1959 Arthur Bentas Raven

Arthur Bentas of Chelmsford, Massachusetts built a beautiful custom car during the 1950s, known as the Raven. It was built from scratch and the project actually began with a 1939 Dodge chassis and a 6-cylinder L-head engine. The windshield was also from a Dodge. The doors, hood, and front fenders were courtesy of a 1954 Kaiser. A 1952 Chevrolet hood was modified to become the trunk and was given a Lasalle tire cover. The taillight rings were from a 1950 Pontiac while the taillight lenses came from a 1956 Desoto. The hardtop and dashboard were created by hand by Arthur out of fiberglass. The rear bumper came from a Kaiser and a dual exhaust system was snaked through the bumper.

Inside, the upholstery was done in turquoise top-grain leather courtesy of dick Burgeron of Powell, Massachusetts. Under the hood was a flathead six-cylinder engine that Arthur had hoped to replace with a Mopar V8.

The completed car was finished in a deep black lacquer. The project, front start to finish, had taken nine years to complete. It was put on the show circuit and Arthur received more than 25 awards for his work. In the very early 1960s, he put the car in storage where it would remain for nearly five decades.

A new owner took possession of the car in July of 2007. At the time, it was in good condition with some deterioration but all the parts were still with the car. A full restoration began in September of 2008. The work was completed in time for the Detroit Autorama in March of 2009. Arthur Bentas was present at the unveiling. The car won the Best Custom award in 1959 at the NHRA National Championship Custom Car Show in Detroit, Michigan. The 2009 unveiling was its 50th celebration of winning this very special and coveted award. In 2009, the Raven won again, taking 1st place in the Radical Custom Convertible class.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2012