Kustomrama Styling Studio

Back in the 1950s popular custom car magazines like Car Craft and Custom Cars had their regular styling sections featuring the latest trends in custom car design. Car Craft Magazine had a column where recognized custom car builders and shops were asked to restyle a specific car, while Custom Cars ran their "Styling Studio" focusing on a monthly subject, like scoops, or rolled pans. Kustomrama is picking up the torch where these two magazines left it by introducing the Kustomrama Styling Studio. "Kustomrama Styling Studio" features everything from professional concepts carried out by recognized custom car designers such as Janne Kutja and Andy Graybeal, but also designs that were floating around the heads of teenagers such as Howard Gribble and Doyle Bidwell back in the late 1950s and the early 1960s.

1950 Ford Custom - Bongo Date 1950 Ford Coupe designed by Howard "The Weird Rembrandt" Gribble. Gribble drew this custom sometime around 1959, as a high school freshman. At the time he was busy restyling his own 1950 Ford, and this design shows what kind of ideas he had planned for the car. Panel Painted 1950 Ford Custom 1950 Ford Coupe designed by Doyle Bidwell. Bidwell drew this custom sometime around 1959, as a high school freshman. At the time he was busy restyling his own 1950 Ford Coupe, and this design shows what kind of ideas he had planned for the car. 1941 Lincoln Zephyr Convertible Custom Janne Kutja has been down in his archive again and found a design he drew back in 2006. This concept is based on a 1941 Lincoln Zephyr convertible. Main modifications include a chopped and leaned back windshield and a padded top.

Kustomrama Styling Studio no. 8 - 1940 Mercury Coupe
Janne Kutja is back with another previously unseen design from the Kutja Design Archive. This concept came alive when Janne wondered how a 1940 Mercury custom would look with a roof similar to a 1940 Ford or 1941 Mercury coupe. Puzzled by this, Janne designed something that easily could have rolled out of Barris Kustoms prior to the Matranga Merc...maybe after that as well? Click here for more information and photos

Kustomrama Styling Studio no. 7 - 1953 Kaiser Hardtop Coupe
Janne Kutja is back with another previously unseen design from the Kutja Design Archive. This one, dated 2008, shows the potential that lies underneath the lines of a big and bulky 1953 Kaiser. You rarely see customized 1950s Kaisers. In fact you don't see too many 1950s Kaisers at all. In 1953 a total of only 29,945 cars were produced. Let's hope this design by Janne can help a car or two survive in a recycled and restyled version. Click here for more information and photos

Kustomrama Styling Studio no. 6 - 1966 BMW 1600
Scandinavia has always been years behind the current California car trends. Take for instance the early 1960s Boulevard Cruisers, also known as the first lowriders, it took almost 40 years before that style hit the scene over here. I guess things would have looked different if we had the internet back in the 1960s. If we had, the streets of Helsinki might have been filled with Euro-Boulevard cruisers such as Janne's slammed 1966 BMW 1600...Click here for more information and photos

Kustomrama Styling Studio no. 5 - Boulevard Cruiser
Kustomrama is extremely proud to present a new designer in the Kustomrama Styling Studio. Andy Graybeal of Mountain View, California started his auto-design career at Gordon Vann's Body Shop in Berkeley, California in 1953. From there he enrolled at the Art Center School of Design before he landed the dream job at General Motors in 1960. In the coming months Andy will share some of his early 1950s, unpublished, designs that convinced Gordon Vann about his talent. First out is the "Boulevard Cruiser" from 1952. Click here for more information and photos

Kustomrama Styling Studio no. 4 - 1963 Buick Riviera
After presenting a couple of high dollar dream kustoms in the Kustomrama Styling Studio I had to drag Janne Kutja down to the earth again, so I asked him to come up with an affordable concept that the average Joe could afford. He came up with a beautifully mildly restyled 1963 Buick Riviera boulevard cruiser. Bill Mitchell's first generation Buick Rivieras have great custom potential, and Janne's design shows what a mild custom job does to a Riviera. The trickiest part of this job is without doubt the mild chop. Click here for more information and photos

Kustomrama Styling Studio no. 3 - 1937 Cadillac
Third concept in the Kustomrama Styling Studio is a 1937 Cadillac V16 Series 90 Fleetwood 2 Passenger Coupe designed by Janne Kutja of Tuusula, Finland. 47 of these Cadillacs were produced in 1937. It is unknown how much you would have to pay for a project car, but a restored 1937 Cadillac V16 Series 90 Fleetwood 2 Passenger Coupe sells for around $200,000, so chances are scarce you will ever see one customized like this in real life. Curious about how this prestigious automobile would look restyled, Janne designed one with a reworked and chopped roof. Click here for more information and photos

Kustomrama Styling Studio #2 - John D'Agostino's 1940 Cadillac
Second concept presented here in the Kustomrama Styling Studio is a 1940 Cadillac Series 62 Coupe designed by John D'Agostino and Oz Welch. The illustration incorporates John D'Agostino and Oz's initial design, with some tweaks by Janne Kutja. Main features includes a chopped and hardtopped Matranga style roof and side windows, restyled runningboards, molded fenders, flush mounted fenderskirts and dropped headlights. The car is currently under construction, and if everything works out, it will make its debut at the 2012 Grand National Roadster Show. Click here for more information and photos

Kustomrama Styling Studio #1 - Timo Hersti's 1938 Buick
First concept in the Kustomrama Styling Studio is a 1938 Buick Convertible that Janne made for Timo Hersti of Hersti AutoShop in Tuusula, Finland. Following Timo's instructions, the top on the Buick has been chopped and fit it with a padded removable top. The headlights have been dropped, and the door handles and side grilles on the hood have been shaved. The car is painted in a dark metallic copper paint, and features Appleton spotlights and 1952 Buick hubcaps. And best of all, this car is being built as we speak! Some details may differ on the finished car though. Click here for more information and photos

Janne Kutja
Janne Kutja of Kutja Design is an artist and designer born in the small town of Tuusula in the deep woods of Finland. Janne has drawn cars all his life, but started to focus more on hot rods and customs at the age of ten. His favorite era is the 1940s and early 1950s, but he can also dig the clean 1960s stuff as well. Janne's work has been published in major magazines such as Rod & Custom, The Rodders Journal and Gasoline Magazine. In the future, Janne will also present his concepts regularly in the "Kustomrama Styling Studio". Click here for more information and photos