In 1969, the Detroit Autorama was kicked in to high gear. Larry Alexander and the “Top Banana” took home to highly sought after Ridler Award. This would end up being the third and final Ridler Award win for the Alexander Brothers and the last car they built together. This car was a great way to finish it off!

The Alexander Brothers’ shop was closed in 1969 for freeway expansion. Larry Alexander went to work for Ford Motor Company, building vehicle prototypes and Mike moved on to work for American Sunroof. Their final project was nothing short of all the others they had built, dripping with awesomeness.

Based on a 1923 Ford Model T, the Top Banana was completely disassembled. Every component on the car was refinished, painted, or replaced. A Brizo “Instant T” body was placed on the hand built frame. A Ford 289 cubic-inch V8 positioned between the wheel wells with a C4 automatic transmission. Power travelled down to a Ford 9-inch rear differential. Custom headers were built to pipe the exhaust out the back.

The headlight mounts and shock mounts were tied in through a Brizo-esque bar mount in front of the classic Model T grille. The traditional Model T headlights were ditched in favor of more compact units that help keep the T-bucket proportions inline. The car was obviously painted in a bright yellow but the details behind the sheet metal are just as important. The rear pickup bed wood floor hides a fuel tank. A clean black interior contrasts perfectly, various wood treatments were added in moderation and a simple black pinstripe was added to the exterior to bring it all together.

Chrome is abundant throughout the car, including the rear differential. The rear suspension is set up on coil springs, trailing arms and a panhard bar, providing a much smoother ride than the original leaf spring set up would have.

The Top Banana may have been their last build together but the Alexander Brothers would continue to influence the automotive world for years to come. Keep your eyes peeled for the next installment of Ridler Award Winners Through the Ages when we crack open the 70s with Jan Bergel’s “Electro Charger”. For more information on the Autorama, head over to www.autorama.com.