Like many kids growing up in Michigan, Dave Shuten became fascinated with cars at a young age. Thanks to the indoor car shows that took place near his hometown, not to mention growing up in the shadows of General Motors (a place he’d go on
It makes sense that one of hot rodding’s most wacky, larger-than-life personalities would concoct one of hot rodding’s most iconic, larger-than-life cars. That’s right, we’re talking about Norm Grabowski’s ground-breaking, silver-screen-friendly roadster, the Kookie T. From the parking lot of Bob’s Big Boy to the boulevard
After World War II, hot rods and customs developed on parallel yet different tracks. Innovators like George Barris and Gene Winfield massaged metal in unique and shapely ways, creating stunning pieces of rolling art. At the same time, racers like Ed Iskenderian and Alex Xydias
Drag racer Antron Brown is well known for winning the NHRA Top Fuel championship in 2012, 2015, and 2016. He’s extremely proud of that accomplishment, but he says he’d rather be known as a guy who pushed those around them to be the best they
There are plenty of famous hot rods – the Niekamp roadster, the Pierson coupe, the Buttera tall T. We could go on and on. But few hot rods have reached across the pages of automotive buff books into the imagination of the general public. One
Larry Wood has arguably every car-loving kid’s dream job. Known as “Mr. Hot Wheels,” the Connecticut native has been designing Hot Wheels cars for Mattel since 1969 and continues to design and build hot rods today. “I have had a hot rod in my life,
The name Penske has become synonymous with cars and racing, thanks to Roger Penske. The owner of the Team Penske pro motorsports organization, the Penske Corporation, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (to name just a few of Penske’s very famous automotive businesses), Penske has also
The Reverend Billy F Gibbons One day in 1998, just after the November ’97 re-launch of the SO-CAL Speed Shop my mentor and boss Pete Chapouris said, “Grab your camera, we’re going to Billy Gibbons ZZ Top warehouse in Texas.” Billy Gibbons, front man of ZZ Top
Laying in a hospital bed, recovering from illness or injury, affords the mind a certain freedom to free-associate, to review life’s choices, map a new path forward. There is perhaps no greater example of this than the late Bill Simpson, the man who made safety
Brad Fanshaw has basically done it all over the course of his career in the automotive aftermarket. From running numerous successful companies, to fabricating award-winning cars, to starring on the reality show “Car Warriors,” Fanshaw has been a staple in the hot rod and custom
