1960s

Darryl Starbird's Predicta of Wichita, Kansas. In February of 1960 Darryl Starbird introduced the full bubble top to the custom car industry when he debuted the Predicta at the National Roadster Show in Oakland, California. Starbird was only 26 years old at the time and his futuristic bubble top creations helped him become the most influential customizer in the midwest during the 1960s. The Predicta won “The Car of the Future Award” at the Oakland show, and Motor Life magazine picked it as their Top Custom of the year in 1960.

"Never before has the American public seen off-center styling such as that characterizing the Plymouth XNR." This was how the Plymouth-De Soto-Valiant Division introduced their innovative Plymouth badged Corvette-competitor to the public on March 1, 1960. Originally named "Plymouth Asymmetrica," the asymmetrical two-seater roadster was renamed XNR after its designer Virgil Exner during the construction phase. Exner's Corvette-killer was one of the cars that introduced asymmetrical styling to the public in the 1960s. Photo courtesy of the Chrysler Corporation.

4 engines, 6 wheels, 1280 horses, and an off-set cockpit. Paul Wirt's Experimental Car was featured on the cover of the August 1960 issue of Rodding and Re-styling magazine. Wirt was a pipeline contractor from Wooster, Ohio, and his multi-engined bubble-topped roadster was actually built for driving on the street. It looks more like a Bonneville record-chaser, but it is, in fact, one of the earliest street driven asymmetrical custom builds we have been able to find on print. Photo from The Ray Soff Photo Collection.

In an attempt to get into the youth market, Ford Motor Company teamed up with AMT to launch the "Custom Car Caravan" in 1962. Together they wanted to create and campaign customized and performance-themed Fords. Or, as Ed Roth described it in his book, "making sure all of Ford's stuff was in the car shows around the country." The first cars were built in-house, but it didn't take long before Ford started to commission famous customizers such as George Barris, the Alexander Brothers, Bill Cushenbery, and Gene Winfield to dream up and execute life-size Ford customs.

From strip to street. In 1962 American Racing started promoting their popular Torq-Thrust wheels towards the general public, and a couple of street racers were used to promote the 7" x 15" Torq-Thrust wheel for both competition and street use. Designed for 7.10/15 slicks or 7.60 to 8.20 street rubber, the wheels were priced at $65.00 each. Click here to check out Kustomrama's Guide to American Racing Torq-Thrust Wheels.

A photo of Paul Hannan's 1929 Ford Model A roadster photographed at the 1962 Grand National Roadster Show in February of 1962. This is one of the earliest street rods we have found running American Racing Torq-Thrust wheels. Hannan polished the wheels before he installed them on his roadster. A very labor-intense process. Today you can achieve the same look by ordering and installing a set of Polished Torq-Thrust Original Wheels. Check sizes, prices, and availability on these wheels on Amazon.com. Photo from The James Handy Collection.

Attending the 1962 Grand National Roadster Show was also John Gomez's 1957 Chevrolet. A radical Joe Bailon build that had been dressed up with mag wheels for the season. This is one of the first customs we have seen rolling on Torq-Thrust wheels. If you want the same kind of wheels for your custom, you better check out the Polished Torq-Thrust Original Wheels, or the Chromed model of the Torq-Thrust D's. Check sizes, prices, and availability for these wheels on Amazon.com. Photo by Bud Lang, from The Petersen Archive.

Dick Ceola's 1930 Ford Model A truck of Springdale, Arkansas. Dick was a member of the Ozark Drifters Kar Klub of Fayetteville when he started the build in 1960. Completed two years later, in 1962, the ruck went on to become a trophy winner in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.

Don Tognotti's 1913 Ford Model T Roadster, "King T", of Sacramento, California. Restyled by Don and Gene Winfield of Winfield's Custom Shop, the build was started in 1962 and completed in 1964, winning the 1964 America's Most Beautiful Roadster award.

Buzz Pitzen's 1923 Ford fiberglass bodied Model T roadster of Redondo Beach, California. Buzz bought the body from Diablo Speed Shop in Walnut Creek, California, and it is believed to be the first fiberglass T Bucket ever made. Known as the Glass Image, the build was completed in 1960, making it the worlds first known Fiberglass T-bucket hot rod.

Lee A. Jagla's 1923 Ford Model T Roadster Pick Up of Hayward, California. Lee was a member of the Hayward V-Eights car club, and the Model T was a high school graduation gift from his parents in 1960. In 2014 the old hot rod was sold to Norway.

Manuel Gonzalez's Californian of Wilmington, California. Manuel's blown Chevrolet dragster was built by Allen Murdersbach. Started in 1959, the build featured an aluminum body by Bob Sorrell that Dean Jeffries painted Candy Apple Red and Pearlescent White. Don Prosser performed he engine work, and the build was completed sometime around 1960.

Norman Kopp's 1932 Chevrolet Coupe of Beloit, Wisconsin. Originally owned and built by Norman's brother, the first running completion was in 1958. The build was completed in 1961. Norman was a member of the Road Gents of Beloit car club.

Joe Roth's 1959 Chevrolet Impala of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Restyled by Cudahy Auto Body, the build was started in 1960 and completed in 1961.

Danny Leonette's 1960 Chevrolet Impala of Norwalk, California. Danny was one of the original members of the Seagrams of Norwalk car club, and he bought the Impala brand new. After buying it he dropped it in the front and back and added Appleton spotlights.

Gary Ruddell's 1960 Ford Starliner of Norwalk, California. Gary was the President of the Seagrams of Norwalk car club, and he bought the car and had it restyled circa 1960-1961.

The second iteration of Bill Whetstone's 1960 Ford Starliner, as it appeared after the Alexander Brothers completed it in September of 1961. After touring the car for the 1961 season, Bill and Bud Andersen sat down to plan a new and reworked version. Redoing it was necessary to stay competitive on the show circuit, and being able to get paid for having a featured car. Painted Candy Blue, this version featured radiused wheel wells, shaved fins, and a single asymmetrical scoop in the hood. Known as the Adonis, this is one of the first customs featuring asymmetrical styling. Photo courtesy of George Barris.

The 1961 Plymouth Asimmetrica was the production version of the XNR showcar. 25 cars were supposedly planned for special clients, but only 2 are believed to actually have been built. Photo by Josh Bryan, courtesy of RM Auctions.

Dick Axcell’s Candy Red Pearl 1962 Ford Thunderbird was one of the first asymmetrical customs to appear on the West Coast. Restyled by George Barris and his talented crew of craftsmen at Barris Kustoms, the build made its debut in 1962. The list of modifications included a unique off-set headlight, an asymmetrical grille, and an asymmetrical hood scoop. Mild alterations that still resulted in a dramatic and futuristic front end.

Art Lehner's 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe of South Gate, California. Art ran Art Chrome Body Shop in South Gate, and most of the work on the car was performed there. The build was started in 1961, and completed sometime around 1961-1962. Known as "The Blue Indigo," it is believed that Art built the car from the remains of Walt Banker's 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe.

Bo Sandberg's 1923 Ford Model T Roadster, Purple Passion, of Stockholm, Sweden. The build was completed around 1965.

Palle Eriksson's 1924 Chevrolet roadster of Stockholm, Sweden. The first version of Palle's rod was shown at the 1965 Hot Rod Show in Stockholm.

John Toohey's 2E-"T" Ford Model R Toadster of Eugene, Oregon. Built by John, the car made its debut in 1965, at the Portland Roadster Show.

Bill Cissell's 1925 Ford Model T roadster of San Carlos, California. Bill's bucket was built in the early 1960s.

Dick Kalivoda and John Hamlin's 1925 Ford Modified Model T Roadster of Seattle, Washington. The car had a racing past when Dick bought it, and the car is also known as Ed Norton & Armie Marion's 1925 Ford Model-T Roadster. Dick bought the car from Ed and Armie in the late 1950s,and he hit the strip with it in 1960.

Larry Hughes 1926 Ford Model T roadster pick up of Boulder, Colorado. Built in the 1960s, Larry's finned hot rod was known as the "The Bomber"

The Forcasta of Columbus, Ohio. The car was built by Darryl Starbird at Star Kustom Shop who wanted to show the world that his first bubble top car The Predicta was no fluke. After completing The Predicta, he immediately set out to build another bubble top car. Called The Forcasta, Starbird’s second coming was built for Chuck Miller of Columbus, Ohio. Chuck’s car was built on 1960 Chevrolet Corvair Monza chassis. Starbird wanted a car with a very low hood, and he was actually looking into using a rear-engined Wolksvagen. The Forcasta was a four-seater, so a one of a kind bubble was made to cover all heads of the passengers. The build was completed in 1962, and George Barris named it one of the best customs of the year, and “a forecast-a for the future”.

Ed Roth's Rotar of Bell, California. After building The Beatnik Bandit, Ed Roth decided to challenge George Barris, building his own bubble-topped air car. While the Barris’ air car was well built, Roth’s Rotar was a little rougher. The XPAK 400 featured no frictional moving parts at all, and power came from two jet aircraft starter motors. Roths Air Car, on the other hand, was powered by two Triumph engines that he had turned on their sides and fitted with high-pressure propellers. The build was completed in 1962 featuring a patriotic red white and blue paint job by Larry Watson.

America's Wildest Show Rods of the 1960s and 1970s: Analysis and Opinions from George Barris, Darryl Starbird, Candy Joe Bailon, and Others (Cartech)

Les Mullen's 1956 Chevrolet Corvette of Miami, Florida. Known as "Dominique," Les spent 1,500 hours and 2,500 dollars restyling the car. The build was completed in 1962.

J.P. Danos' 1958 Chevrolet Biscayne. Known as The Fantabula, the car was Darryl Starbird’s third bubble top build. It was completed late in 1962 and made the cover of Car Craft January 1963. The interior carried the Starbird trademark stick steering and TV set.

Irvin Kirschner's 1955 Chevrolet of Westwood, New Jersey. Known as The Pirate, the car was the second East Coast bubble-top custom that made its debut in 1963. Restyled by Tony Bruskivage for Irvin Kirschner the 1955 Chevrolet custom featured a huge plastic bubble that enclosed the entire 4 place cockpit on the car. Photo from The Brian Frederick Photo Collection.

Dick Scully's 1958 Ford Thunderbird of Chicago, Illinois. The car was Darryl Starbird’s fifth bubble top custom. Completed in 1963, Dick’s Thunderbird was given the name Electra. The Electra featured one of Starbird’s largest bubbles, as it covered all four passengers and most of the trunk.

Tom Holden’s 1959 Chevrolet El Camino was a radical bubble-top custom from Detroit, Michigan. Named Ultimus, the build made its debut at the 1963 Detroit Autorama. The Ultimus featured two hydraulically operated vacuum-formed canopies from Cadillac Plastics Company. Photo courtesy of Carscoops.

Bobby Freedman's 1962 Jaguar XK-E. In 1963 Dick “Korky” Korkes built a bubble-topped 1962 Jaguar XK-E for Bobby Freedman. Bobby’s Jaguar featured a double bubble that was split by a center panel with chrome bands across the roof. When George Barris saw the car, he offered Korky a position as shop foreman Barris Kustoms. Korky took the offer and solicited Freedman to pay his way out to California. Freedman agreed and Korky packed up, installed a tow hitch on the Parisian, rented a uhaul, loaded on the Jaguar and headed out West. Never to look back again.

Ed Roth's Road Agent of Maywood, California. Ed Roth’s fourth bubble top build started out as a project car for Rod & Custom Magazine. A Corvair engine and rear suspension allowed a low-slung hood. Named "The Road Agent," the build was finished early in 1964, and it featured a bubble in fluorescent plastic, made in the pizza oven at Furt’s sign shop.

Ed Roth's Orbitron of Maywood, Califonria. The car featured three headlights in primary colors, and Roth's idea was that when the three lights hit the road they would be a white beam. Completed in 1964, The Orbitron was a failure at the shows. Roth believed it failed due to the engine being hidden. He sold the car to a fellow in Texas. It went missing for many years and was later found in front of a porn shop in Mexico. The Orbitron was Roth’s fifth and final bubble top show car in the 1960s.

Teddy Zgrzemski' 1957 Chevrolet Nomad of Rockwood, Michigan. Teddy bought the Nomad from his friend Gene Rosco back in 1964 or 1965. It came from California, and it featured a beautiful Eddie Martinez interior. Shortly after buying the Nomad, Teddy's uncle, Bill Hines, helped install hydraulic lifts on the car, turning it into what might be the first hydraulic lifted car in Michigan.

Jerry Greenwade’s 1964 Chevrolet Corvette. Known as Cosma Ray, the car received a bubble top and custom body work by Darryl Starbird in 1964. It was later brought to Barris Kustoms for additional restyling and a new paint job.

Steve Scott's Uncertain-T of Reseda, California. Built by Steve in a small family garage, the build was started in 1960 and completed in 1965. He was 17 years when he started the build. The inspiration came from a cartoon that a friend had made in class.

Dan Woods' Milk Truck. The build was completed in 1965, making its debut at the 1965 Tridents Rod Custom Autorama.

Bob Larivee's Stiletto. In 1965 show promoter Bob Larivee commisioned Gene Baker to design him a crowd-pleasing bubble top he could use to attract ticket buyers. Gene teamed up with Buffalo, New York builder Ron Gerstener and built The Stiletto. The build was completed in time for the 1966 Detroit Autorama.

John Toohey's Royal-T Ford Model T C Cab of Eugene, Oregon. Built by John, the build was completed in 1966.

The Monogram model kit of "The Uncertain-T" was released in 1966. Steve was paid to put together a package of everything Monogram needed to make the tooling and the packaging for the kit. He arranged the photoshoot, set up the shots, and Dave Pedegana took the photos for Steve. After the kit was released, Monogram started focusing on muscle cars, and the kit was discontinued way too soon. A complete kit sold between the $350 to $500 range in 2017.

Raymond Patricco's 1934 Ford Roadster of Irvington, New Jersey. Patricco didn't build the car, he supposedly bought it in the 1960 or the 1970s. He planned to restore it. That never happened, and it stayed in storage until he passed away in 2018. Rumor has the car was built in the 1950s. Back then it is believed to have run a DuVall Windshield.

The Car Craft Dream Rod was built by Bill Cushenbery for Bob Larivee of Promotions Inc. The first drawings of the car appeared in Car Craft October 1961. The build was completed late in 1963.

Ed Roth's Mysterion of Maywood, California. After completing the Rotar, Roth returned to his shop to build the Mysterion. He got the idea for car from the dragsters that started popping up with two, three and four engines. Completed in 1963, hydraulics were used to open and close the bubble top, and to adjust the height of the rear suspension.

The Silhouette was built by Bill Cushenbery of Monterey, California. In 1962 Cushenbery was rated by many as the best new customizer in America. Cushenbery opened up his first body shop in Wichita, Kansas in 1952. He found out that the custom car market in town already was dominated by Darryl Starbird, so after 5 years, he decided to move his operations to Monterey. The Silhouette was the first scratch built custom to roll out of Bill’s Monterey shop, and he won the first place in the “Tournament of Fame” contest with the car at the 1963 National Roadster Show, beating Starbird’s three-wheeled Futurista.

Darryl Starbird's Futurista of Wichita, Kansas. Starbird debuted the three-weeled bubble topped build at the 1963 Oakland Roadster Show. This was Starbird’s 6th bubble top build, and he sold it to Monogram after the show. Unfortunately, it fell off a transporter and was destroyed. Fifteen years later Starbird turned the remains of the car into the Star Trek Coupe.

The Strip Star is a show and competition race car built by Gene Winfield of Winfield's Custom Shop for the Promotions Inc Show Car Division in 1963.

Ron Kozak's Bubble Top Studebaker of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The build was started in 1961 and completed in 1963. Photo courtesy of Pat O’Connor - Canadian Hot Rod History.

Roy Abendroth's 1955 Buick Century of Compton, California. Known as the "BuSonic," the build was started in 1959 and completed in 1963. It featured bodywork by John Schott and Copper Metalflake paint job by Larry Watson of Watson's House of Style. It was also fitted with hydraulic lifts.

Dean Jeffries' Mantaray of Hollywood, California. In 1963 custom painter and pinstriper Dean Jeffries wanted to prove that he was capable of competing head to head with top customizers such as George Barris and Gene Winfield, so he set out to build a scratch built bubble top car dubbed The Mantaray. The entire chassis of the car came from a pre-war Grand Prix Maserati. The asymmetrical body was hand-formed in aluminum. The bubble top, lights, and engine on the car could be operated by a radio control system, and the Mantaray put Jeffries in the winner’s circle at the 1964 National Roadster Show in Oakland where he won the prestigious "Tournament of Fame" award.

Roy Abendroth's 1955 Buick Century of Compton, California. Known as the "BuSonic," the build was started in 1959 and completed in 1963. It featured bodywork by John Schott and Copper Metalflake paint job by Larry Watson of Watson's House of Style. It was also fitted with hydraulic lifts. In 1964 Watson resprayed the car in Green for Roy.

Bo Huff's 1927 Ford Model T Bucket, of Salt Lake City as it appeared in 1964.

Hasse Broberg's Modified of Enskedefältet in Stockholm, Sweden. The build was started by Pelle Karlson, but Hasse, a member of the Sill Drivers, bought it and completed it in 1964.

After debuting the Silhouette in 1963, Bill Cushenbery went back to the drawing board and designed another bubble top custom named the Silhouette II Space Coupe. He began building the car the same year. In 1964 he moved to a new shop in North Hollywood, bringing the project along. Toward the end of 1964, Bill had a dispute with his financiers. He took elements of the car with him and moved to a new shop, thinking he would get the rest of the car back to finish once the dispute was settled. He did not, and the car went missing. The remains were found in 1999. The build had never been completed, and it is still in works.

Eldon E. Schmidt's 1929 Ford Model A roadster of Garden Grove, California. Eldon bought the car in 1960. It came with holes in the body after a rollbar and safety-belts, indicating that it had been raced on the dragstrip. In 1962 he installed a 1958 Chevrolet 283 V-8 engine in the car before he gave it a Metallic paint job and a more contemporary look. In 1995 the car was sold to Sweden.

Jerry McGinnis' 1929 Ford Model A Roadster

Bengt Wennergren's 1931 Ford Model A Roadster of Enskedefältet in Stockholm, Sweden was built by Bengt between 1962 and 1966.

Bill Leslie's 1931 Ford Model A Coupe was built in Buffalo, New York in 1964.

Martin Oja's 1931 Ford Model A Coupe of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. The build was started in 1960 and completed in 1962.

From Strip to Street - Click here to check out Kustomrama's Guide to American Racing Torq-Thrust Wheels.

Gunnar Johansson's 1932 Ford 5-Window Coupe of Sweden. This is Gunnar's coupe as it appeared in 1965

The first version of Göran Silfors' 1932 Ford roadster of Sweden as it appeared in 1965. Gøran's roadster was named "Early Bird"

Jonas Qvarnström's 1931 Ford Model A Roadster of Sweden as it appeared when it was first completed in 1965.

Ron Maxwell's 1932 Austin Bantam of Salt Lake City, Utah. Ron built the Austin Bantam in 1964.

Lars-Erik Johansson's 1931 Ford Model A Roadster, of Stockholm, Sweden, was completed in 1966. Named "The Orange Fink", Lars Erik's roadster was known as the lowest showrod of Sweden at the time.

Bruce Olson's 1932 Ford 5-Window Coupe of Beach, North Dakota. The first version of Bruce's coupe was completed in 1955. In 1962 Bruce and his family moved to Fremont, California, bringing the coupe along. This version of the coupe was completed in 1963.

The first version of Lars Erik Ljungkvist's 1932 Ford Roadster, of Huddinge in Stockholm, Sweden, was completed in 1963. At the time there were about 30 hot rods in Sweden.

Bob Hagerty's 1931 Ford Model A Tudor Sedan of Wheaton, Maryland. Bob, who was a member of the Coach Masters of Wheaton, built the car himself. The build took two years, and it was completed in 1964. Bob's tudor was shown on the East Coast as "Jade East."

Max Magness' 1932 Ford Cabriolet of Grandfalls, Texas. The build was started in 1959 and completed in 1960.

Gary Priebe's 1932 Ford Roadster of Monterey Park, California. Gary's roadster was completed in 1962. In 2016 Gary still owned the old hot rod.

The second version of Lars Erik Ljungkvist's 1932 Ford Roadster, of Huddinge in Stockholm, Sweden, was completed in 1964. This version was painted Marigold Metalflake..

Lew Wolff's 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe was built and raced by Downriver Modified member Lew Wolff in the mid 1960s.

Roland Larsson's 1932 Ford Roadster was built in Sweden during the winter of 1959/1960.

Sven Sandberg's 1932 Ford 5-Window coupe of Stockholm, Sweden. Sven started the build, known as the Glowing Coupe, in 1961. The first version was shown in 1965, featuring a paint job by Bo Sandberg of Yankee Customs.

Don Vargo's 1934 Ford cabriolet. The car, named the 69er, was restyled by the Alexander Brothers. It made its debut at the 1962 Detroit Autorama.

Egeo Barci's 1934 Ford Roadster of São Paulo, Brazil. The build was completed in 1966, and it might have been the first hot rod of Brazil.

Per Arne Knudsen's 1934 Ford Cabriolet of Oslo, Norway. The build was started around 1964 - 1965, and completed in 1969. Once completed the vehicle licensing department refused to approve the build. After several attempts, Per Arne gave up fighting the law, and he sold the car to Ludvig Bjørnstad. Ludvig turned the hot rod into a drag racer, and it became one of the first Norwegian cars to ever compete in an organized drag race.

Rick Menz' 1934 Ford Tudor-Sedan of Sepulveda, California. Rick began building the car in 1960. At the time he was a member of the Chancellors of Van Nuys car club. He sold the Ford in 1962 before the build was completed.

Ron Maxwell's 1934 Ford 5-Window Coupe of Salt Lake City, Utah. The build was started in 1954, when Ron was 15 years old. The first iteration of the coupe was completed in 1955. Ron's coupe ran under flathead and later Cadillac power, competing in B/Altered at strips around Utah. In 1960 an Orange iteration of the car was completed.

Bob Davis' 1935 Ford 5-Window Coupe of Long Beach, California was restyled in 1960. Bob was a member of the Lords of Wilmington car club.

John Erik Baalerud's 1935 Ford Cabriolet of Oslo, Norway. The build was started in 1963 and completed in 1966. In 1968 John Erik became a member of the Nor-Way Custom car club.

Göran Silfors' 1936 Ford Sedan of Sweden as it appeared in 1965.

Pete Limpert's 1936 Ford tudor sedan of Gardena, California. Pete built the car in the early to mid 1960s. Around 1966/1967 it received hydraulic lifts by Dennis "Red" Pierce.

Rich Vachata's 1936 Ford Convertible of Berwyn, Illinois. Rich was a member of the Bearing Busters of Berwyn, and the other members in the club helped him build the car. The first version was completed in 1959. In 1960 fellow club member Dave Puhl gave the car a scallop paint job. This version of the car was named the Beach Comber.

Harry Fry's 1937 Ford cabriolet of Spring City, Pennsylvania. Harry was a member of the Brick Dusters of Spring City car club, and he ran a paint shop called Fryer's.The Ford was completed in the early 1960s, and Jack owned it until he passed away in 2002.

Hasse Broberg and Kjelle Gustad's 1938 Chevrolet Convertible of Huddinge in Stockholm, Sweden as it appeared in the early 1960s. Bo Sandberg and his girlfriend Morris gave the car a flame paint job in 1962.

Augustus Eberman's 1941 Chevrolet Coupe of Geneva, Wisconsin. The build was completed circa 1961, and it is believed to be designed by Brooks Stevens.

Gary Overby's 1940 Chevrolet Coupe was restyled by Gary Overby in 1960.

Don Moore's 1940 Ford Coupe

Dan Hiramoto's 1941 Buick Century convertible of Cleveland, Ohio. Built by Dan and his brother Ken, the car went trough several iterations between 1951 and 1962. This photo shows the car as it appeared in 1961, after Dan had taken full possession of the car.

John Sak's 1941 Ford Convertible of Syracuse, New York. Named "Barbie" after his wife, the build was started in 1957 and completed in 1960. "Barbie" was John's third 1941 Ford custom.

Roger Squires' 1947 Chevrolet Fleetline was restyled by Roger Squires of Torrance, California in the late 1960s. Known as "Pastime", the car is a surviving example of the early lowrider style, and it was engineered and built to a standard that was unusual for the time. The first version of Roger's Fleetline was completed around 1968.

Per Ivar Kolgrov's 1948 Mercury Convertible of Oslo, Norway was restyled around 1963/1964. The car is known as the first custom cars of Norway.

Bengt Wennergren's 1949 Ford of Enskedefältet in Stockholm, Sweden. When Bengt bought the Ford, the rear end was already restyled by Leif "Grillkorven" Rose. The build was completed in 1963.

Gary Overby's 1949 Ford of Tacoma, Washington was sectioned 5 inches in 1961.

Lloyd C. Hammond's 1949 Ford of San Bernardino, California. Lloyd was a member of the San Bernardino Krankers and his car was known as "The Majestic Lady." The first iteration of his Ford was completed circa 1958. Circa 1961 the car received canted quad headlights from a 1959 Chevrolet.

Billy Stein's 1950 Mercury Four-Door of New York City, New York. Billy lived in the Richmond Hill neighbourhood in Queens, and he got the Mercury on the road around 1961. Photo from The Ken Bausert Collection.

Herb Passburger's 1950 Mercury of New York City, New York. Herb lived in the Cypress Hills section of Brooklyn, and his Mercury was restyled around 1962.

Ken Bausert's 1950 Mercury Convertible

Ralph Tyrone Scarfo's 1950 Oldsmobile 88 hardtop of North Bergen, New Jersey. Ralph's Olds was supposedly restyled in San Diego in the mid 1960s.

Bjørn Tømmervik and Ivar Buxrud's 1951 Chevrolet Bel-Air of Trondheim, Norway. Restyled in 1965, Bjørn and Ivar's Chevrolet was one of the first custom cars of Norway.

Marshall's 1951 Chevrolet, of Long Beach, California, as it appeared in 1966. The flames were applied by Marshall in 1965.

Tim Smith's 1951 Ford Victoria of Tacoma, Washington was restyled by Dick Page in 1965.

Einar Valsjø's 1952 Mercury of Trondheim, Norway was one of the first custom cars of Norway. The build was completed around 1963.

Art Fortin's 1953 Ford Sunliner Convertible, of Adams, Massachusetts, was started in 1960 and completed in 1962.

John Toohey's Ice T of Eugene, Oregon. The shortened Model T Touring car was Toohey's third full hot rod build, and he completed it about 1967.

Bo Thalinsson's 1953 Ford Sunlinner Convertible of Stockholm, Sweden. Built by Bo, the build was completed in 1967.

Jarle Pedersen's 1953 Mercury was owned and restyled by Jarle Pedersen of Oslo, Norway in the mid 1960s.

Buddy Katlik's 1953 Plymouth 4-door, was restyled by Jess Sandoval of Renewal Body Shop in Clovis for Fresno Pan Draggers member Buddy Katlik, of Fresno, California around 1960/1961.

Richie Daus’ 1954 Buick Convertible of New York City, New York. Richie restyled the car in 1962, at the time he lived on Hillside Avenue, off Sutphin Blvd in Jamaica, Queens.

Dick and Doris Vanadrigham's 1954 Chevrolet, of Salt Lake City, Utah, was restyled by Gordy Brown in the early 1960s.

Gerald Twamley's 1954 Chevrolet 210 2-door sedan of Artesia, California. The car was originally restyled in the late 1950s, and it went trough at least two iterations before Gerald tore it down to fit it with canted quad headlights in 1959. The work was done by a guy in San Pedro. When the job was almost done, Gerald got drafted in to the army and decided to sell the car for $300 in 1960.

Tom Von Pertz's 1954 Chevrolet of Lynwood, California. Tom was a member of the Tridents of Southern California car club, and he had the car when he joined the club in 1960.

Al Peirish's 1954 Ford Skyliner of Inglewood, California was restyled by Don Roberts of Bear Custom Shop in 1962. Al's Skyliner was one of the last customs to come out of Don's shop.

The second version of John Nadzon's 1954 Mercury of Parsippany, New Jersey was restyled by Korky's Kustom Shop. The car, named The Mysterian, made its debut February 17, 1960 at the Hartford Autorama.

Sven Blüme's 1954 Plymouth Convertible of Lidingö, Sweden. Sven's Plymouth was restyled in 1965.

Arne Lindstrand's 1955 Chevrolet of Stockholm, Sweden. Arne's Chevrolet was restyled in the 1960s. This is how it appeared at the 1966 Hot Rod Show in Stockholm.

Don Brock's 1955 Chevrolet of Salt Lake City, Utah as it appeared around 1961 Don was a member of the Crusaders of Salt Lake City car club.

Leif Helander's 1955 Chevrolet Convertible

Rodney Rice's 1955 Chevrolet of Ann Arbor, Michigan. The car, known as "the Astorian," was restyled by the Alexander Brothers and Fostoria Customs. The build was completed in 1964.

Gil Ayala's 1955 Ford Thunderbird of East Los Angeles, California. Known as the Wild Bird, the car was restyled by Gil and Al Ayala at Gil's Auto Body Works. The first version was completed in 1956. In the early 1960s Gil redid the car.

Gordy O'Hara's 1955 Ford Thunderbird of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Gordy purchased the Thunderbird from a local Ford dealership in 1957. At the time he was only 19 years old. Gordy spent the next 5 years hopping up and restyling the car. The build was completed in 1962.

Larry Quatrone's 1955 Ford Crown Victoria was painted candy gold and lime by Larry Watson in 1960.

Lee Bailey's 1955 Ford Convertible of Battle Creek, Michigan. Lee was a member of the Automotive Engineers of Battle Creek. The Ford was his first car. His dad bought it for him in 1960, and he helped him restyle it the same year.

Øistein Bondeson's 1955 Ford Fairlane of Oppegård, Norway. The front on Øistein's Ford was modified to accept a tube grille in 1969.

Sal Consiglio's 1955 Ford of New York City, New York. Sal lived in the Richmond Hill neighbourhood. He was a member of the 1320 Crusaders car club, and his Ford was restyled in 1962. The build was sold before it was completed.

Bill Schott's 1956 Chevrolet Corvette of Portland, Oregon. Bill was a member of The Kings of Portland car club, and his Corvette was mildly restyled by Von Hunter in 1960.

Larry Nixon's 1956 Chevrolet Nomad of Tacoma, Washington received a custom paint job by Dick Page in 1967.

Oscar and Ernesto Ruelas' 1956 Chevrolet of East Los Angeles, California. Oscar and Ernesto were founding members of the Duke's car club, and their Chevrolet, known as Mr. Know it All, received a custom paint job by Joe Andersen at Joe Andersen's Custom Shop in the mid 1960s.

Ron Aguirre's 1956 Chevrolet "X-Sonic" Corvette of Rialto, California. By May of 1961 the car had received a futuristic bubble top. In 1960, the year the Predicta won “The Car of the Future Award”, an earlier iteration of the X-Sonic was shown at the National Roadster Show. After the show, Ron and his good friend Ed Roth decided that they wanted to build “Feature” cars and get paid to show them, not just win trophies. Ron had already installed hydraulic lifts on the Corvette, and now he wanted to go futuristic, replacing the stock top with a plastic bubble top.

Ed Roth's Beatnik Bandit of Bell, California. The Beatnik Bandit was Ed Roth’s first bubble top show rod. In 1960 Ed and Darryl Starbird toured together. Starbird had the Predicta, and Ed had the Outlaw. Starbird remembered that they often discussed building bubble top cars, and Starbird told him about how they made the top for the Predicta. Built by Roth and Dirty Doug Kinney, the Beatnik Bandit was Roth’s second fiberglass build. The body was sculptured over a shortened 1950 Oldsmobile chassis, and it featured a blown and chromed Oldmosbile engine. The build was completed in 1961, around the same time as Ron Aguirre’s X-Sonic.

Ron Aguirre's 1956 Chevrolet Corvette of Rialto, California. Ron's Corvette, known as the X-Sonic, received a scallop paint job by Larry Watson of Watson's House of Style in 1961.

Bo Hedenström's 1956 Ford Fairlane of Stockholm, Sweden. The build, know as the Avalanche, was started in 1966 and completed in 1967.

The second version of Don Von Dwingelo's 1956 Ford Thunderbird made its debut in 1960.

Gene Boucher's 1956 Ford, The Marquis, was restyled by Bill Cushenbery of Cushenbery Custom Shop. The build took two and a half year to complete, and it made its debut in January of 1962.

Sven Sandberg's 1956 Ford Sunliner convertible of Stockholm, Sweden. Sven's Sunliner was completed in 1964, featuring a Burgundy Mist paint job by his brother Bo Sandberg. Bo ran a custom shop named Yankee Customs.

Bob Dzemske's 1956 Lincoln of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Bob's Lincoln was restyled by Dave Puhl and Johnny Malik at Trend Automotive in 1960.

Bill Shelley's 1957 Chevrolet Corvette of Oakland, California. Named "Bali Hi," the car was restyled by Bill and Bob McNulty. The build was completed in 1960.

Dan Contreras' 1957 Chevrolet of Norwalk, California. Restyled in 1963, Dan's Chevrolet featured Copper plated spotlights, wheels and side pipes.

Dave Jenkins' 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air

Per Sjøvall's 1957 Chevrolet of Oslo, Norway was restyled around 1967 - 1968.

Doug Osterman's 1957 DeSoto of San Jose, California. Doug's Desoto was first restyled by Flyer Tabata at Flyers Body Shop in 1959. In 1960 it was taken to Joe Bailon of Bailon Custom Shop for a makeover. This version received one of Bailon's signature Candy Apple Red paint jobs.

Hans Broberg and Kjelle Gustad's 1957 DeSoto of Enskedefältet in Stockholm, Sweden was built in the early 1960s. Hans and Kjelle belonged to a little club called Sill Drivers, and they were often called "Sillarna". This photo shows the car as it appeared in 1964.

Bill Schott's 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 of Portland, Oregon. Bill was a member of The Kings of Portland car club, and his Fairlane was mildly restyled by Von Hunter in 1961.

Jerry Drake's 1957 Ford Fairlane of Lansing, Michigan. Jerry was a custom painter and pinstriper, operating under the name "Spider the Crazy Painter". He was also the President of the Injectors of Lyons car club. Jerry's Ford, known as the Candy Cane, received a custom paint job by Jerry and his buddy Dave Edmonds in July of 1960.

Matti Johanson's 1957 Ford Ranchero of Sweden. Matti's "Ranchero" started life as station wagon.The build was completed in 1965. The same year it was displayed at the first Hot Rod Show in Stockholm.

Red Pierce's 1957 Oldsmobile as it looked in the mid 1960s. Red's Olds was fit with hydraulic lifts all around.

Jim and George Bernardo's 1957 Plymouth convertible of Milford, Connecticut. Jim and George ran Bernardo Auto Body in Milford, and they were specialists in unique finishes such as Metalic, Candy, Pearl and Metalflake. Their Plymouth was completed early in 1961, making its debut at the 1961 Hartford Autorama. It featured a Silver Metalflake paint job, making it one of the first Metalflaked cars.

Steve Drale's 1958 Cadillac Brougham was mildly restyled in 1965.

Bruce Schwartz' 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air - The "Blue Car"

Dennis McKee's 1958 Chevrolet Impala of Torrance, California. Dennis' Impala was restyled in 1962, and it received a pearl Tangerine paint job by Joe Andersen of Joe Andersen's Custom Shop in the Summer of 1962.

Doug Osterman's 1958 Chevrolet Corvette of San Jose, California. Doug's mild Corvette was restyled in 1961.

Gary Ruddell's 1958 Chevrolet Corvette of Norwalk, California. Gary bought the Corvette in 1960. At the time he was the President of the Seagrams of Norwalk car club.

Joe Hurst's 1958 Chevrolet Impala was restyled and fit with lifts in the mid 1960s.

John and Rebecca Hackler's 1958 Chevrolet

Dick Rothfuss' 1959 Chevrolet Impala of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dick's Impala, known as "Poopsie", was restyled late 1959 - early 1960.

Forest Cutler's 1959 Chevrolet Impala was built in South Dakota in the early 1960s.

Harald Sannum's 1959 Chevrolet Impala was restyled in 1965, and it is known as one of the first full custom cars of Norway.

Sven Sandberg's 1959 Chevrolet Impala of Stockholm, Sweden. The car was originally a two-door hardtop, but Sven cut the roof off it and fit it with a tonneau cover in 1965.

Bo Sandberg's 1959 Ford Thunderbird of Älvesjö in Stockholm, Sweden. This version of Bo's first Thunderbird was completed in 1962.

The Surfin Bird version of Bo Sandberg's 1959 Ford Thunderbird of Älvesjö in Stockholm, Sweden was completed in 1964.

Bo Sandberg's 1959 Ford Thunderbird of Stockholm, Sweden. Bo's Thunderbird, named the Wild Bird was completed in 1966. Bo ran a custom, paint and parts shop called Yankee Customs.

Bob Croatti's 1959 Ford Thunderbird of Milford, Connecticut. Bob's Thunderbird was restyled by Bernardo Auto Body. The build was completed in 1961, and it made its debut at the 1961 Hartford Autorama.

John Guenther's 1959 Ford Galaxie Sunliner of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Restyled in 1960, the car was shown as "The Beach Boy."

Eddie Buckston’s 1960 Chevrolet Impala of New York City, New York. Eddie lived in the Richmond Hill neighbourhood, and his mildly restyled Impala had been fitted with 1962 Pontiac Bonneville taillights.

Mark Jorgenson's 1960 Chevrolet Impala was restyled in the mid 1960s featuring lifts up front by Dick & Ron's and a pearl blue fadeaway paint job by Joe Andersen's Custom Shop.

Tom Von Pertz's 1960 Chevrolet Impala of Lynwood, California. Tom was a member of the Tridents of Southern California, and his Impala featured a bright red paint job with a bright pearl stripe painted by Barris Auto in Lynwood. Barris painted the stripe circa 1961.

Calvin Wilkes' 1960 Ford - The Candy Cane

Geno Janokowski's 1960 Ford - The Black Jack

Jim Beeson's 1960 Ford Starliner of Paramount, California. Jim was a member of the Dutchmen of Paramount car club, and the bought the car brand new in the Spring of 1960.

Mike Perello's 1960 Ford Starliner was restyled and fit with hydraulics in 1964.

Dell Chandler's 1960 Pontiac Ventura of a Lansing, Michigan. Dell's Pontiac received a scallop and panel paint job by Jerry Drake and Larry Cooper in 1960.

Joe Hurst's 1961 Buick Electra was restyled in 1965.

Richard Mikami's 1961 Chevrolet Impala of Gardena, California. Restyled in 1964, Richard's Impala featured hydraulic lifts by Bill Hines, a Pearl paint job by Joe Andersen and a custom upholstery by Russ and Bess. The car was known as "The Ant Killer"

Mike Smith's 1962 Chevrolet Impala was restyled in the mid 1960s.

Mike Smith's 1965 Buick Riviera was restyled in the mid 1960s

Howard Gribble's 1961 Ford Starliner of Torrance, California was restyled by Carl Darling and Howard Gribble. The build was completed early in 1966. Unfortunately a truck smashed one side of the car shortly thereafter.

Ken McGoldrick's 1939 Chevrolet Coupe of Southern California. Ken worked as a Manager for Larry Watson at Watson's House of Style in the late 1960s. He was working on the Chevy while he was working for Watson. By 1967 Ken's coupe had been fit with hydraulic lifts up front.

Carl Darling's 1961 Ford Starliner was restyled around 1967/1968.

Carl Tucker's 1961 Ford of Panorama City, California. In 1967 or 1968 Carl's Ford was pinstriped by Walt Prey.

Jim Robertson's 1961 Ford of Simi Valley, California. Jim's Ford was restyled in 1969, and it featured a fadeaway paint job by Bill Carter of Carter Pro Paint and pinstriping by Walt Prey.

Sandy Gordon's 1961 Pontiac Bonnveille Convertible received a fadeaway paint job by Joe Andersen's Custom Shop in the summer of 1965.

The Pacifica is show car that Gene Winfield of Winfield's Custom Shop built for the Ford Custom Car Caravan in 1962.

Richard Zocchi's 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix was restyled by Gene Winfield of Winfield's Custom Shop in 1962.

George Barris' 1963 Buick Riviera of Encino, California. George, who owned and operated Barris Kustom City in North Hollywood, California, designed the car himself. Known as "The Villa Riviera Buick," the build was completed in 1963. In 1964 a white iteration of the car appeared in the popular Surf-movie "For Those Who Think Young".

Bob Nordskog's 1963 Chevrolet Corvette, The Asteroid, was restyled by Barris Kustoms in 1963.

Ray Farhner's 1963 Chevrolet Corvette, known as Outer Limits, was restyled by Ray Farhner of Farhner Custom Shop in Kansas City, Missouri in 1963.

Richard Mikami's 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray of Gardena, California. Richard installed hydraulic lifts on the car in 1966.

Gordy Brown's 1963 Ford Thunderbird of San Fernando, California. Gordy was originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, but decided to move to Southern California in the early 1960s, after Utah passed a law against altered suspension. The Thunderbird was built at his shop House of Customs around 1963/1964, and it featured hydraulic lifts on all four corners so he could raise it up by the touch of a switch.

Jim Boyd's 1963 Ford of California. By 1965 Jim's Ford had been fit with hydraulic lifts up front. It would later receive lifts in the rear as well, along with some custom modifications and a Larry Watson paint job.

Bob Guilbault's 1963 Pontiac Bonneville. Bob was a member of the San Fernando Valley Illusions car club.

Alexander Ruelas' 1965 Chevrolet Impala was originally restyled by Bill Hines around 1966/1967.

Dennis Unea's 1959 Chevrolet Impala was restyled by Bill Hines in 1969.

Richard Zocchi's 1964 Buick Wildcat of Concord, California. Richard's Buick featured hydraulic lifts by Bill Hines and a fadeaway paint job by Gene Winfield of Winfield's Custom Shop. The car was restyled in 1964, when it was brand new.

Allen Duke's 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS of Wilmington, California. Allen's lifted Impala went through several changes between 1965 and 1969. This was how it appeared after Carl Darling had given it a pearl blue paint job with a light cobweb effect on the side panels during the summer of 1967.

Allen Duke's 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS, of Wilmington, California, as it appeared in 1968, after Carl Darling had given it a more spectacular custom paint job.

Allen Duke's 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS of Wilmington, California as it appeared in 1969, after it had been turned into Bloody Mary.

The Calico Surfer was built by Barris Kustoms for Calvin Clark of Palos Verdes, California in 1964. Calvin was the publisher of the International Surfing Magazine.

The Reactor is an aluminum show-car built by Gene Winfield of Winfield's Custom Shop in 1965. Once completed, the car appeared in several television series. Gene bought the Reactor and restored it in time for the 50th Oakland Roadster Show in 1999.

The first version of Bob Huffman's 1965 Chevrolet, of Norwalk, California, featuring a bumperless front end design, restyled rear end and Hydraulics on all four corners was completed in 1966.

The second version of Bob Huffman's 1965 Chevrolet Impala, of Norwalk, California, was based on a design by Harry Bradley. The car was restyled by Bob and Tom Chafin. The build was completed in 1968.

Jim Arkin's 1965 Chevrolet Impala of San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California received a full custom paint job by Joe Andersen's Custom Shop and lifts on all four corners by Dick & Ron's in the summer of 1966.

Nick Hoogoian's 1965 Chevrolet Malibu of Granada Hills, San Fernando Valley received a fadeaway paint job by Joe Andersen's Custom Shop and lifts up front by Dick & Ron's in the summer of 1966.

Jim Arkin's 1965 Chevrolet Impala as it appeared after Joe Andersen of Joe Andersen's Custom Shop had repainted it black pearl with cobweb in 1967.

Jerry Cove's 1966 Pontiac GTO of Hillside, New Jersey. Les Cove built this car for his son Jerry in the 1960s. Painted blue, it featured a chopped top, Thunderbird taillights, Buick Riviera headlights, and a bumperless design. Photo courtesy of Jerry Cove.

Milton Mills' 1965 Chevrolet Impala. In 1967 Bill Hines painted and installed hydraulic lifts on the car for Milton.

Steve Arnold's 1965 Chevrolet Malibu of Gardena, California. Steve was a member of the Tridents of Southern California car club. In 1967 Steve installed lifts on the Malibu.

Kenny Isaak's 1965 Pontiac. Kenny's Pontiac was restyled by Tom Chafin in 1967.

Bob Stepanion's 1966 Chevrolet El Camino was restyled by Gordy Brown of House of Customs in 1966.

Dave Stuckey's 1965 Pontiac Catalina of Wichita, Kansas. The build was started in 1967 and completed in 1969. The car was Dave's personal driver, and the overall height of it was drastically reduced by chopping the top 3 inches, sectioning the body 3 inches, channeling it 2 inches and lowering it 6 inches.

The Dodge Deora is a radical design interpretation of the Dodge A100 forward-control pickup truck. The Deora’s striking lines were penned by California-based designer Harry Bradley. It was built by the Alexander Brothers of Detroit, Michigan. The build was started in 1964 and completed in 1966. Once completed the unique creation was honored with the coveted Ridler Award at the 1967 Detroit Autorama.

Bo Sandberg's Cool Cat. The Cool Cat was a customized Jaguar E-Type built by Bo Sandberg of of Yanke Customs in Älvesjö, Stockholm, Sweden. The build was completed in 1967, featuring a a red and pink Metalflake paint job.

Jerry Woodward's X2000 of Provo, Utah was completed in 1962. The futuristic creation was a featured car at the 1962 National Roadster Show.

Dick & Ron's Custom of Huntington Park, California propably installed more lifts then anyone else in the 1960s. Photo courtesy of Mike Davis.

Custom painter Dick Kalivoda's business card. Dick was from Seattle, Washington. Photo courtesy of Dick Page.

The 11th annual Hartford Autorama was held February 22-26, 1961 at the Connecticut State Armory in Hartford, Connecticut.

The 2nd annual Tridents Rod and Custo-Rama was held November 16-23, 1961 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California.

The 7th San Mateo Custom, Rod & Sports Car Show was held January 5-7, 1962 in San Mateo, California.

The 8th annual Portland Roadster Show was held March 5-8, 1964 at the Memorial Colosseum Portland, Oregon.

The 1964 Pacific Northwest Motorama was held November 6 - 8, 1964 at the Tacoma Armory in Tacoma, Washington. The show was presented by the Tacoma Toppers car club.

The 1965 Winternationals was held January 28 - February 7, 1965, consisting of the Winternationals Custom Auto Fair and the Winternationals Championship Drag Races.

The 1965 Pacific Northwest Motorama was held November 5 - 7, 1965 at the Tacoma Armory in Tacoma, Washington. The show was presented by the Tacoma Toppers car club.

The 1966 Showtime Sweden Örebro show was held January 6 thru 9, 1966 at Görtz Motor in Örebro, Sweden.

The 1966 Masthugget Hot Rod Festival was held October 26-30, 1966 at BP Bilpark Masthugget in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The 1966 Linköping Hot Rod Festival was held November 25-27, 1966 at Rally Hotel in Linköping, Sweden.

The flyer for the April 1967 Hot Rod Show in Stockholm, Sweden. Two Hot Rod Show's were held in Stockholm in 1967. The first took place April 5-9, 1967.

Jim Arkin's 1967 Buick Riviera of Los Angeles, California. Jim was a member of the San Fernando Valley Illusions car club, and in 1968 his Riviera featured 8 inch Ansen slotted aluminum wheels, and a subtle business men's pinstripe by Larry Watson of Watson's House of Style. The pinstripe consisted of two lines, a half inch apart, that ran the length of the car.

<-- 1950s - 1970s -->

Teenage Boom!

By 1960 more than a million and a half cars were registered in teenagers’ names in the US. The rapid growth of the suburbs and their teen population had helped spread hot rodding and customizing across the country. If you lived in the suburbs, owning a car would for many become a necessity as school and jobs were not often easily reached by public transportation.

Lowriders

The first hydraulic lifts were installed on custom and show cars in the late 1950s. In the early to mid 1960s most cars running around with hydraulics were considered custom cars. As the trend started moving towards nice, clean cars, most lowriders in the mid to late 1960s weren't considered customs anymore due to their lack of body modifications. The mainstream automotive press began to recognize the importance of lowriding, and used the term as early as 1966 to describe cars like Jerry Cohen's 1948 Chevrolet.

Hot Rods of the 1960s

Steve Scott's Uncertain-T
Dan Woods' Milk Truck
John Toohey's 2E-"T" Ford Model R Toadster
John Toohey's Royal-T Ford Model T C Cab
John Toohey's Ice T Ford Model T Touring
Don Tognotti's 1913 Ford Model T Roadster - "King T"
Bo Sandberg's 1923 Ford Model T Roadster - Purple Passion
Buzz Pitzen's 1923 Ford Fiberglass Bodied Model T Roadster - The Glass Image
Lee A. Jagla's 1923 Ford Model T Roadster Pick Up
Palle Eriksson's 1924 Chevrolet Roadster
Bill Cissell's 1925 Ford Model T Roadster
Larry Hughes 1926 Ford Model T Roadster Pick Up - The Bomber
Bo Huff's 1927 Ford Model T Bucket
Hasse Broberg's Modified
Eldon E. Schmidt's 1929 Ford Model A Roadster
Jerry McGinnis' 1929 Ford Model A Roadster
Dick Ceola's 1930 Ford Model A Truck
Bengt Wennergren's 1931 Ford Model A Roadster
Bill Leslie's 1931 Ford Model A Coupe
Bob Hagerty's 1931 Ford Model A Tudor Sedan - Jade East
Norman Kopp's 1932 Chevrolet Coupe
Art Lehner's 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe - The Blue Indigo
Gary Priebe's 1932 Ford Roadster
Gunnar Johansson's 1932 Ford 5-Window Coupe
Jonas Qvarnström's 1931 Ford Model A Roadster
Lars-Erik Johansson's 1931 Ford Model A Roadster - The Orange Fink
Martin Oja's 1931 Ford Model A Coupe
Ron Maxwell's 1932 Austin Bantam
Göran Silfors' 1932 Ford Roadster - Early Bird
Lars Erik Ljungkvist's 1932 Ford Roadster
Lew Wolff's 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe
Max Magness' 1932 Ford Cabriolet
Roland Larsson's 1932 Ford Roadster
Sven Sandberg's 1932 Ford 5-Window Coupe - The Glowing Coupe
Don Vargo's 1934 Ford Cabriolet - The 69er
Egeo Barci's 1934 Ford Roadster
Per Arne Knudsen's 1934 Ford Cabriolet
Raymond Patricco's 1934 Ford Roadster
Rick Menz' 1934 Ford Tudor Sedan
Ron Maxwell's 1934 Ford 5-Window Coupe
John Erik Baalerud's 1935 Ford Cabriolet

Custom Cars of the 1960s

Bob Davis' 1935 Ford 5-Window Coupe
Göran Silfors' 1936 Ford Sedan
Pete Limpert's 1936 Ford Tudor Sedan
Rich Vachata's 1936 Ford Convertible
Harry Fry's 1937 Ford Cabriolet
Hasse Broberg and Kjelle Gustad's 1938 Chevrolet Convertible
Ken McGoldrick's 1939 Chevrolet Coupe
Gary Overby's 1940 Chevrolet Coupe
Don Moore's 1940 Ford Coupe
Dan Hiramoto's 1941 Buick Century Convertible - Raven
Augustus Eberman's 1941 Chevrolet Coupe
John Sak's 1941 Ford Convertible
Roger Squires' 1947 Chevrolet Fleetline - Pastime
Per Ivar Kolgrov's 1948 Mercury Convertible
Bengt Wennergren's 1949 Ford
Gary Overby's 1949 Ford
Lloyd C. Hammond's 1949 Ford - The Majestic Lady
Billy Stein's 1950 Mercury Four-Door
Herb Passburger's 1950 Mercury
Ken Bausert's 1950 Mercury Convertible
Ralph Tyrone Scarfo's 1950 Oldsmobile 88 Hardtop
Bjørn Tømmervik and Ivar Buxrud's 1951 Chevrolet Bel-Air
Marshall's 1951 Chevrolet Fleetline
Tim Smith's 1951 Ford Victoria
Einar Valsjø's 1952 Mercury
Art Fortin's 1953 Ford Sunliner Convertible
Bo Thalinsson's 1953 Ford Sunliner Convertible
Jarle Pedersen's 1953 Mercury
Buddy Katlik's 1953 Plymouth 4-Door Sedan
Richie Daus’ 1954 Buick Convertible
Dick and Doris Vanadrigham's 1954 Chevrolet
Gerald Twamley's 1954 Chevrolet 210 2-Door Sedan
Tom Von Pertz's 1954 Chevrolet
Al Peirish's 1954 Ford Skyliner
John Nadzon's 1954 Mercury - The Mysterian
Sven Blüme's 1954 Plymouth Convertible
Roy Abendroth's 1955 Buick Century - The BuSonic
Arne Lindstrand's 1955 Chevrolet
Don Brock's 1955 Chevrolet
Irvin Kirschner's 1955 Chevrolet - The Pirate
Leif Helander's 1955 Chevrolet Convertible
Rodney Rice's 1955 Chevrolet - The Astorian
Gil Ayala's 1955 Ford Thunderbird - The Wild Bird
Gordy O'Hara's 1955 Ford Thunderbird - "Scorchy"
Larry Quatrone's 1955 Ford Crown Victoria
Lee Bailey's 1955 Ford Convertible
Sal Consiglio's 1955 Ford
Øistein Bondeson's 1955 Ford Fairlane
Bill Schott's 1956 Chevrolet Corvette
Larry Nixon's 1956 Chevrolet Nomad
Les Mullen's 1956 Chevrolet Corvette - Dominique
Oscar and Ernesto Ruelas' 1956 Chevrolet
Ron Aguirre's 1956 Chevrolet Corvette The X-Sonic
Bo Hedenström's 1956 Ford Fairlane - The Avalanche
Don Von Dwingelo's 1956 Ford Thunderbird
Gene Boucher's 1956 Ford - The Marquis
Sven Sandberg's 1956 Ford Sunliner Convertible
Bob Dzemske's 1956 Lincoln Capri
Bill Shelley's 1957 Chevrolet Corvette - "Bali Hi"
Dan Contreras' 1957 Chevrolet
Dave Jenkins' 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air
Per Sjøvall's 1957 Chevrolet
Doug Osterman's 1957 DeSoto
Hans Broberg and Kjelle Gustad's 1957 DeSoto
Bill Schott's 1957 Ford Fairlane 500
Jerry Drake's 1957 Ford Fairlane - Candy Cane
Matti Johanson's 1957 Ford Ranchero
Red Pierce's 1957 Oldsmobile
Jim and George Bernardo's 1957 Plymouth Convertible
Steve Drale's 1958 Cadillac Brougham
Bruce Schwartz' 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air - The "Blue Car"
Dennis McKee's 1958 Chevrolet Impala
Doug Osterman's 1958 Chevrolet Corvette
Joe Hurst's 1958 Chevrolet Impala
John and Rebecca Hackler's 1958 Chevrolet Impala
Dick Scully's 1958 Ford Thunderbird - Electra
Dennis Unea's 1959 Chevrolet Impala
Forest Cutler's 1959 Chevrolet Impala
Harald Sannum's 1959 Chevrolet Impala
Joe Roth's 1959 Chevrolet Impala
Sven Sandberg's 1959 Chevrolet Impala
Tom Holden's 1959 Chevrolet El Camino - Ultimus
Bo Sandberg's 1959 Ford Thunderbird - Surfin Bird
Bo Sandberg's 1959 Ford Thunderbird - The Wild Bird
John Guenther's 1959 Ford Galaxie Sunliner - "The Beach Boy"
Dick Rothfuss' 1959 Chevrolet Impala - "Poopsie"
Mark Jorgenson's 1960 Chevrolet Impala
Bob Croatti's 1959 Ford Thundrbird
Danny Leonette's 1960 Chevrolet Impala
Eddie Buckston’s 1960 Chevrolet Impala
Tom Von Pertz's 1960 Chevrolet Impala
Bill Whetstone's 1960 Ford Starliner - The Adonis
Calvin Wilkes' 1960 Ford - The Candy Cane
Gary Ruddell's 1960 Ford Starliner
Geno Janokowski's 1960 Ford - The Black Jack
Jim Beeson's 1960 Ford Starliner
Mike Perello's 1960 Ford Starliner
Dell Chandler's 1960 Pontiac Ventura
Joe Hurst's 1961 Buick Electra
Richard Mikami's 1961 Chevrolet Impala - The Ant Killer
Carl Darling's 1961 Ford Starliner
Carl Tucker's 1961 Ford
Howard Gribble's 1961 Ford Starliner
Jim Robertson's 1961 Ford
Sandy Gordon's 1961 Pontiac Bonnveille Convertible
Mike Smith's 1962 Chevrolet Impala
Dick Axcell's 1962 Ford Thunderbird
The Pacifica
Bobby Freedman's 1962 Jaguar XK-E
Richard Zocchi's 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix
George Barris' 1963 Buick Riviera - The Villa Riviera
Bob Nordskog's 1963 Chevrolet Corvette - The Asteroid
Ray Farhner's 1963 Chevrolet Corvette - Outer Limits
Richard Mikami's 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Gordy Brown's 1963 Ford Thunderbird
Jim Boyd's 1963 Ford
Bob Guilbault's 1963 Pontiac Bonneville
Richard Zocchi's 1964 Buick Wildcat
Allen Duke's 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS
Jerry Greenwade’s 1964 Chevrolet Corvette - Cosma Ray
Mike Smith's 1965 Buick Riviera
Alexander Ruelas' 1965 Chevrolet Impala
Bob Huffman's 1965 Chevrolet Impala
Jim Arkin's 1965 Chevrolet Impala
Milton Mills' 1965 Chevrolet Impala
Steve Arnold's 1965 Chevrolet Malibu
Nick Hoogoian's 1965 Chevrolet Malibu
Dave Stuckey's 1965 Pontiac Catalina
Kenny Isaak's 1965 Pontiac
Bob Stepanion's 1966 Chevrolet El Camino
Jerry Cove's 1966 Pontiac GTO
The Dodge Deora
Bo Sandberg's Cool Cat
Jim Arkin's 1967 Buick Riviera

Hydraulic Lifted Cars of the 1960s

Ed Roth's Mysterion
Pete Limpert's 1936 Ford Tudor Sedan
Ken McGoldrick's 1939 Chevrolet Coupe
Roger Squires' 1947 Chevrolet Fleetline - Pastime
Roy Abendroth's 1955 Buick Century - The BuSonic
Teddy Zgrzemski' 1957 Chevrolet Nomad
David Woo's 1957 Chevrolet
Teddy Zgrzemski' 1957 Chevrolet Nomad
Red Pierce's 1957 Oldsmobile
Joe Hurst's 1958 Chevrolet Impala
Tats Gotanda's 1959 Chevrolet Impala - The Buddah Buggy
Mark Jorgenson's 1960 Chevrolet Impala
Mike Perello's 1960 Ford Starliner
Richard Mikami's 1961 Chevrolet Impala - The Ant Killer
Carl Darling's 1961 Ford Starliner
Sandy Gordon's 1961 Pontiac Bonnveille Convertible
Mike Smith's 1962 Chevrolet Impala
Tom Chafin's 1963 Buick Riviera
Richard Mikami's 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Gordy Brown's 1963 Ford Thunderbird
Jim Boyd's 1963 Ford
Richard Zocchi's 1964 Buick Wildcat
Allen Duke's 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS - Bloody Mary
Mike Smith's 1965 Buick Riviera - Lemon Drop
Alexander Ruelas' 1965 Chevrolet Impala
Bob Huffman's 1965 Chevrolet Impala
Jim Arkin's 1965 Chevrolet Impala
Milton Mills' 1965 Chevrolet Impala
Steve Arnold's 1965 Chevrolet Malibu
Nick Hoogoian's 1965 Chevrolet Malibu
Howard Gribble's 1966 Buick Riviera
Howard Gribble's 1967 Chevrolet Impala

Competition Cars of the 1960s

Dick Kalivoda and John Hamlin's 1925 Ford Modified Model T Roadster

Hot Rod and Custom Show Cars of the 1960s

Bill Cushenbery's Silhouette
Bob Larivee's Stiletto
Dean Jeffries' Mantaray
Ed Roth's Beatnik Bandit
Ed Roth's Mysterion
Ed Roth's Orbitron
Ed Roth's Road Agent
Ed Roth's Rotar
The Calico Surfer
Darryl Starbird's Futurista
Darryl Starbird's Predicta
Gene Winfield's Strip Star
Jerry Woodward's X2000
J.P. Danos' 1958 Chevrolet Biscayne - Fantabula
Ron Kozak's Bubble Top Studebaker
The Car Craft Dream Rod
The Forcasta
The Reactor

Dragsters of the 1960s

Manuel Gonzalez's Californian

Custom Builds of the 1960s

Paul Wirt's Experimental Car

Concept Cars of the 1960s

Plymouth XNR

Hot Rod, Custom Car and Lowrider Clubs of the 1960s

1320 Crusaders
Automotive Engineers of Battle Creek
Bay Cities Conservatives
Bearing Busters of Berwyn
Chancellors of Van Nuys
Coach Masters of Wheaton
Crusaders of Clifton
DI-Gammas of Seattle
Downriver Modified
Duke's
Golden Gears of Daly City
Hayward V-Eights
Imperials of Sarnia
Injectors of Lyons
Londeaus of Oakland
Lords of Wilmington
Nomads of Oakland
Nor-Way Custom
Ozark Drifters of Fayetteville
Pan Draggers of Fresno
Rev Masters of Sarnia
Road Knights of Sydney
Roadsters Turtles
Romans Hot Rod Association
Rum Runners of Long Beach
San Bernardino Krankers
San Fernando Valley Illusions
Saints of Sydney
Satin Shifters of Chatham
Spades of Melbourne
Tridents
Viking Custom

Custom Body Shops of the 1960s

Barris Kustoms
Bear Custom Shop
Bernardo Auto Body
Cooper Body Shop
Farhner Custom Shop
Flyers Body Shop
Heinrichs Auto
House of Customs
Renewal Body Shop
Trend Automotive
Yankee Customs

Custom Upholstery Shops of the 1960s

Dave's Trim
Johnny's Top Shop
Redcar

Custom Paint Shops of the 1960s

Bo's Paints
Carter Pro Paint
Joe Andersen's Custom Shop
Kent's Customs
Korky's Kustom Shop
Mr B's Custom Shop
Watson's House of Style

Custom Painters of the 1960s

Dave Puhl
Dick Kalivoda
Jerry Drake - Spider the Crazy Painter
Larry Watson

Pinstripers of the 1960s

Jerry Drake - Spider the Crazy Painter
Walt Prey

Hydraulic Lift Shops of the 1960s

Red
Dick & Ron's

Speed Shops of the 1960s

Bill Frick Motors

Custom Wheels and Accessories Shops of the 1960s

Mr. M's

Hot Rod and Custom Car Shows of the 1960s

Buffalo Autorama
Grand Rapids Rod & Custom Show
Hartford Autorama
Hot Rod Festival
Hot Rod Show
Pacific Northwest Motorama
Portland Roadster Show
Ram Rods Rod and Custom Car Show
Rochester's National Auto Review
San Mateo Custom, Rod & Sports Car Show
Showtime Sweden
Syracuse Autorama
Toronto Autorama
Tridents Rod and Custo-Rama
Winternationals Custom Auto Fair

Drag Racing Events of the 1960s

Detroit NHRA Nationals
Winternationals Championshop Drag Races