Custom Motors
Custom Motors of Beverly Hills, California was operated by Sid Luft of Los Angeles, California. It was the famous tap dancer Eleanor Powell who got Sid in to the customizing business. Sid Luft had been her public relations man and she wanted to get him started in the customizing business. He had tried several other things, but now was concentrating on customizing Cadillacs. The first one he built was a very nice custom Cadillac, but instead of selling it he started running around with the car. Pretty soon it got used, so when Eleanor Powell came to Chicago she hired Alex Tremulis to go to California and put Sid’s business on a business basis. Alex moved to California in 1939, and they had a small little shop across the street from the Luau Restaurant in Beverly Hills. [1]
One day Roy Evans, the President of American Bantam came to the Custom Motors shop. He was looking for Alex Tremulis, and wanted him to build some glass curtains in his little Bantam Roadster. Roy wanted his car to be comfortable while driving around. Alex suggested that he could build him a convertible instead. Roy turned him down, and told him the company couldn't afford it. Alex promised to show him a cheap way to do it, and told him to give him a couple old coupe bodies. After building the car for Bantam, Alex drove it across the country to American Bantam in Butler, Pennsylvania. Alex continued to do some more design jobs for Roy. While he was busy working on these assignments he got a call from Eleanor Powell. Sid Loft had thought he could sell the last Cadillac Alex restyled for her up in San Francisco. The car had a 3 1/2 inches lowered roof, and Sid had somebody in San Francisco that was willing to pay $6,500 for the car. He had taken the car without an insurance, and eight miles out of San Francisco he went off the road at 100 miles an hour. He totaled the car, and ended his automobile business.[1]
Today, Giorgio Armani occupies the exact address on Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills.[1]
Cars Restyled by Custom Motors
Eleanor Powell's 1939 Cadillac
References
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