Darryl Starbird is an automotive customizer who, along with peers like Gene Winfield and George Barris, helped popularize the custom car during the 1950s and ’60s, when customs became a widespread part of American culture. He opened his Star Kustom Shop in Wichita, Kansas, in
Like many car builders, Jesse Greening inherited an interest in hot rods from his father, Jeff. The two of them worked on and built cars as a hobby and part-time business while Jesse was growing up in central Michigan, and then ventured south in the
Bring a Trailer founder Randy Nonnenberg developed an automotive passion early in life, the result of time spent with his father. “My dad always subscribed to Road and Track and he and I spent a lot of time together in the garage,” Randy says. “He
Jeanette Ladina had an unlikely start to becoming the President and CEO of Flaming River Industries. She was just in high school when she began working at the company, at the time just a start-up itself. Little did she know she’d have the opportunity to
Jim Ries might not be a household name, but car and truck enthusiasts are certainly familiar with the business he started 31 years ago – Classic Performance Products. Over the past three decades, CPP has grown from a small startup selling disc brake conversion kits
Dave Lane is an unassuming, soft-spoken guy who built a reputation for crafting cool, timeless, well-crafted hot rods at his one-man Iowa-based Fast Lane Rod Shop over the past 20-plus years. Primarily self-taught, Lane has specialized in complete builds and constructed a long string of
IndyCar fans are quickly getting familiar with Scott McLaughlin, a 28-year-old rising star from New Zealand who was a three-time Australian Supercars champion before making the jump to Team Penske’s U.S. IndyCar team in 2021. McLaughlin had a strong enough first season to earn the
Over the past two decades, Dean Livermore has gone from the new kid on the block to one of the industry’s most established and consistent hot rod builders. His shop, Phoenix-based Hot Rods by Dean, got a fast start in late 2001 and within a
Alex Xydias' contribution to hot rodding is unrivaled. During his seven-plus decades in the industry, there’s little he hasn’t done. He founded the original So-Cal Speed Shop in 1946. His iconic lakester graced the cover of Hot Rod. He produced motorsports films. Edited both Car
Harold Chapman didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming a hot rod shop owner. He started Texas-based Customs and Hot Rods of Andice out of necessity after bad experiences with other shops forced him to hire a crew of fabricators to build his first street rod.
