Ridler Award Winner 2023 Features Wilwood Brakes

The best builders prefer Wilwood brakes, which is why, in 2023, both the Grand National Roadster Show America's Most Beautiful Roadster and the Detroit Autorama Ridler Award Winner presented by Meguiar's both feature our brakes. The 1950 Mercury custom dubbed "Maximus" was built by the same shop that created last year's winner, Pro-Comp Custom out of Pittsburg, PA, commissioned by Luigi De Riggi of Falls River, N.J. Mr. De Riggi was inspired by the Sylvester Stallone action movie "Cobra," which featured Sly fighting crime while driving a chopped-top Mercury lead sled custom, but it was nowhere near as well done as this one.

Providing the foundation for this sweet candy root beer metallic masterpiece is a chassis from Art Morrison, with airbags to allow it to cruise slow and low. However, if the need for speed arises, the suspension can do the same, and the Ford Coyote motor under the hood will provide the thrust. A Winters quick change differential lends this custom cruiser some hot rod street cred.
Also helping to tip this Mercury more towards the hot rod side is the Borla injection, with eight individual velocity stacks pointing straight at the intake valves. Custom bent headers and exhaust get rid of spent gasses in a hurry and let everyone know you are coming. The crowning detail of the powertrain are the custom "Mercury" script valve covers; color matched to the paint scheme.
Custom bodywork abounds, but it is all so well-finished and integrated it is hard to put your finger on it. Obviously, the top has been chopped by several inches. Every panel has been tucked and smoothed. Custom bumpers and a grille were fabricated, with modern headlights frenched into the fenders. All the trim was shaved, and an airbrushed repeating geometric applied, subtlety, from the doors back to the taillights.
The interior also carries the paint scheme through it, on the doors, custom dash, and custom fabricated center console. Contrasting with the darker brown is warm, soft butterscotch-colored leather and carpet. Four matching bucket seats give you a comfortable place to pass the time while cruising and enough support to straighten some curves.
The wheels are a large open, multi-spoke design by Chris Boyd and were custom-made just for this build. Behind them, you can see Wilwood's polished Superlite calipers, which are available off-the-shelf. The rotors are also from Wilwood but have been finished to a show car level of mirror-like shine, only possible on a car that won't be driven. Hopefully, Mr. De Riggi has a set of standard rotors that can be swapped on for cruising to the Jersey Shore.

Images courtesy of Meguiar's Facebook page