For Sale: 1957 Buick Century in Auburn, Indiana

Built by Famed Customizer Rick Dore

Rick Dore's first true radical custom show car
Most Radical Custom at the Oakland Roadster Show
Ultra-comfy two-tone white and wine-red leather seats
Guaranteed to garner attention everywhere it goes
Featured in magazines and articles throughout the globe


Known as one of the best when it comes to applying his visions and skills to custom built cars, Rick Dore has crafted some of the most respected one-off customs in the world and has effortlessly built a worldwide reputation. For Rick, this 1957 Buick Century known as "Lavender Persuasion" is not just another one of his custom builds, as this one has more meaning to it than most because it was his first ultra-one-off custom he created. The vision and first steps for this custom all started in 1983 when he was driving down Bell Road in Phoenix, Arizona when a chopped '50 Mercury pulled up beside him at a stoplight. It was painted pearl white with the word 'memories' painted in midnight blue on the rear panel, the door handles had been removed and the body was altered; Rick was instantly hooked and had to figure out more about it. Dore tired everything to get the guy's attention, following him down the road waving and honking at him to pull over so they could talk about the car, but the driver never looked over and Dore was left with many unanswered questions. Still mesmerized by the car that would change his life, he knew he had to make a custom car of his own, so he eventually bought a 1957 Buick in 1989, and, with the help of some friends, they completely rebuilt the car and named it "Lavender Persuasion".

Offered here is the car that started it all and completely changed Rick Dore's life; this radical one-off custom 1957 Buick Century known as "Lavender Persuasion". After a great deal of time planning and assembling the right team, the first of many steps was taken by bringing the stock car to Jim Gebhart in Phoenix, Arizona for body modifications. They started by chopping the top three whole inches, which wasn't easy to do with a panorama windshield, Dore even recalls going through eight different windshields because they kept breaking trying to get the perfect fit. The front and rear corners were rounded, and the body was nosed, decked, and shaved of its door handles to achieve a cleaner appearance. 1956 Packard taillights were frenched to the Buick's fenders and the headlights were extended with Jaguar headlight rings frenched to them as well. The frame was cut by the firewall and a front clip was equipped in preparation for the larger engine that would be used as the lifeline of the build.

Once the bodywork was completed, the one-of-a-kind custom was sent to Squeeg's Kustoms in Chandler, Arizona to be prepped and painted. The outcome was a show-stopping two-tone color scheme of candy and pearl lavender, a color that really made the new body modifications pop from all angles. For the interior, Rick knew it had to be the highest quality and follow suit to the rest of the build, so he turned to his good friend and upholstery whiz Eddie Salcido of Tucson, Arizona. Salcido removed four seats from an old T-Bird and reupholstered them with ultra-comfy foam and leather material. The seats were stitched in an elegant two-tone white and wine-red leather that really draws one's attention to the interior. Dore wanted to keep the interior unique, so they hand painted the center console, a feature that Dore said was not usually seen in those days.

The car made its first public car show debut in 1993 at the Oakland Roadster Show, now known as the Grand National Roadster Show. With over 500 vehicles entered, ""Lavender Persuasion"" drove away with a first place finish for Best Radical Custom. Dore said, "The car was a hit. It ended up on the cover of a number of magazines, won first place at Grand Nationals, and I loved it. I was bit by the custom bug. The car got a lot of attention everywhere it went, and along with that, so did I." Dore kept the car until 1995 when he decided to sell it to work on his next creation known as "Breathless". He sold it to a prominent car collector couple located in Pennsylvania where they proudly displayed it in their climate-controlled space. Sometime after, Dore decided it was time to bring it back home and acquired it back from the couple, citing that the car was in just as good or even better shape from when he first sold it to them.

This past April, at the Auburn Spring Auction, Kruse Auctions sold Rick Dore's crowning and final custom creation, known as "Pantheon", putting an end to his incredible custom career. ""Lavender Persuasion"" presents not only as a truly rare opportunity to acquire an award-winning custom, but also to acquire the one that started the career of one the most well-known custom car builders in the world.