Spotlights

Joe "Bud" Simmons' 1936 Ford 3-Window Coupe of Chowchilla, California. Bud was a founding member of the Throttle Benders car club, and photos taken in 1949 shows the car running a filled roof, solid hood sides, dual spotlights, and flipper caps.

Bill Cole's 1941 Ford 4 Door Sedan of Redlands, California. Bill was a member of the Strokers of Whittier and his Ford was restyled in the late 1940s or 1950. In this photo from 1950 the car has been dressed up with dual spolights.

Clyde Walther's 1940 Ford Convertible of Stockton, California. Clyde bought the car off a used car lot in Stockton about 1953. It had already been customized and ran dual spotlights when he bought it, and they never found out who did the job.

Leroy Heinrichs and his fiancée Mazie Neece washing Leroy's 1947 Plymouth Club Coupe in front of the Neece family home on Margaret Street in San Jose, Californi, circa 1955. At this early stage, the car had already been mildly customized with shaved door handles, shortened hood trim, lakes pipes, subtle pinstriping around the wheel wells, dual spotlights, and a set of 1954 Chrysler hubcaps. Photo courtesy of Tracy Zimmermann.

George Egan's 1950 Ford Convertible of New Jersey. George was a member of the Drivin Deuces car club, and the first iteration of his Ford was restyled circa 1955. It featured dual spotlights.

George Jezek's 1949 Chevrolet 2-Door Sedan of West, Texas. Jezek was a local pinstriper and a founding member of the Eliminators of West car club. Known as The Candy Cart, Jezek's Chevrolet went through several modifications during the late 1950s and the 1960s. He purchased the car in 1958, and one of the first things he did to it was installing Olds Fiesta hubcaps and dual spotlights.

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. 1957 marked another pivotal moment for the Merc when Buddy traded it for Dick Jackson's 1957 Ford. Jackson, who ran Advanced Custom Paints in Compton, California, infused new life into the Merc with a two-tone paint scheme, pinstriping, dual spotlights, and Oldsmobile Fiesta hubcaps.

Bob Baker's 1946 Ford Four-Door Sedan of Lakewood, California. Restyled by Barris Kustoms in 1956, Bob’s 1946 Ford Four-Door Sedan is a rare example of a full custom sedan from the early Barris Kustoms era. Featuring a nosed hood, molded fenders, frenched rear pan, and a custom twin-bar grille, the car was finished in an iridescent lime-gold. Wide whites and Sombrero hubcaps and a single Spotlight completed the look, which was featured in Trend Book 143 Restyle Your Car. Backed by a surviving 1956 Barris invoice signed by Sam Barris, the build stands out as a clean and refined four-door custom in a period dominated by coupes and convertibles.

Bill Hines' 1950 Ford of Lincoln Park, Michigan. Known as "The Bat," Bill started restyling the Ford for a customer in his Southfield shop about 1955 or 56. The customer lost interest in the build, it became Bill's personal car, and he completed it late in 1957. Bill debuted the first iteration of The Bat at the 1958 Detroit Autorama. After moving to California, landing a job at Barris Kustoms, he gave the car a scallop paint job in 1958. Bill installed dual spotlights on the car after moving to California in 1958.

Jerry Harris' 1950 Mercury of Tacoma, Washington. By 1958, Tacoma Toppers member Jerry Harris had transformed his 1950 Mercury into a classic mild custom. Shaved and nosed for a clean look, the Merc featured frenched headlights, a 1955 Dodge grille, rounded hood corners, and full-length lake pipes. A touch of trim above the rear wheels and the absence of skirts gave it a sportier edge. Lowered with dual spotlights, Fiesta hubcaps, and a full custom interior, the car was finished in smooth metallic paint, making it a textbook example of late-1950s custom style.

Louie Stojanovich's 1947 Plymouth Club Coupe of San Jose, California. Louie, who was a member of the San Jose Rod and Wheelers car club, purchased the already customized Plymouth from Leroy Heinrichs in 1957. Louie took the car to the next level, adding functional lakes pipes, a pleated white interior by Modern Upholstery, and a 1954 Chrysler six-cylinder engine with triple carbs. The coupe was finished in 18 coats of Candy Burgundy lacquer with gold outlines and debuted at the San Mateo show in 1959.

Jim Galvin's 1949 Ford Tudor of Ottawa, Illinois. Galvin is an original member of the Illinois Valley Mis-Fires car club. He built the Ford in his backyard, starting the build in 1958. By 1959, the car had been painted blue with a scallop paint job and a chopped top.

Don Provance's 1957 Ford Fairlane of Oak Lawn, Illinois. Don started restyling the car as soon as he brought it home from the dealer. It underwent numerous modifications, primarily at Liddle's Auto Body in Alsip, Illinois, under the expertise of George Liddle and Jack Detmars. This photo shows a captivating purple paint job. It had been nosed and decked, and distinct modifications included the integration of 1956 Ford F-100 headlight doors and a 1954 Chevrolet grille. Accessory additions encompassed dual spotlights, 1957 Plymouth hubcaps, and fender skirts.

Dennis Murphy's 1939 Ford Convertible Sedan of Wyckoff, New Jersey. Murphy purchased the car in Ohio in 1960. He was 15 years old at the time, looking for his first car, and was excited when he saw a hot rod for sale by the side of the road. A deal was made, and his dad drove it the 400+ miles back to their home in New Jersey. The car had been dressed up with dual spotlights when Dennis purchased it.

Ron Volpe's 1957 Ford Convertible of La Salle, Illinois. Ron was a member of the Illinois Valley Mis-Fires. Between the years 1960 and 1963 he took the car through five different stages. This photo shows a mild iteration of the car as it appeared circa 1960. All iterations featured dual spotlights.

George Egan's 1950 Ford Convertible of New Jersey. George was a member of the Drivin Deuces car club. Known as "The Apollo," the second iteration of Egan's Ford was restyled in the 1960s. Both iterations were dressed up with dual spotlights.

Don Provance's 1957 Ford Fairlane of Oak Lawn, Illinois. The second iteration of the car, known as "Gold Digger," was completed circa 1962-1963. This version was upgraded with dual headlights integrated with scoops containing forward-pointing sunken antennas. It did also roll on chromed and reversed wheels. It was dressed up with dual spotlights.

Johnny Aguirre's 1940 Dodge Business Coupe of Riverside, California. The build was completed early in 2019, featuring dual spotlights.

John Corigliano's 1951 Ford Victoria of Boonton, New Jersey. John bought the Ford from Florida early in 2022. It came without any info or history, but according to John, it looks like it was originally done in the late 1950s or the early 1960s, and then later redone. When John bought it, it had been dressed up with real dual spotlights.

Spotlights were a popular accessory on custom cars and mild customs from the 1940s through the early 1960s. Originally functional and used by police and service vehicles, spotlights were adopted by customizers as a stylish detail that added a touch of class and authority. Mounted on the A-pillars and controlled from inside the car, dual spotlights became a signature look on many full customs. Whether wired up or purely decorative, spotlights helped define the era’s cruising style and remain a favorite detail on period-correct builds.

Custom Cars Featuring A Single Spotlight

Bob Baker's 1946 Ford Four-Door Sedan

Custom Cars Featuring Dual Spotlights

Joe "Bud" Simmons' 1936 Ford 3-Window Coupe
Dennis Murphy's 1939 Ford Convertible Sedan
Johnny Aguirre's 1940 Dodge Business Coupe
Clyde Walther's 1940 Ford Convertible
Bill Cole's 1941 Ford 4 Door Sedan
Leroy Heinrichs' 1947 Plymouth Club Coupe
Louie Stojanovich's 1947 Plymouth Club Coupe
George Jezek's 1949 Chevrolet 2-Door Sedan - The Candy Cart
Jim Galvin's 1949 Ford Tudor
Bill Hines' 1950 Ford - The Bat
George Egan's 1950 Ford Convertible - The Apollo
Dick Jackson's 1950 Mercury
Jerry Harris' 1950 Mercury
John Corigliano's 1951 Ford Victoria
Don Provance's 1957 Ford Fairlane Victoria - Gold Digger
Ron Volpe's 1957 Ford Convertible - Red Robin II