Why this car is automatic. It's systematic. It's hydromantic. Why it's Greased Lightning! Remember the story about this car from the movie. The car is a 1948 Ford Deluxe convertible that was purchased by Kenickie in the summer of 1957 as a real junker. Then the car was modified by the T-Birds in the Shop Class at Rydell High. Now, in talking to a friend of mine who is an auto mechanic, he said that a modification like this probably couldn't be done by a HS Shop Class in a semester in the real world; buy hey, since when has Hollywood ever been in the real world. It was a pleasurable build, and I think it came out alright.