Remembering the Renaissance Roadster: A Ridler Award-Winning, Coachbuilt Masterpiece

The most coveted trophy in the world of custom cars, the Ridler is a yearly award for the best custom vehicle showcased at the famous Detroit Autorama.

Officially dubbed "Don Ridler Memorial Award," the trophy honors the event's legendary promoter, Don Ridler, and was first introduced in 1964 - a year after Ridler's death.

For nearly six decades, the award was given to some of the most outstanding custom cars ever created, like the Dodge Deora pickup, the El Toro blown-HEMI-powered dragster, or Chip Foose's The Stallion.

Today, we remember one of the most exquisite, flawlessly built Ridler award winners: the 2017 Renaissance Roadster.

An ambitious project to begin with

The story of this fantastic build started when enthusiasts Nancy and Buddy Jordan from Spring Branch, Texas, traveled to Portland, Oregon, to see Steve Frisbie at Steve's Auto Restorations (SAR).

The Jordans wanted a bespoke vehicle that combined the look of a retro-modern street rod with the flawless craftsmanship usually associated with ultra-premium cars like those manufactured by Rolls-Royce.

The couple knew that SAR was a team capable of making it happen and confessed to Frisbie that the aim was to showcase the car at a future Autorama.

Frisbie showed his clients a previous hot rod build inspired by a 1933 Ford Model 40 that he created with help from a talented designer, Chris Ito, confessing that he always wondered what the car would look like with fenders.

In the following months, the Jordans, Frisbie, and Ito settled on a bespoke design centered around the idea of an elegant, fendered Model 40, but what translated exceeded the clients' expectations.

It took around 20,000 staff hours and 42 months to complete

After Ito's final design was digitally rendered, the crew at Steve's Auto Restorations began building the car.

As the name implies, the Portland-based shop specializes in restorations, but this project didn't start with an old Model 40.

Instead, Steeve Frisbie and his team chose to manufacture everything from scratch. They started with a custom chassis constructed using 1.5-inch-thick (38.1 mm) chromoly steel beams and 3/16" rolled steel sheets.

The captivating body started with wooden molds on which the team hand-formed each custom panel using steel and aluminum sheets.

Modern chassis tech and a blasphemous engine choice

The custom chassis was equipped with a fully independent suspension system designed and manufactured in-house by SAR. It employed modered components such as remote shock absorbers to deliver a smooth ride.

The braking system also comprised modern Wilwood calipers and rotors behind all four wheels, while the steering used a conventional rack-and-pinion system.

Under the exquisite scoped hood, the Renaissance Roadster hid a Chevrolet Performance 427-ci (7,0-liter) aluminum big-block V8 linked to a GM 4L60-E four-speed automatic gearbox.

The engine, capable of over 500 hp, was enhanced with a custom-built aluminum intake manifold atop which three bespoke fuel injection units were masterfully disguised using carburetor-like housings.

Painted in a unique shade of matte gold, the engine also received a custom air cleaner assembly finished in a combination of the same gold hue with the candy apple red used for the car's exterior.

Since the custom car was inspired by a Ford Model 40, Frisbie's engine choice might be considered the ultimate blasphemy. However, the builder explained that he chose the Chevy V8 simply because "it was easier to make aesthetically appealing" than a Ford unit would have been.

Completely custom inside-out

The hand-formed panels were masterfully put together, and when the car was completed, it looked more like a Rolls-Royce than a Model 40-inspired street rod.

The gorgeous body was painted candy apple red, while the fenders, skirts, and removable hardtop were finished in a eye-poping shade of metallic black.

The custom two-tone paint was complemented by a series of chrome trims, including the windshield frame, front grille, and stunning bespoke wheels adorned with hub caps featuring RR logos - similar to those found on Rolls-Royce cars.

The interior matched the exterior's level of custom-built awesomeness. The art deco-inspired dashboard came from a 1930 Nash, receiving a set of retro-style gauges from Classic Instruments, while the custom seats were upholstered in two-tone leather matching the exterior paint scheme.

Living up to its name

Once completed, the custom car debuted at the 2017 Autorama in Detroit. Though Frisbie and his talented team didn't aim to build an award-winning car, the Renaissance Roadster was crowned the best car of the show, earning the prestigious Ridler trophy.

But that wasn't the only silverware the amazing one-off would receive. That year, it racked up a series of awards, including the Goodguys Hot Rod of the Year.

The word "renaissance" describes the rebirth of culture and style. It's often attributed to the era between the 14th and 16th centuries when the classic European art and literature models were revived.

With this incredible build, Chris Ito and the crew at Steve's Auto Restorations managed to revive and give a modern twist to the timeless design of the Ford Model 40.

The Renaissance Roadster is a true work of automotive art that takes the notion of a street rod breathtakingly close to coachbuilding perfection.

For a virtual tour of this award-winning beauty and a comprehensive interview with Steve Frisbie, we recommend the YouTube video below by Rides Done Right.