1952

Louis Banto and Jack Perre's 1927 Ford roadster of Los Angeles, California was completed around 1951/1952.

Paul Sylva's 1927 Ford Model T Roadster was completed in 1951

Buzz DeChamp's 1931 Ford Model A Roadster, of San Francisco, California was completed in 1952.

Bill Jerry's 1932 Ford Roadster of Jay, Maine. The build started as a 5-Window Coupe in 1949. In 1951, he replaced the coupe body with a roadster body. By early 1952, it underwent a substantial aesthetic update, receiving a fresh coat of paint at a local Chrysler dealership. Peter Bennett of Portland, Maine owned the old hot rod in 2024, by then, it had seen many roads, drag strips, and shows.

Doug Hartelt's 1934 Ford 3-Window Coupe

Fred Crellar's 1940 Chevrolet convertible of Concord, California. The build was started in 1948, and completed around 1951-1952. In 1974 Satans Angels member Ron Brooks of Castro Valley, California bought the car and restyled it further.

Dick Brooks' 1940 Ford Convertible, was originally restyled by Jean Sheppard of Seattle, Washington in 1952.

Jack T. Chandler's 1941 Ford of Huntsville, Texas. Jack's Ford was restyled by Spohn Coachworks in Ravensburg, Germany. It was completed around 1951 - 1952, featured in Speed Age October 1952, and it is the first LeSabre inspired Spohn build we have found in print. The rear end of Jack's car was inspired by both the LeSabre and the Buick XP-300.

Tommy Thornburgh's 1947 Studebaker of Gardena, California was restyled by Barris Kustoms. The build was completed late in 1952.

Robert Mooselli's 1948 Mercury

Frank Livingston's 1949 Chevrolet Fleetline as it looked when he bought it in 1952.

Gene Schilling's 1949 Chevrolet Convertible of Kenosha, Wisconsin. Customized in 1952, the car was built by Gene and his two buddies Kurt Lineau and Art Hubbard.

Spencer Murray's 1949 Chevrolet of Glendale, California. Spencer worked for Link Paola at Link's Custom Shop when they restyled the car, and he had a heck of a time getting him to work on it. They chopped the top of the car 3 inches in September 1950. We don't know when the build was completed, but Spencer showed it at the 1952 National Roadster Show in Oakland.

Bill Irwin's 1949 Ford Convertible, of Pasadena, California was restyled by Gordon Vann's Body Shop in 1952

Michael Violante's 1949 Ford Convertible

Warren Dorrill's 1949 Ford - The Shark

Louie Bettancourt's 1949 Mercury was restyled by Gil's Auto Body Works. The first version of the car was shown at the Petersen Motorama in November of 1952.

Ron Dunn's 1950 Ford of Glendale, California. Known as the "Monte Carlo", Ron's Ford was restyled by Valley Custom Shop. The first iteration of the car was completed in 1952.

Buddy Alcorn's 1950 Mercury was originally restyled by the Ayala Brothers at Gil's Auto Body Works for an undisclosed owner in 1952. Buddy Alcorn of Dominguez, California acquired the car in 1955 and promptly took it to Barris Kustoms for further enhancements.

Don Pulford's 1950 Mercury, of Burbank, California was restyled by Bill Babb's Custom Shop between 1950 and 1952. It was upholstered by L & L Upholstery Shop of Glendale

Wally Troy's 1950 Oldsmobile Convertible, the Troy Special, was built in 1952.

Carl Szembrot's 1950 Studebaker convertible of Albany, New York was restyled by R. K. Body Works around 1951-1952. The rear end of the car was inspired by the 1951 Gm LeSabre concept car.

Pete Chiello's 1951 Ford Victoria

Bob Hirohata's 1951 Mercury was restyled by Barris Kustoms. The build was completed in 1952, just in time for the 1952 Motorama.

Frank Airheart's 1951 Oldsmobile 98 Convertible

Anthony Heinsbergen's Muntz

Nick Cozzitorto's 1952 Ford F-1 Pickup. In 1952, with barely 100 miles on the odometer, Nick brought the pickup to Gene Winfield at Winfield's Custom Shop for a full custom treatment.

Clark Gable's 1952 Jaguar XK 120 of Hollywood, California. The car was mildly restyled by Barris Kustoms in 1952 before it received a padded top by Carson Top Shop. This photo shows Gable in front of the Jaguar at Barris Kustoms.

Chet Herbert's Beast III

The Donz Lancer was built by Donz Custom Shop in Orlando in 1952

Emory Bozzani's 1952 Plymouth Sedan was restyled in 1952.

The 1952 Fageol Pataray Roadster, a unique creation by Ray Fageol, featured a 300 horsepower Fageol bus engine in a roadster body. It was a standout cover car for Mechanix Illustrated, embodying a two-tone design that merged family legacy with automotive innovation, highlighting the Fageol's influence in early American sports car history.

An article from The Alameda Times-Star January 31, 1952 that previews the anticipated rivalry between George Barris of Los Angeles and Joe Bailon of San Leandro at the 1952 National Roadster Show. With five custom entries from Bailon’s shop challenging the reigning champions, the Kustoms of Los Angeles, the event was billed as a North vs. South showdown between two of the nation's top custom car builders.

The first annual Pasadena Auto Show and Reliability Run was held March 30, 1952 at Victory Park in Pasadena, California.

The Road Kings of Burbank car club was established in 1952

<-- 1951 - 1950s - 1953 -->

By 1952, customizers were refining their craft with understated, classy modifications, often borrowing cues from European sports cars. Valley Custom Shop set a perfect example with Ron Dunn’s 1950 Ford, sectioned and fitted with radiused wheel wells. Rather than going for radical show-car flair, Dunn’s Ford exuded a refined, near-factory elegance, a trend that resonated with many builders seeking sleek yet streetable customs.

1 The Sports Custom Craze
2 The 1951 GM LeSabre
3 North vs. South: Barris vs. Bailon
4 The Hirohata Merc Debuts
5 Other Notable Events
6 Hot Rods Built or Completed in 1952
7 Custom Cars Restyled or Completed In 1952
8 Sport Custom Built or Completed in 1952
9 Hot Rod and Custom Car Clubs Established in 1952
10 Custom Car and Hot Rod Show of 1952
11 Timing Associations Established in 1952
12 Salt Flat Races Held in 1952

The Sports Custom Craze

At the same time, a new movement was brewing: the Sport Custom. With British sports cars like the Jaguar XK-120 out of reach, enthusiasts built homegrown versions by piecing together mechanical components from aging Fords or Hudsons and reshaping them into open-top, roadster-like bodies. One pioneer was Charles Martz of Aurora, Montana, who merged a 1940 Hudson sedan and an ambulance to create a buttercup-yellow Sport Custom featured on the cover of Motor Trend January 1952. Martz even wrote a book titled Build Your Own Custom Sports Car, helping to popularize the concept nationwide.

The 1951 GM LeSabre

Sport Customs were typically larger and more powerful than their imported counterparts but often lacked the nimble handling of a true sports car. They peaked in popularity during the mid-1950s, and while most were cut-down coupes or sedans, some builders fabricated entirely new bodies from metal or fiberglass. Ironically, these backyard sport customs both influenced and were influenced by Detroit’s show cars. The 1951 GM LeSabre, designed by Harley Earl, was one of the era’s most copied concept vehicles. Featuring aircraft-inspired styling, fins, and a futuristic silhouette, it left a strong impression on builders looking for something more exotic than a typical mild custom. Its sleek lines found their way into countless early-1950s homebuilt roadsters and customs.

North vs. South: Barris vs. Bailon

By 1952, George Barris of Barris Kustoms had earned a reputation as Southern California’s leading custom car builder. But at the 3rd Annual National Roadster Show, a formidable new challenger emerged from the north; Joe Bailon of San Leandro. The show would mark the beginning of a fierce rivalry between two of the most talented customizers in the country, and one of the most exciting showdowns in early custom car history.^[1]

According to show manager Mary L. Slonaker, the fiercest competition that year was expected between the Kustoms of Los Angeles, led by Barris, and the newly rising Customs of San Leandro, under the leadership of Bailon. The contest quickly took on the feel of a North vs. South California rivalry. Bailon’s team arrived with five standout entries, including his own radically customized 1941 Chevrolet. Meanwhile, Barris had multiple contenders on display, among them Anthony Heinsbergen’s Muntz Jet and Jim Skonzakes’ 1949 Buick.^[1]

Skonzakes' Buick, driven all the way from Dayton, Ohio, became one of the most talked-about cars of the show. Representing the East Coast in the competition for the first-ever “Car of Elegance” award, Jim’s journey to Oakland was almost as legendary as the car itself, he was rerouted by snow and floods, blew three tires, and even hit a cow on the 3,500-mile trek west. His entry, built by Barris Kustoms, stood alongside other top customs from across the country, including The Sloan Special from the Portland Auto Show.

Despite the strong national presence, the local spotlight remained fixed on Bailon's Chevy, which press and spectators alike quickly nicknamed The Dashboard due to its extravagant interior. The car featured a $1,160 hand-built dashboard with 15 gauges, 32 push buttons, a custom steering post, and even a built-in cocktail bar. It was a rolling showcase of Bailon’s vision and craftsmanship, and it captured the judges’ attention.^[1]

Press coverage noted that the entries from Barris and Bailon would “match the bodywork of two nationally recognized leaders in custom construction,” and The Oakland Tribune reported that Barris had “assumed a stature as a target for other custom body designers to shoot at.” In 1952, it was Joe Bailon who took the shot and hit the mark.^[1]

Bailon's 1941 Chevrolet won the first-ever National award at the Oakland Roadster Show, beating out the field and solidifying his place among the elite customizers of the era. Later renamed Miss Elegance, the car became Bailon’s breakout creation and a symbol of Northern California's arrival on the custom car scene. At the time, Bailon operated Bailon's Body Shop at 15960 East 14th Street in San Leandro, located across from the Oakland Speedway. The win marked the beginning of a celebrated career and one of the defining rivalries of the golden age of custom cars.^[1]

The Hirohata Merc Debuts

Yet 1952’s biggest head-turner was the Hirohata Merc, destined to become the most famous custom of the classis era. Built by George and Sam Barris, it borrowed the curved hardtop window design first seen on Nick Matranga’s 1940 Mercury but pushed the concept further with a bold sea foam and organic green two-tone paint scheme. Wherever it appeared, crowds gathered, proving that even in a year of subtle elegance and sports car influences, radical innovation still had a place. The scene was expanding, showing that the custom car movement had room for both refined restraint and boundary-pushing creativity.