This Ultra-Rare 1955 Sports Car Was One of Just Six Built, and It Sold for $31,000

A hand-built American sports car from the 1950s has sold for $31,000 on Bring a Trailer, bringing an unusual piece of automotive history back into the spotlight. The 1955 LeGene Sports Special Roadster was reportedly one of just six complete cars built by a father-and-son team in California, although its name remains largely unknown outside the world of obscure classics.

A Father And Son Built Just Six Of These Unusual American Sports Cars

Lee Dodson and his son Gene built the roadsters at their auto body shop in San Bernardino, California, during the 1950s. They combined their first names to create the LeGene name and built a sports car with a fiberglass body and American V8 power.

This example has a distinctive 1950s design, complete with a custom grille, hood scoop, and tailfins. Underneath sits a modified 1940s Ford chassis with a 99-inch wheelbase. Power comes from a 239-cubic-inch Mercury flathead V8 fitted with Offenhauser aluminum cylinder heads and twin downdraft carburetors. A three-speed manual transmission sends power to the rear wheels. The car also has an unusual history. It resurfaced in 2008 as an unidentified project before undergoing refurbishment in Florida. In 2010, it appeared at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance under the name “Mysterion,” but its original identity remained a mystery.

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The Forgotten Roadster Sold For $31,000 After 36 Bids

via BaT

Its identity was eventually uncovered after the roadster appeared on a 2015 episode of AmeriCarna. Before that discovery, the car had spent years known as the “Mysterion,” with its original LeGene roots lost to history. The auction result has an interesting backstory, too. The same roadster appeared on Bring a Trailer in September 2024, when bidding reached $32,000 but failed to meet the reserve. This time, the seller offered it without a reserve, and after 36 bids, it sold for $31,000 on October 6, 2026.

That doesn’t necessarily make the LeGene a bargain, but it does give us an unusual auction comparison. Its reported production of just six complete cars makes it a rare piece of American automotive history, even if it lacks the name recognition of a Chevrolet Corvette or Ford Thunderbird. For enthusiasts, the appeal lies in what Lee and Gene Dodson managed to build. Using a fiberglass body and familiar Ford and Mercury mechanicals, they created a distinctive sports car that has survived decades of obscurity. Now, more than 70 years after it was built, the LeGene has another chapter in its story, courtesy of a $31,000 auction sale.

Sources: Bring A Trailer