Dick Axcell

Dick Axcell's 1962 Ford Thunderbird custom. Built by Barris Kustoms, the Thunderbird was one of the first asymmetrical customs to appear on the West Coast. Axcell’s Thunderbird featured a unique offset headlight, asymmetrical grille, and hood scoop. Subtle changes that gave the car a bold, futuristic look. The car made its debut in 1962 and was later featured in Car Craft and Custom Craft magazine.

Charles Burwell with his 1956 Oldsmobile custom in Houston, Texas, 1962. The Olds was painted by Burwell’s cousin Eddie Cox using pearl pigments supplied by California customizer Dick Axcell, who had recently relocated to Houston. Axcell’s influence on young local builders like Cox and Burwell helped introduce California-style custom painting and bodywork to the Houston area. Photo courtesy of Charles Burwell.

Dick Axcell was a custom car builder and painter active in the 1950s and the 1960s. Originally from California, Axcell later relocated to Houston, Texas, where he became one of the city’s earliest known professional customizers.

From California to Houston

By 1962, Axcell had established himself as one of the few skilled customizers in Houston, a city where young enthusiasts in home garages were still doing most custom car work. According to Houston native Charles Burwell, “There was one customizer in Houston back then who hailed from California. His name was Dick Axcell.”

Axcell’s California background gave him credibility among local builders, including Burwell and his cousin Eddie Cox, who learned techniques from him and later applied them to their own cars.

Custom Work and Influence

Axcell supplied paint materials and inspiration to several young customizers, including pearl pigments used by Eddie Cox for Charles Burwell's 1956 Oldsmobile custom. He also painted Eddie Cox's 1957 Chevrolet, known as the “Tiki,” which featured a creative blend of gold, brown, and orange hues. The car was later shown at Darrell Starbird’s exhibit in Ft. Worth, Texas.

Locals in Houston considered Axcell one of the few customizers “worth his weight” at the time. His reputation and California style helped shape the early custom car scene in the region, influencing several young painters and builders who would go on to develop their own interpretations of the custom look.

Legacy

Though little documentation exists about his career after the early 1960s, Axcell’s brief but influential presence in Houston left a lasting impression on the city’s emerging custom culture. His mentorship of local builders like Eddie Cox bridged California’s pioneering custom traditions with Texas’s rising grassroots scene.