The American Custom Car

Among the hardest core of American automotive enthusiasts there has always existed a desire to press automotive styling and performance a step further than the showroom floor — a need to truly craft an automobile of one’s own. This photographic and cultural history of the American custom car examines the evolution of this phenomenon from the 1930s to present, covering touchstone trends, influential builders (Barris, Roth, Coddington, et al), significant auto shows, vital enthusiast magazines and regional variations in styling. An expansive collection of rare period photography and exclusive modern shots also helps illustrate how Detroit influenced the styling of customs (and vice versa), the explosion of the custom car scene after World War II and the factors which led to the custom’s near-death in the 1960s and its resurgence in the ’80s. But most of all, this comprehensive chronicle is a showcase of the great cars and people who influenced the movement through the years.