What do you want for Christmas (part one)?

It's that time of year and, for car guys*, there are endless lists of automotive related things to lust after. In trying to make my own personal wish list, I have tried to discipline myself into picking one thing from each category. Today's choice: an old car.

When it comes to antique cars, my tastes are varied. Some people have even suggested that I have a severe case of Automotive Attention Deficit Disorder. This might be true, but only for older cars since I generally keep my daily drivers until they die. Anyway, I've decided my next old car should be an authentic, '40's or '50's Rod or Custom. I've never had one before and they played such an important role in our country's mid-century renaissance that I consider them true historic artifacts. As such, original cars are difficult to find, most of them having been destroyed or modified beyond recognition over time. Of course, there are clones of the most famous Customs out there but I don't believe in owning anything that requires a footnote.

I guess my first choice would be something from one of the great Custom houses such as Barris, Valley Customs, Coach Craft, Alexander Brothers, etc. Second on the list might be a high quality individual build which was an award winner and received great notoriety in its day. I'm not sure if I can afford either scenario, but Christmas is when dreams come true, right? What is your old car dream?