TIME AND TREASURE

THE BRESNAHAN FAMILY AND SOUTHERN COMFORT CUSTOMS FIGURED OUT HOW TO REIMAGINE A CLASSIC 1955 NOMAD AND TAKE HOME THE 2025 RIDLER AWARD!

- STEVEN RUPP

Wanting and doing are two very different things in life. Sure, you can want to be an Olympic athlete, but do you have the will to push yourself to that outcome? Wants are easy. Getting there is hard. And taking home a Ridler Award comes down to pushing yourself in terms of talent and treasure to build something that stands out among other builds crafted by people who want the same thing you do: to win. For those out of the loop, the Ridler Award started in 1964 at the Detroit Autorama to honor Don Ridler, who died in 1963 and was known for his unbridled creativity. Since its inception, the award has arguably become the top custom car award on the planet.

If you want to win a Ridler Award, you need a plan, and because building a car to this extreme level can take years, it can't be a plan based on fads that come and go. In a world where “that’s been done before” is common, the big challenge is coming up with a fresh take, especially when dealing with something as iconic as this 1955 Chevy Nomad, dubbed Gray Madder, that snatched up the Ridler Award for 2025.

Like most things, this journey to a Ridler trophy started with a want. “The Ridler was something that I would read about and see year after year,” owner Tom Bresnahan explained to HOT ROD. “I really admired the builders and owners who won this award. I could appreciate what It took for them to achieve this level. Over time, I began to think if I could really do this as well?” Turned out Tom had a 1955 Nomad at Southern Comfort Customs being built as a cruiser for Christy, his wife, and after consulting with shop owner Jeff Shores, the team decided to shift into high gear and go for the Ridler.