This
1952 Buick Riviera, nicknamed "Bombshell Betty", is a six time land
speed world record holder that costs as much right now as a 2016 Porsche 911
Turbo S.
But
hey, it's not everyday you get to own such a unique automobile, and this 1952
Buick is the type of car that can be worth a whole
lot to certain collectors - which should head on over to Dupont Registry and
check out the listing, if they're interested.
The
reason why it's hard to call Bombshell Betty a Buick anymore is because there
are many other parts from several other cars present underneath. For example,
it's got the race harmonic balancer from an Oldsmobile, the dynamic front end
from a 1968 Chevy Van while the rear is from a 1973 Ford Thunderbird. Under the
hood, you're looking at a 340 HP 5.2-liter unit sourced from a 1950 Buick
Roadmaster.
Overall, the car has been "totally
Frankensteined to resemble something out of a Mad Max film". Betty also
comes with an early 60's Borg Warner T-10 manual four-speed transmission. Its
clutch and brake hydraulics come courtesy of Wilwood, while the
Competition/Plus shifter is made by Hurst.
Also,
if you're wondering how the car got its classic comic book Gotham City-style
look, it's because Jeff Brock (the engineer behind this project) took the roof
off and lowered it by 8".
Bombshell
Betty won its first competition in 2009 at the Bonneville Nationals Speed Week
by nailing an impressive 130.838 mph (210.5 km/h) run in the special XO/GCC
class (vintage engines). In its last run at Bonneville in 2013, Betty topped
out at no fewer than 165.735 mph (266.7 km/h).
