About car puzzle #113: Zeder Z-250

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Our last mystery motor links to some well-known names. The Zeder designation comes from Fred Zeder Jr., who was the son of Chrysler’s chief engineer Fred Zeder Sr. Junior was a keen racing driver who decided, in the early 1950s, that a car of his own make - capable to beat Ferraris and Jags on road and track - was what the world needed. And while most budding designers didn’t get any further than just the plan and perhaps a drawing or two, Zeder Junior used his resources to actually build the car seen here. Under the aluminium body hides a steel space frame with truck-sourced and tuned Dodge V8, good for some 260bhp, and many more parts sourced from Dodge and Plymouth. Much of the development work is said to have been carried out in the basement of a Chrysler engineer. The sleek aluminium coupe body was the work of another Chrysler employee but was eventually build by Bertone no less. It was shown in Turin and New York and eventually went to Chrysler’s drawing office, where it was deemed too expensive and moved to the secret basement…

Plenty of you recognized it and added some detail in their answers (modified Dodge truck engine; 130mph top speed; test driven at Lingotto; later called Storm Z-250) and the people involved (Hank Kean; Eugene Cassaroll; John Butterfield; Nuccio Bertone and of course Fred Zeder senior and junior). All information readily available from the world wide web. Ace Zenek added a little bit more: “Made by Sports Car Development (SCD) Corp. which later produced the Dual Ghia (without Zeder). Survives today with a 1965 Dodge V8 engine.” Thank you Ace, that secures another win!

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