Ringbrothers, a Wisconsin hot-rod shop founded by Jim and Mike Ring, has a reputation for standing the SEMA show on its ear with stunningly designed and meticulously crafted creations. For the SEMA show’s 50th anniversary, the brothers brought the Madam V, a generational mashup of old and new Cadillac that is a dream fulfilled for all those people who say, ?Why don?t they build ?em like that anymore"?
Four cars were put into a blender to make the Madam V, starting with two 1948 Cadillac sedanette fastbacks and two modern Caddys, a used 2015 ATS-V and a brand-new 2016 ATS-V. All the cars were supplied by Madam V?s owner and patron, North Dakota car dealer Wes Rydell, who is no stranger to the hot-rod show circuit. Rydell has won both of hot rodding?s most prestigious awards: the Ridler and America?s Most Beautiful Roadster. Rydell wanted a car that would look like a ?48 but come across as a production car, a real ?what if? if Cadillac mass produced such a retromobile. Hence, the Rings kept as much of the modern cars as possible, stripping down the unibody of the 2016 car and adding 14 inches to the wheelbase but preserving much of the wiring and fuel system so as not to disturb the car?s highly interconnected electrical system. The stock ATS-V interior went into the car largely intact, with its infotainment screen, rearview camera, and rain-sensing wipers. There’s even modern furry synthetic trunk carpet in back.

Under the handmade carbon-fiber hood, which...