1954

An ad for Cadillac's concept cars for 1954. Both the El Camino and the La Espada featured quad headlights, and General Motors have often been credited for starting the four-headlight vogue.

Ed Seltzer's 1929 Ford Roadster of Tarzana, California. The car was originally built by Kenny Smith of San Gabriel, California. Ed bought the hot rod around 1954. After owning the roadster for a year or so, he wrecked it badly one night, and he had to completely rebuild it. Seltzer was into foreign cars and sports cars, and he added some European sports car flavor to the traditional hot rod.

Joe Brienza's 1929 Ford Model A Coupe of West Islip, New York was built in 1954.

The Cam Snappers of Newburyport's 1930 Ford Model A roadster was owned, built and raced by the Cam Snappers of newburyport car club of Newburyport, Massachusetts. The build was completed in 1954.

Don Conrad's 1931 Ford Model A Roadster

Herman Broome's 1931 Ford Model A Roadster. Broome was a founding member of the Gladiators of Redlands car club in 1953, and a yearbook photo from 1954 shows that his fully-fendered Ford was lowered and modified with a chopped and laid-back windshield for a sleeker and more streamlined appearance.

John Patrick's 1932 Ford 5-Window Coupe

Ron Maxwell's 1934 Ford 5-Window Coupe of Salt Lake City, Utah. The car was originally built in 1954.

Sam Benton's 1936 Ford Coupe of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Benton was a member of the Coupes of Tulsa car club, and he built the coupe over four and a half years. Originally intended as a utility vehicle for his wife, Ruth, the coupe evolved into a top-tier custom rod by 1958. Featuring a filled roof with a Naugahyde insert, a rolled and pleated interior by Duke Custom Shop, and a 284-cubic-inch 1948 Mercury flathead with Edelbrock heads and triple carbs, the car won several awards and recognition. This photo shows the coupe as it appeared in 1954.

Solon Pierce's 1935 Ford 3-Window Coupe of Deerfield, Wisconsin. Solon was a member of the Vagabonds of Deerfield car club. Part custom, part hot rod, Solon ran his coupe with motorcycle-type fenders up front. This photo shows the car as it appeared in 1954.

Doug Rice's 1939 Ford Coupe

Dick Colarossi's 1940 Ford coupe of Glendale, California was restyled by Valley Custom Shop. The build was completed in 1954, and it made it's debut at the Motor Revue and Motorama in November of 1954.

Blaine Rockhold's 1941 Cadillac Convertible

Jerry Berg's 1947 Mercury Convertible, this was the car that Jerry drove in high school in Seattle, Washington in 1954.

Jim Musick's 1950 Chevrolet Bel Air of Modesto, California was restyled by Gene Winfield of Winfield's Custom Shop, and completed in 1954.

Ron Hart's 1951 Ford Club Coupe of Cincinnati, Ohio. Ron was a member of the Cincros car club, and he built the sectioned Ford in 1954.

Don Tubbs' 1951 Mercury coupe of Glendale, California. Don was a member of the Glendale Esquires car club. In 1954 his mildly customized Mercury received a Metallic Maroon paint job by Johnny Hagan at Hagan's Body Shop.

Fred Rowe's 1951 Mercury Convertible, of Los Angeles, California was restyled by Barris Kustoms. The build was completed in 1953. A second version of the Merc, restyled in 1954 was featured in the movie Running Wild along with Bob Hirohata's 1951 Mercury.

Henry Dominguez's 1951 Mercury of Indio, California. Henry bought the Merc around 1952. Around 1954, he brought it to the Ayala shop to have it customized. The inspiration for the build came from Bob Hirohata's 1951 Mercury.

Tommy Ivo's 1952 Buick Super

Don Stone's 1952 Oldsmobile 88 Convertible, of San Francisco, California was built by Ted Lundquist of Lundquist Coach Craft in the winter of 1953/1954

Gene Meeks' 1952 Packard Patrician

Wally Troy's 1953 Buick Convertible, The Troy Custom, was built by Wally Troy of Springfield, Illinois. The build was completed in 1954.

Jim Skonzakes' 1953 Lincoln Capri "The Golden Sahara" of Dayton, Ohio. The first incarnation of The Golden Sahara featured a lift-off transparent roof with hinged panels above each door. A tinted T-bar kept it from becoming a full bubble top. The Golden Sahara made its debut at the 1954 Petersen Motorama in Los Angeles. In 1955 it appeared on the cover of the May 1955 issue of Motor Trend as “The $25,000 car.” Motor Trend Magazine had shown photos of the car to a group of people who were asked to give their impressions of it, and about half of the interviewees guessed wrongly that a Detroit manufacturer had built the car.

Bruce Bartlett's 1953 Studebaker Starlight coupe of Long Beach, California. Bruce was a member of the Ramblers of Long Beach car club, and his Studebaker was restyled by Sam Barris at Barris Kustoms. The build was completed in 1954.

Don Chapman's 1954 Studebaker

A photo of the members of the Ann Arbor Timing Association taken in 1954. Dave Jenkins, who is kneeling, third from left in the photo, was a founding member of the club. Started by a bunch of high-school kids studying at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor the guys had a lot of fun, and they were treated like a bunch of rebels. The customized 1949 Ford in the photo belonged to Elwood Peterson, who appears kneeling second from left. According to Fred Thomas, Peterson's Ford was a visual treat with its chopped Carson style top. " Photo from The Dave Jenkins Photo Collection.

in April of 1954, the Storm Z-250 made its debut at the Turin Auto Show in Italy. Winning the first prize for style and design, the Storm Z-250 concept car was built by Sports Car Development Corp., a company founded by Fred M. Zeder Jr., and Gene Casaroll. Fred was the son of well-known Chrysler profile Frederick M. Zeder, and the car incorporated as many Chrysler components as possible, including a Dodge Hemi engine. A complete chassis was shipped to Italy, where Bertone fabricated a body for the car. The Storm Z-250 introduced dual headlights that were stacked on top of each other. Photo courtesy of Michael Lamm.

The 1954 Edwards America Convertible, envisioned by Sterling Edwards, melded European design with American muscle. Built on a Kaiser-Frazer Henry J chassis with an Oldsmobile "Rocket" V-8 engine, it was a rare blend of fiberglass coachwork and robust performance. Norman Timbs helped design the car for Sterling.

<-- 1953 - 1950s - 1955 -->

By 1954, customizers were shifting from daily-driven cruisers to outlandish, show-focused builds. While Bob Hirohata's Mercury was still his everyday ride, a new breed of custom was emerging. One of the earliest was Jim Skonzakes' 1953 Lincoln Capri, dubbed the Golden Sahara. Likely the world’s first true “show custom,” it featured a lift-off transparent roof, hinged door panels, and a lavish interior complete with a curved rear seat around a refrigeration unit, a cocktail bar, a TV set, a hi-fi radio, and gold-plated trim. Glen and Bob Houser of Carson Top Shop upholstered the interior in golden frieze and white Naugahyde, while a thick shag rug padded the floor. Unveiled at the 1954 Petersen Motorama, the Golden Sahara proved that radical show cars could stand on their own, separate from the practical customs of years prior.

Custom cars also began appearing more frequently on film and television, bridging the gap between hot rod culture and mainstream America. The Hirohata Merc, for instance, landed a role in the 1954 film Runnin' Wild alongside Fred Rowe's 1951 Mercury. By connecting with Hollywood, George Barris built cars for celebrities, rented out his creations to movie productions, and helped bring the flashy style of Kustoms to a wider audience. Meanwhile, cars kept getting lower and sleeker, with meticulously block-sanded single or two-color lacquer finishes. Candy and pearl paints were still in their infancy, but the seeds of show-car flamboyance were firmly planted.

Late in 1954 the first Chevrolet V8’s left the factory.

In 1954 Harry Bradley got himself a 1951 Chevrolet Bel Air, after restyling the car it became better known as the La Jolla.