This is the 1953 Dodge Storm Zeder Z-250 by Bertone, an extremely special machine created by a man named Fred Zeder Jr., the son of Frederick Zeder of ‘The Three Musketeers’, which was a nickname to three Studebaker engineers that were hand-selected by Walter Chrysler and would later become instrumental in the founding of the Chrysler Corporation as a whole. Zeder Jr, who was both an engineer and racing driver, started his dream project by teaming up with all of the right people. First was a man named Gene Cassaroll, a racing enthusiast who helped Zeder create the Sports Car Development Corporation. Also joining the team was John Butterfield, who was one of Chrysler’s top chassis engineers at the time. Zeder had a unique idea to create a common platform that could host two separate bodies, a lightweight fiber glass body for racing, and a stylish aluminum body as well. Performance reportedly remained the same between both bodies, and they were easily swappable by way of four rubber-bushed nuts. The design of the car itself was created by another Chrysler employee, Hank Kean. During a Christmas vacation in 1952, Zeder paid a visit to Fiat in Turin, Italy where Dante Giacosa, who was the director of the engineering division, actually directed him to visit Bertone instead. Bertone accepted the project and began to construct Zeder’s dream car. Bertone changed the seating configuration from the planned 2+2 layout into a two-seater, and the car was subsequently built and shown for the first time at the 1954 Turin Auto Show, where the car took first prize. Eventually, the Z-250 was deemed too expensive to produce, and the singular concept was driven by Zeder himself for a number of years. The car was shown at the 2013 LA Auto show in a fully restored condition and is believed to be kept at the Petersen Automotive Museum current day.
How many made? 1
Engine: Dodge HEMI V8 - 250hp
Debut: 1954 Turin Auto Show
Top Speed: approximately 100mph
0-60: 7.5 seconds (claimed)
Photo Credit: @monterey_dave
Research: @rarecarsonly