What’s Behind Wes Rydell’s Trove of Classic Car Trophies: The Love of Auto Design
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Wes Rydell
Wes Rydell, a car dealer based in North Dakota, has an impressive record of winning trophies for the classic cars in his collection. His string of victories dates back to the 1935 Chevy Grand Sedan he commissioned Chip Foose - opens in new window or tab. to build for him in 2002. That car earned the legendary Mr. Foose the first of his four Ridler Awards - opens in new window or tab. at the Detroit Autorama.
A few weeks ago, eBay Motors caught up with Rydell at the Goodguys Southwest Nationals in Scottsdale, Ariz. That’s where he was showed off an extraordinary 1940 Oldsmobile that employs subtle touches such as the removal of the wing windows, a wedge-cut hood, and elevated rear fenders. A Chevy LS3 racing crate engine - opens in new window or tab. powers the car, but it was tweaked to look like a 1950 Olds Rocket engine - opens in new window or tab.. The interior is a multigenerational mashup of a 1949 Cadillac dash and 2005 Cadillac bucket seats.
Rydell's 1935 Chevy Phaeton earned the 2015 award as America's Most Beautiful Roadster.
The four-door Olds Series 90—built by Troy Trepanier of Rad Rides in Manteno, Ill.—won the Goodguys Street Rod d’Elegance of the Year award. Like Rydell, the mechanics and fabricators at Rad Rides take a “nothing is impossible” approach to custom builds.
Rydell has a well-earned reputation for his ambitious projects, such as the 1935 Chevy Phaeton - opens in new window or tab. that earned the 2015 award as America's Most Beautiful Roadster at the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, Calif. It was the first Chevy to ever win the prestigious award.
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Rydell told us that his dream of building custom classics was decades in the making—until the 1990s when he made it happen. It took six years to create the 1935 Chevy that won the Ridler. “I better get some help,” he said, as he embarked upon multiple projects. He still owns 10 of his completed cars, using his shop in North Dakota for storage and upkeep. That’s where you will also find 40 so-called project cars in the making.
The 1940 Oldsmobile, which he named “Agnes” after the original owner, is a prime example of how Rydell’s collection continues to grow. He bought it sight unseen about a decade ago—and then the car sat in his shop. During that time, he pondered ideas for transforming the Olds with the C-body platform (used by General Motors vehicles from 1936 to 1984). Then, three years ago, he got started on it—working with Pinkee’s Rod Shop in Windsor, Co. and Trepanier’s shop in Illinois.
Projects like restoring the ’40 Olds might result in trophies—but that’s hardly the point for Rydell. For him, it’s all about his great eye for design details, his love of cars, and his desire to share his enthusiasm with as many people as possible. He’s happy to let anybody sit inside or look under the hood. And ultimately, his zeal for beautiful automobiles means putting his creations on the road. Rydell has put nearly 10,000 miles on the restored Olds since it was restored in the fall.
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