Kustom with a K

Who really coined the term "Kustom" with a K? Von Dutch famously claimed that he came up with the spelling while painting the Barris shop sign in the early 1950s. However, this ad from Motor Trend November 1949 proves that Barris was already using the distinctive spelling years earlier. Was it a branding decision Barris had embraced from the start, or did the term evolve naturally within the custom car scene? While the true origin remains a mystery, one thing is certain, "Kustom" with a K became synonymous with the Barris legacy and the birth of a movement that would define custom car culture for generations.