The Robert Genat Photo Collection

An early photo of Alex Xydias' 1934 Ford Cabriolet. This was Alex's third car, and he bought it in 1941. Alex went to Fairfax High School, across the street from Jimmy Summers' shop when he bought the car. He used to hang out and watch Jimmy build customs and hot rods, and he also had Jimmy lead in the rear fender skirts on the car, as he wanted a smooth look on the fenders. In case of a flat tire, the rear fenders were made detachable by wing nuts inside the trunk. To help avoid having to remove the rear fenders, Alex ran some early puncture-proof Goodyear inner tubes. The inner tubes had a gunk inside that would seal a puncture. The gas tank was put in the trunk so that it wouldn't protrude in the rear. As looks were more important than anything else, Alex saved up enough money to buy a black padded top by Carson Top Shop. Photo by Don Cox, courtesy of Robert Genat.

A photo of Jim Kierstead's 1939 Mercury Coupe taken at the 7674 Compton Ave Barris shop circa 1946 - 1947. Jim's Mercury is rumored to be the first 1939 - 1940 Mercury coupe that the Barris Brothers chopped the top on. The 1929 Ford Model A in the backround was supposedly owned by Sam Barris. Photo by Don Cox, courtesy of Robert Genat.

A 1940 Ford hot rod, captured mid-transformation at Chuck's Top Shop in Los Angeles, California. Notice the louvered hood and the faux whitewall tires—creative touches that blend speed and style. Photo courtesy of Robert Genat.

An early 1935 Ford Custom Coupe. We believe this photo was taken by Don Cox in the San Diego area in the 1940s. The top has not been chopped on this one. It is running blackwall tires, and it has been dressed up with ripple bumpers, a narrow grille, solid hood sides, dual spotlights, fenderskirts, and flipper hubcaps. A moderate lowering gives the car a speedboat stance. Photo courtesy of Robert Genat.

An unidentified early 1936 Ford Tudor Sedan Custom. We believe Don Cox snapped this photo in the San Diego area back in the 1940s. The top has not been chopped on this mild custom. It is running blackwall tires, and it has been dressed up with flipper hubcaps up front, ripple bumpers, fenderskirts, solid hood sides, fog lights, and one spotlight. Sharp as a tack, and a common sight in Southern California back in the late 1940s. Photo by Don Cox, courtesy of Robert Genat.

Another early California custom captured by Don Cox. In addition to molded-in fadeaway fenders, the 1936 Ford 5-Window Coupe has been dressed up with a 1940 Ford front, a chopped top, ribbed bumpers, fog lights, dual spotlights, fenderskirts, and flipper hubcaps. If anyone has more info to share about this early California custom, we would love to hear from you. Photo by Don Cox, courtesy of Robert Genat.

A rear and shot of the 1936 Ford 5-Window Coupe with a 1940 Ford front. This photo reveals that the car is also running a ribbed rear bumper, tear-dropped 1939 Ford taillights and an inset license plate. A beautiful early kustom we would love to know more about. Photo by Don Cox, courtesy of Robert Genat.

A radically restyled custom photographed at a used car lot located at 4875 El Cajon Blvd. in San Diego, California. Running 1947 license plates, the car seems to have started out as a 1940 Mercury Convertible. Modifications include a sectioned body, removed running boards, a chopped and padded top, a custom grille and front end, molded body seams, fenderskirts, blackwall tires, and flipper hubcaps. Please get in touch with us if you have more info or photos to share of this mystery custom. Photo by Don Cox, courtesy of Robert Genat.

A photo of Phil Remington's Modified taken in 1947, after Remington had applied a two-tone paint job. Phil can be seen in the car, fastening his helmet. At the September 1947 SCTA meet, Remington set the B Streamliner record at 128.38 mph. Photo by Don Cox, courtesy of Robert Genat.

A photo that Don Cox snapped in Carlsbad, California, during an Oilers gathering off of La Cost Avenue in the lagoon on the beach area. According to Genat, the Oilers used to race there on the beach! Photo by Don Cox, courtesy of Robert Genat.

Another photo that Don Cox snapped in Carlsbad, California, during the Oilers gathering. An in-progress 1941 Chevrolet Convertible custom and a channeled 1933-34 Ford Roadster were amongst the club cars this day! Restyled in the 1940s, the good-looking Chevy features a chopped and padded top, dual spotlights, and ripple bumpers. It's nosed and sporting Blackwall tires and flipper hubcaps. A winning formula for an early custom. Photo by Don Cox, courtesy of Robert Genat.

Bill Junge pieced the two photos above together and got this. He also confirmed with Bup Kentner that the guy in the orange and white jacket is Jack Carpenter, and that's his chopped 1941 Chevrolet Convertible. Bup said, "Unless I'm mistaken, we were messing around on the dry wash which is now the lagoon in front of the La Costa development." Photo by Don Cox, courtesy of Robert Genat.

A photo of Paul Schiefer's 1925 Ford Model T Roadster that Don Cox snapped at a dry lakes meet in 1948. Photo from The Robert Genat Collection.

A construction photo of The Norman Timbs Special that Don Cox shot at a circle track in 1949. The build was completed later the same year landing the cover of Motor Trend October 1949. Unfortunately, the beautiful streamlined racer was lost to the Malibu Wildfires in 2018 when the Gary Cerveny collection burned to the ground. Photo by Don Cox, courtesy of Robert Genat.

Another circle track photo that Don Cox took in 1949. In addition to the iconic Norman Timbs Special in bare aluminum, this photo also shows the iconic Earl Bruce's 1940 Ford Coupe. An early custom restyled back in the early 1940s. Photo by Don Cox, courtesy of Robert Genat.

A chopped 1941 Mercury Convertible custom photographed in front of the Polo Grounds Cafe in San Diego, California. This photo was most likely taken during a Prowlers Rod-Ability Run in the early 1950s, and in addition to a padded top, the car has been dressed up with fenderskirts, dual spotlights, and Cadillac Sombrero Hubcaps. Photo by Don Cox, courtesy of Robert Genat.

Ecorse Road 1953. A photo of Danny Coughlin in his channeled A-V8 roadster. During the summer of 1953 Michigan State Police detoured Sunday morning traffic from Ecorse Road between Denton and Beck Roads, east of Ypsilanti, allowing local teenagers to drag race for a few hours. Ecorse Road was a four-lane divided highway, and racers competed in the eastbound lanes. The quarter-mile distance was marked off for them. Photo courtesy of Robert Genat.

An overview photo from the 1953 Detroit Autorama. Photo courtesy of Robert Genat.

Another photo from the 1953 Detroit Autorama. Frank Mack's 1927 Ford Model T Roadster can be seen closest to the camera. Photo courtesy of Robert Genat.

One of the most famous cars to roll out of Bill Hines' Southfield shop was Marty Ribits' 1934 Ford convertible. Marty bought the beaten-up Ford late in 1952. He wanted to turn the car into a head-turner, so he commissioned Bill to turn the rustbucket into a custom rod. Modifications included a 6-inch channel job, a 6 inch sectioned grille, a sectioned rear, and raised fenders. Once completed, Marty won the "Best Custom" award at the 1953 Detroit Autorama with the car. Bill continued working on the car after the show, and this photo of Marty with the 34 was taken at the 1955 Rotunda Custom Car Show. Photo courtesy of Robert Genat.

An early photo of the Alexander Bros. Custom Auto Shop. After first working out of their father's one-car garage, then Larry's two-car garage, Mike and Larry Alexander finally opened up their first shop on Northwestern Highway near Evergreen Road in Detroit in 1957. Photo courtesy of Robert Genat.

Isky T. A photo of Ed Iskenderian in his well known 1924 Ford Model T Roadster. The photo was taken in the late 1950. Photo courtesy of Robert Genat.

A photo of Sy Gregorich with his Alexander Brothers restyled 1955 Ford Crown Victoria. Sy worked for the AMT Model Company in Detroit in the late 1950s and the early 1960s, and he helped develop the company's successful line of 3-in-One customizing kits. In 2020 Rick Rothermel told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama that when George Barris became a consultant to AMT he would stay at Sy and Kathy's house in Detroit. Sy's Ford was known as The Victorian, and when this photo of the car was taken the sidetrim had been replaced with custom trim, and the car had been given a solid color. Photo courtesy of Robert Genat.

An early iteration of Clarence Catallo's 1932 Ford Coupe as it appeared in 1959. One of Robert's first and most vivid hot rod memories was seeing Chili Catallo's 1932 Ford coupe parked in a gas station just around the corner from his house in Allen Park; "I was about ten years old at this time. When I first saw it, it was dark blue, channeled, tri-power olds engine, black painted wheels and white walls. I used to hang out at that station a lot hoping to meet the owner and get a ride, going against my parents advice of never accepting a ride from a stranger. The next year the car had been scalloped and sported Moon hubcaps. The following year it was in Autorama. When I photographed the car several years ago, as were getting ready to go to the location to photograph the car Curt, Clarence's son, asked me if I wanted to ride with him in the coupe. My response was, "I've been waiting 40 years to hear that question!"" Photo courtesy of Robert Genat.

A blown early incarnation of Clarence Catallo's 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe running chromed and reversed wheels. Photo courtesy of Robert Genat.

The Silver Sapphire version of Clarence Catallo's 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe taken at an indoor car show. We belive it could have been the 1961 National Champion Custom Car Show in Detroit, shortly before the top was chopped by Barris Kustoms. Photo courtesy of Robert Genat.

Clarence Catallo's 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe as it appeared after Barris Kustoms had chopped the top on it and given it a new paint job. Photo courtesy of Robert Genat.

A photo of Leroy Brooks' 1953 Ford custom taken at the Detroit Autorama. Known as The Purple Pelican, Leroy's Ford was restyled by the Alexander Brothers of Detroit, Michigan. The Ford was the first car Leroy ever bought, and he got it while he was in high school. It was also his only custom car, and he had the A Brothers do it a little at a time while he was still in High School. Leroy still owned the custom in 2019. Photo courtesy of Robert Genat.

X-Sonic X Metalflake! Ron Aguirre's 1956 Chevrolet Corvette Custom was the first car Larry Watson gave a Metalflake paint job. Ron had bought the Gold Metalflake in New York, and according to Larry, the X-Sonic was actually the first Metalflaked car in California! This photo was taken at the 1961 Detroit Autorama. Photo courtesy of Robert Genat.

A photo of Don Vargo's 1934 Ford Cabriolet taken at the Detroit Autorama. Known as The 69'er, Don's Ford was restyled by the Alexander Brothers, and it made its debut at the 1962 Detroit Autorama, where this photo most likely was taken. Photo courtesy of Robert Genat.

Casper's Lil' Sheen. A photo of Al Heyman's 1937 Ford Coupe from the Detroit Autorama. Al came from Ambridge, Pennsylvania, and his Ford was hot rodded with a 1960 Chevrolet 283 engine, a custom upholstery, and ten coats of Avacado lacquer. Photo courtesy of Robert Genat.

Kustomrama Photo Archive

Robert Genat was born in 1945. Raised in Detroit and its southern suburbs, he is a prolific author and photographer with over 40 books and 200 magazine articles to his credit. In 2003, he was awarded the prestigious Dean Batchelor Award by the Motor Press Guild for his book, The Birth of Hot Rodding.

Robert's father was a Henry Ford Trade School graduate. One of Robert's dad's projects while there was building a cut-away of the first V-8. During WWII he built B-24s at Willow Run. After that, he went to Borg & Beck where he was a tool & die maker and built dies for clutches. Robert worked at Ford Motor Company form 1968-1982 as a body designer.

In 2018 Robert told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama that everyone in Detroit seemed to be interested in cars. "My brother's first car was a 1958 Chevrolet Impala with tri-power, followed by a 1963 Chevrolet 409 Impala. We lived a few miles from Detroit Dragway and went there often. I attended the 1960 NHRA Nationals. Going to drive-ins and street racing was a summer event. So cars were part of my life from the start. My first car was a black 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air with a 1962 Chevrolet 283 engine, followed by a 1962 Chevrolet bubble top with a small block and three-speed, then a 1962 Pontiac Catalina tri-power and a 1968 Chevrolet Corvette. After a long hiatus, I got back into cars in the late 1980s. It started with a 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air 409 sedan, a 1932 Ford five-window and a 1962 Pontiac Catalina convertible. Along the way, there was a 1965 Oldsmobile Cutlass daily driver. I'm out of old cars now, but drive a Focus ST."

One of Robert's first and most vivid hot rod memories was seeing Chili Catallo's 1932 Ford coupe parked in a gas station just around the corner from his house in Allen Park; "I was about ten years old at this time. When I first saw it, it was dark blue, channeled, tri-power olds engine, black painted wheels and white walls. I used to hang out at that station a lot hoping to meet the owner and get a ride, going against my parents advice of never accepting a ride from a stranger. The next year the car had been scalloped and sported Moon hubcaps. The following year it was in Autorama. When I photographed the car several years ago, as were getting ready to go to the location to photograph the car Curt, Clarence's son, asked me if I wanted to ride with him in the coupe. My response was, "I've been waiting 40 years to hear that question!""

"I was kind of lucky to get into doing books when I did," Robert told Sondre. "I had been working for Nissan Performance as their Unix admin and did some design work too. When they quit racing, they shut the entire facility. A friend of mine who has done a lot of military photo books asked me if I wanted to do a book on the Navy SEALs. I had a pretty good stock file of the SEALs and said yes. Then a book on police cars and the book contracts came rolling in. The early 1990s was a great time to do books. There were three major retailers who were trying to fill a need for those who wanted good car books. So 40 books later here I sit. The online sales killed the market. My three favorite books: The Birth of Hot Rodding, The American Car Dealership and Fuelies."

Over the years Robert has collected an impressive collection of old hot rod and custom car photos that he has shared with Kustomrama. Some of the photos in Robert's collection were taken by his brother Jim between 1960 - 1964, and in 2014 Robert told Kustomrama that it was kind of a hobby for him at the time, "but he had a good 2 1/4 camera, and he saved the negs!"