Story and photos by Austin Paruch of Paruch Automotive Craftsmanship

3D Renderings by Dan Palatnik

There has been a hunger within me to build an original hand-built car for years, the inspiration for which has come from a number of places. Like anyone in the business, I’d obviously consider myself a car guy, but the true impetus for the project came from experience in restoring vintage Ferraris. I fell in love with the Italian design language while working for a prominent restorer of Italian cars, and if you have ever had the chance to work on one, you know how it gets in your blood. As such, I think the influence of vintage Ferraris and other Italian marques from the 1950s is clear in the design of the Strada Americana.

While chatting with a designer who I admire, I came to the conclusion that the time was now, and I needed to start taking steps to develop my own design. I wanted a project to showcase my skills, along with the capabilities of our staff and shop, Paruch Automotive Craftsmanship; therefore, the goal would be a totally unique two-seater with clear influences from ’50s Italian design. And let’s not forget about performance.

The final design came about very organically. After studying historic photos of vintage race cars from Ferrari, OSCA, Maserati and others, a 3D rendering was created and scaled to our desired chassis size. We then began to tweak the shape and lines until we arrived at a beautiful design the team agreed upon. From there, we used 3D data from the model to produce a plywood buck over which we could shape the aluminum body. Our talented staff and I will shape all the aluminum in house, using the same shaping methods these iconic marques used in period.

In addition to working on customer cars (one of which is a custom Kirkham Cobra you might have seen here in a recent tech feature), we’ve been developing the Strada Americana over the past several months to get it to this point. We’re wrapping up construction of a TIG-welded tubular chassis that’s done in the style of late 1950s and early ’60s exotics, like those from Ferrari, Maserati and Shelby. The aluminum bodywork will be supported by a steel upper structure, but we’re building this structure to be stronger than it was in the 1950s to improve safety for the driver and passenger. No roll bar is planned at this time, but one could be added if requested.

We plan to build these cars to order, and production will be limited to five units. Driveline, paint, and interior are fully customizable, and the bespoke rolling chassis with bare metal body is priced at $100,000. Finishing costs will vary depending on options. We’re also offering a more exclusive purchasing option that will limit vehicle production to just two cars. One car is to be sold, and one will be retained by the company for promotional purposes. Pricing is available upon request.

We anticipate the finished weight of the car to be roughly 1,600 pounds depending on options. My engine of choice would be the 2.3-liter Ford EcoBoost backed by a manual transmission. Thiscombination would produce a thrilling 300 hp and be extremely fun and reliable on the track, yet practical for road use. Other options could include a variety of four-cylinder options, V6s and V8s. The engine bay should also accommodate a V12.

Our workshop is located in Appleton, Wisconsin, which is not too far from one of the greatest road race courses in the world — Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Road America is an amazing and iconic race circuit located near a beautiful small town with a picturesque lake that’s second to none. There may not be another place on Earth that rivals the automotive passion found at Road America and within this quaint little town. It’s from this place that I drew inspiration in naming the car. Given the Italian design influence, “Strada Americana” seemed fitting.

I encourage people to reach out to us with questions, comments and inquiries about the Strada Americana or any custom builds, restoration projects, and fabrication jobs.

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