It started off as a 1950 Buick Sedanette.
The builder (don't know his name) went through great leanths to surgically implant a cowl, dash, and windshield from a '55 Buick.
The giant fins appear to be hand made.
Front and rear bumpers have been made by chopping up sections of other bumpers. "Bobbing" them in a way.
The tail lights are '55 Ford and the headlight trim and surrounding fender area is from a '56 Lincoln.
The side chrome is '53 or so Buick.
Unfourtunately my old '70s book makes no mention of the builder.
Added info found on the 'puter.
Owned and built by Bob Metz of Shelbyville Indiana, it's reffered to as XM105
Plymouth front fender sections were grafted onto the Buick fenders.
The exh. is routed through the tail lights.
2 halves of a '35 Chev grill were mounted horizontally.
{The body was sectioned 5" and the top was whacked 3". The Body was channeled over the frame 6", giving the overall hieght of the car to be 4 1/2 feet. (I have my doubts of the accuracy of al of this)}.
It was chosen by the readers of Motor Life Magazine in '57 as custom of the year. It was also in the H.G. Wells movie The Time Machine from 1960.