Jimmy Jones

Dave Jenkins' 1950 Chevrolet featuring a pair of Jimmy Jones Bubble Skirts.

Bob Nugent, a custom car enthusiast from Detroit, Michigan, joined the ranks of Jimmy Jones Skirt owners in 1956 when he purchased a set for his 1956 Chevy 210 directly from Jones himself. "I stood and watched him rake them over the coals. Paid $120.00 and then had Bill Hines paint them black for $15.00 bucks. He also heated my front springs for the same $15.00." In 2019 Bob told Sondre Kvipt that The Little Bat was under work in Hines garage and the fins were in wireframe. Bob has no photos of the car, but this is a rendering of his old custom. "By the way," Bob shot in, adding that Clarence Catallo who owned the Little Deuce Coupe was with him when he was at Jimmy's. "Before he owned the coupe. His parents bought a grocery store from my parents. He was fifteen. I lived in a great time in Detroit." Photo courtesy of Bob Nugent.

Dick Bailey's 1950 Mercury - The Dream Boat

Dave Jenkins' 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air featured Jimmy Jones Bubble Skirts

Dick Rothfuss' 1959 Chevrolet Impala

Calvin Wilkes' 1960 Ford - The Candy Cane

James "Jimmy" Jones of Inkster, Michigan. Jimmy is known as the originator of the Bubble Skirt, and he had a four-car garage behind his house where he would make his famous skirts, also known as "Inkster Skirts". When Jimmy made a set of fender skirts, he started with the skins of car tops as the basic shape. The junkyards were filled with old sedans, and Jimmy would go and find the exact shape that he needed. He had a bed of coals in his backyard that he would slide the skirts over before he hand hammered them into perfect shape.

According to Reginald Gay, Jimmy loved the blues, and played blues music in the basement of his house.

Around 2010 Jimmy became terminally ill, and he passed away in October of 2011.

Cars Featuring Jimmy Jones Bubble Skirts

Click here to see cars featuring Jimmy Jones Bubble Skirts