's because they're shorter than Bonneville and will be easier to fit to the mid size El Camino. Then I'd work in some '61 Continental fenders with a mid to late 60's Buick hood for those "W" peaks at the front. A Skylark hood might just bolt on the El Camino based version.
An exact Clone copy would be the only way to build this car,In My Opinion....-JUST do the research and use the same exact parts.......I don't think One could ever get it even close to"right" using any potpouri collection of available lookalike parts. the frame cowl firewall and windshield appears to be some of the '56 Ford parts.......
Weren't they working with an obviuosly incomplete Potpouri of available parts? And from any picture of it I've seen, which is pretty much just the ones posted, they hadn't figured out the hood and front end of it yet, so what parts do you decide are the correct exact clone parts? Maybe that's why it never got finished. They did quit on it you know... Maybe it flat didn't work trying to get that angular front end look out of those round Ford fenders. Maybe if they continued, some of the parts in the picture would have had to have been replaced with others or changed in shape so mudh they may as well have. The leading edge of the fender in the drawing looks a lot more like a '61 Lincoln than it does a '56 Ford headlight bucket... So making YOUR copy, work in a mid 50's wrap around windshield from whatever fits best, if that's what you want. I think an angled back A pillar would compliment an angled forward B pillar better than the visual flow stopping verticle pillar. I have yet to see a custom that exactly duplicates the original concept drawing in every detail and line anyway so, like the designer of the Hybrid three Female 5% crash test dummy said to me when I asked him how I was to model the two non-intersecting radii on it's butt, he said "Interpret the drawing!" ...Just my opinion too, obviously. Not trying to argue about it, just expanding on and giving some reasons for what I said earlier. If the car had ever been finished, I'd totally agree with you on using all the same parts on a clone of the A Bro's car, but the A Bro's car never became the car in the drawing.
DrJ- although it seems we drifted a page apart in opinion -I think we are on the same page on this car.......The DRAWING is where I would decide[IF DONE] what parts were to be used.......You know-Build a clone concieved FROM THE CONCEPT DRAWINGS. Nothing there I cant make -whether it exists on another donor vehicle or not. It might take an ambitious customer to make it happen though. CAN ANYONE PLACE THE START-BUILD OF THIS CAR TO AN APPROXIMATE TIMEFRAME OR DATE?? I ~AM~ thinking about this, so Thanks for the input.
Unfortunately that was also the fate of the original "Adonis" '60 Ford Starliner, but John Schleicher has fixed all of that with his amazing clone, which, in my book is as good as having the real thing back with us!
I have found one more photo of the Alexcandria.... Anybody knows any more about this missing custom by now?
Hi Rickster- Glad you posted this- I was just thinking yesterday of this car and its fate... Plus,I had NEVER seen the tail end of this car...THAT REALLY HELPS ME. I am still not free from this car haunting my thoughts.... I can't say I'll build it, but its STILL regularly ,on my mind.......
I also would like to see someone do a clone. To bad the original was crushed and not stuck in a barn for one of us to find.
It's crazy, I was just reading the R&C with that interview in it at lunch yesterday. I too was wondering what ever bacame of it. I guess we know!
If I were to ever attempt to build a clone of this car -I would not use the 55 56 Ford as the base platform at all... There is nothing there remotely advantageous, chassis wise to make me lean in that direction.... I would however stick with the 56 W/S and its opening for it's continuity of the orig design..... [[[[[The roof in that last picture is either *before* the "sail panels" were added -OR- an entirely different proposal for the roof altogether......]]]]] A better choice for the platform would be the [qtr panel's donor Pontiac]- or even a newer,better equipped GM car's frame and floor . I wonder what the plans were for the two openings at roofs rear edge.....also were the tail lite holes for taillites or tailpipes as well? A tailgate would be a definite must, in addition to an OEM looking, ribbed "bed floor".
I find it amazing how much like a 68-72 elcamino the 3rd pic looks. and when was that pic taken 64? 4 years before gm mass produced it? the concept would make sense if it was a harry bradley drawing, because I am pretty sure he was instrumental with that B pillar elcamino design before he left gm for mattel. he had designed a hot wheel "custom fleetside" that reminds me of the concept pics.
Great video IrishHills. My kind of guys and being an East Coaster I can relate to the rust factor. I will say Alexandia was one of my inspirations when I designed my 56 ElCamino that I will be driving to Michigan again this year during the week of the Woodward Dream Cruise. Spotted something else in the video that I actually did several years ago. They had a 58 Chevy with a 54 Chevy grille. Great look and I know I got a lot of nice compliments on mine.
Man I love this place, always learning something new! That is one sweet looking custom, so very sad that it went to the crusher eventually. A clone would be nice to see, I think I may just be a little biased toward the 'Ute' style. Doc.
Mike died last Friday... RIP Alexander, Michael P. Age 80 of Grosse Ile. Born August 29, 1933 in Detroit Michigan and died July 18, 2014. Beloved husband of 58 years of Elaine. Loving father of Kim Alexander, Mickey (Jim) Stratton, Michael (Gabrielle) and the late Stacie Fallon. Father-In-Law to Dan Fallon. Proud grandfather of Courtney (Steve), Steph, Dan, Shannon, Michael, Lauren, Desiree, Sydney, Dylan, Riley, Emily, Patrick and Peter. Also survived by other... http://martenson.tributes.com/obituary/show/Michael-P.-Alexander-101530894
When I was 16 in 1956 I pumped gas at Ed's Mobil on Warren and Telegraph in Dearborn Twp. (not too far from the A-Bros) There was a guy that came in the station all the time that had a 52 Ford convertible done by the A-Bros. It was pearl white and all chrome, hubcaps, dash, inside the instruments and everything silver on a 52 was plated gold. White chopped top and at the time was supposed to be the only chopped vert that folded and operated. He also stored the car at Ed's and had a new black 56 Caddy with trunk/hood leaded, had duels with glass pacs and bubble skirts. He would drop off the Caddy and drive the 52 Ford on occasions. He liked the new mechanic that Ed hired that had serviced his cars at another station. We were always curious about the guy and one day Ed followed him south down Telegraph, were he stopped at another station, went in the restroom with a suitcase and came out with a priest outfit on. Come to find out he was a priest in Toledo. Probably more information that anyone needed but wondered what happened to that car.
Sounds like you are talking about Father Larry Ernst, who was a Catholic priest from that area. He had a nice early Bel Air hardtop that was chopped by the Barris Brothers, when new, amongst other custom cars he owned.