By Ashley Reyes
The SEMA Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) has announced the six automotive restyling shops that will compete in its PRO Cup Challenge at the 2026 SEMA Show, November 3-6, in Las Vegas. The finalists are Auto Sunroof and Leather (Warwick, New York); Automotive Concepts (New Hope, Minnesota); Crush Customs (Marietta, Georgia); DPS Automotive (Arlington Heights, Illinois); Pickup Outfitters of Waco (Waco, Texas); and Restylers Aftermarket Specialist (Fort Walton Beach, Florida).
Now in its seventh year, the PRO Cup Challenge spotlights the creativity, innovation and passion of the restyling industry by giving builders a platform to showcase their skills on the aftermarket's biggest stage. Unlike build competitions that focus on designing one-off concepts, the PRO Cup Challenge focuses on designing vehicle accessory packages that can be easily replicated with real-world constraints on time and budget. Criteria include:
- Deliver a dealership-ready build with an accessory package that takes less than 50 hours to install and costs no more than $14,500.
- The build must be marketable, creative, easy to replicate and profitable.
"The PRO Cup Challenge combines creativity with functionality to offer dealerships customized vehicles that they can sell, that consumers will love, and the aftermarket can capitalize on," said PRO Chair Kevin Gillis. "At the same time, it gives competitors an opportunity to boost brand awareness, showcase their skills, and participate in networking opportunities and partnerships that can take their business to the next level."
Among this year's finalists is Automotive Concepts, which won the 2025 PRO Cup Challenge for its customized '25 Ford F‑150 SuperCrew. The Ford F-150 featured golden anniversary graphics celebrating 50 years of the iconic model, as well as a distinctive "Black Label 5.0" theme that paid homage to the 5.0 Coyote engine under the hood.
PRO Cup Challenge builds reflect the growing demand for vehicle personalization highlighted in the "2026 SEMA Market Report," which identified exterior restyling as a segment with major growth, exceeding $6 billion in annual consumer spending. This reinforces a sustained consumer demand for vehicle personalization through products such as grilles, body upgrades, wraps, graphics, lighting, running boards, exterior trim and other appearance enhancements.
A panel of expert judges will select the PRO Cup Challenge winner based on vehicle marketability, ease of reproduction, creativity and profitability. Showgoers can also vote for their favorite build, recognizing it with the People's Choice Award. Winners will be announced at the PRO Happy Hour on Wednesday, November 4, from 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. in West Hall Booth #50237.
Call for Products
As part of the PRO Cup Challenge, manufacturers are invited to donate parts or offer parts at a discounted price to PRO Cup Challenge finalists to be highlighted on their build.
Learn more about donating products here.
For more information on the PRO Cup Challenge, visit www.semapcc.com.
