El Matador

Classification: Custom
Constructed by: Mr. Bill Cushenberry
Circa: 1960
Current Owner: Mr. Harold Murphy

Number One in our Hot Rod Hall of Fame is the fabulous El Matador, built by Bill Cushenberry around 1960. Toured by Promotions, Inc. during the 60's. Toured as part of the Ford Cavalcade of Customs. Toured by Carl Casper. Bought by AMT Models and driven to shows all over the country by Bud "the Kat" Anderson. Sold to John McNally who brought to Florida in the 70's. Owned by Bob Nugent, of Hot Rods Online in the late 70's who drove it for a while then sold back to John McNally.

The years on the show circuit...
Had really taken their toll , so after buying the car back, John McNally bestowed fresh paint and a host of goodies and the El Matador was lovingly brought back up to snuff.

Then Disaster... in the form of flames...
Soon after its restoration in the early 90's, while in storage, enjoying a well deserved rest for once, El Matador was totally destroyed in a devastating garage fire. It seemed there was nothing to do but haul it off... Think about it for a minute... Thirty year old custom sheet metal... burned hard... and the source for the bits & pieces all have been crushed out of existance thirty years ago... Wonder what was going though John McNallys mind about this time....

Enter Mr. Harold Murphy...
Who purchased what was left of the car... at this point, your basic burned out hulk, and amazingly restored it to it's former glory. Certainly a feat of shear will power, and more than a few bucks.
The story of the birth, death & resurrection of El Matador, was chronicled in the pages of Custom Rodder Magazine... vol 3 #'s 3 -4-5 during the summer 1993 and Now El Matador, can once again be seen at rod runs around the country, 35 years, 9 owners, a fire, and one zillion rod meets later. A truly tangible piece of American History.

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This photo taken ca. 1973
Shows El Matador while owned by Bob Nugent in the 1970's

This photo taken 1995
Shows El Matador with an older and slighty pudgier Bob Nugent rediscovering the car (and his lost youth) at the recent Turkey Rod Run. Keep in mind that this is after and the exaustive, total ground up restoration from the devistating fire in the early 1990s.