This is a rare 1953 Triumph Mayflower.  It is just begging to be claimed, brought home, given new life (and maybe a radical chop), and put back on the street.  the body, in its original style, is interesting and distinctly British, but it seems to have a real potential for a sleek street rod with those body lines.

The seller describes this car as having “razor edge” styling.  This is an apt description.  The body sides have very sharp edges, particularly on the rear fenders.  The car seems to be in good condition, but not so good that you would feel bad about practicing your radical body restyling skills.  (Of course, I am talking about my vision for this car.)  Further, the seller is only asking $875.00, so even if the project is a total failure, you aren’t out much.  Try doing that with a ’36 Ford.  (Find the ad here at ksl.com)

Ok, I’ll just lay it out on the table here.  The car has the sharp edges on the fenders, but the side slab has a great torpedo shape to it.  I am envisioning a massive alteration to the body that would make it look like a ’30s art deco streamliner.  Era tank trucks give a general idea of the shape I have in mind:

The Mayflower would be much more angular at the transitions from vertical to horizontal surfaces, but the general shape would be like the tanker above.  This sort of chop would require a few things.  First, you would have to change out that ugly grille – perhaps some sort of ’37 Studebaker facsimile.  Then, you would need to tilt back the windshield and chop it, say, four inches.  Finally, you would have to redesign the entire top and boot area.  No big deal.  Welding!

For interest’s sake, someone else did some custom body work to a Mayflower.  It turned out looking pretty good.

Let’s face it, any change to the Mayflower body is probably a good change.  In fact, James May of TV’s Top Gear had this to say about it,

“The Ford Edsel had an unfortunate nose, and the AMC Pacer had an unfortunate backside. But the Mayflower was ugly to its roots.  Look at it, if you can bear to. Its details are ugly, its overall proportions are ugly, its very concept – as a car to appeal to Americans who believed they were directly descended from the Pilgrim Fathers – makes one shudder. I’ve never driven one, but I’m fairly confident it doesn’t have an interesting personality, either.”

Well James, I must disagree.   I think its personality is a peach.  I would like to go to dinner with it, get to know it, and take a plasma torch to it.

Ads like this, for cars like this, make me realize how badly I need to expand my garage.

– Need That Car