As the custom car enthusiast and author Pat Ganahl put it, “Hot rods raced, customs cruised.” A TV built into the dashboard of a green 1956 Mercury. Robbie McClaran / Redux Pictures A sleek ...

The first hot rod for which Winfield earned national recognition was Jade Idol, a 1956 Mercury whose bodywork modifications—subtle, compared to what you’d expect from, say, one of the Barris ...

Earlier this year, a California seller put up for auction a restored 1949 Mercury hot rod that was used in the 1978 film "Grease." This is the car that Greased Lighting races at the end of the ...