SEMA News—September 2012

INTERNATIONAL
By Linda Spencer

Emerging Trend in China

Pickups Are the Latest Craze on the Chinese Off-Road Scene

	“Pickups have been becoming popular over the past two years, mainly because they are inexpensive,” Yunliang said. “The import tax on trucks is a lot cheaper than on passenger vehicles. For example, a Raptor is about half a million yuan. If it was imported as a passenger vehicle, the market price would be about 1 million yuan. This low import tax policy greatly boosted the sales of big and powerful pickups, such as the Raptor and the Tundra.” Courtesy of Yunliang
	“In our experience, the growth rate of pickups is a lot faster than that of Wranglers in 2011 and 2012,” said Zhu Yunliang, president of Yunliang.” Courtesy of Yunliang
	The Jeep Wrangler is widely credited with a whole new group off-road enthusiasts creating excitement in the market and leading to increased demand for products.” Courtesy of Yunliang

SEMA News recently traveled to Beijing, China, the center of the Chinese off-road market, to talk to some key players about evolving trends. All of the sources we consulted widely credited the Jeep Wrangler as one of the most exciting and important developments in recent years in growing the off-road market, but they said that pickups are the fastest-growing segment.

Expecting a continued bright future for the Wrangler, the wholesalers and retailers we talked to cited, in particular, the heavy-duty Ford Raptor, Toyota Tundra and, to a somewhat lesser extent, Ram 1500 as examples of increasingly popular pickups. They said that the pickup is the latest status symbol of the wealthy. A representative from a Shenzhen-based business named Power Controller pointed out that wealthy people buy big pickups, such as the Tundra or Raptor, to impress others, and that notion was supported by Wang Bin, the deputy general manager of Tuner Tribe.

“We noticed a fast growth of pickups in the Chinese market since last year,” Bin said. “American auto culture is becoming more and more appealing to rich Chinese. Over the past 20 years, it’s been the Chinese people’s dream to own cars. For most of the car owners, their first cars are either Japanese or German cars. So at the very beginning, when Chinese upgraded their first cars, they also used Japanese or German upgrading accessories. After many years of owning cars, we are not satisfied with what we have. All those who grow up watching Hollywood movies fall in love with the American lifestyle—especially the off-road lifestyle. I believe that is why pickups are becoming popular among some rich Chinese.”

High-line pickups don’t come cheap. When duties and taxes are added into the price, the Raptor in China starts at about 670,000 yuan ($106,350 USD) compared to $42,975 in the United States. And the vehicle is available only through gray exports, with Ford so far not choosing to export directly to China.

The Chinese sources honed in on the average age of Raptor owners in addition to their wealth. High-end pickup owners, they said, are generally 40 years old and over, and they have both the money and the time for enjoying pickups.

Many cities, including Beijing, have limits on the times when, and the roads where, pickups can be driven, but most specialty-equipment distributors we talked with didn’t believe that this was a big issue for their customers.

“Those who buy a Toyota Tundra or the Raptor buy it as an alternative vehicle, which means that it is their second or even third vehicle,” said Liang Zhilong of Off-roader Accessories Beijing. “They do not drive it to work; they only take it out on weekends for fun.”

While having access to key highways is less of a concern, the gray area under which customization operates is of greater importance. Vehicle owners worry about whether they can pass the annual inspection after they have their vehicles modified, and many enthusiasts resort to temporarily restoring the vehicles to stock condition before they are inspected or otherwise rely on connections to help them pass. Companies also fear a crackdown by the government on tuned off-road vehicles, though most believe that the government is more closely watching for modified street vehicles.

As the popularity of off-roading grows—particularly for Jeep and pickup drivers—so does the number of companies in the industry. Though the market is far from saturated, specialty wholesalers and retailers are facing competition for the first time. One company’s representatives said that they did not need to advertise at all when they started about 10 years ago but are currently spending funds in that area. Another company noted that it needed to sell two times as much product as it did in 2009 because its profit margin has shrunk from the heyday of no competition.

Beijing and Chongqing are among the most popular regions for off-roading. Beijing has the biggest base of wealthy people and “car guys,” and it also has easier access to deserts, mountains rugged roads and other fun places, according to Yang Jun of Off-roader Accessories Beijing. And Yang Xue Song of China 4WD said that Beijing is the most popular place for customizing.

“Beijing enthusiasts can go to the desert, go drifting and go to the mountains or muddy areas,” said Xue Song. “Guangdong [Shenzhen and Guangzhou] is next. Guangdong enthusiasts can go to beaches or neighboring countries with their off-roading.”

Among the top-selling aftermarket accessories are lighting, suspension, bumpers and winches. Between 150 and 200 pickup enthusiasts are currently customizing their vehicles and otherwise getting them ready for the upcoming Pickup Festival, hosted by Yunliang and media company FB Life. Zhu Yunliang, president of the company that bears his name, expects mostly Raptor and Tundra pickup owners from all over China, especially the northern regions.

SEMA annually sponsors trips to China to meet with key buyers and distributors. The 2012 event takes place this fall with travel to Shanghai and Beijing. SEMA members interested in learning more about the opportunity to sell products for pickups, SUVs and cars in China may contact Linda Spencer at lindas@SEMA.org.

SEMA News—September 2012

INTERNATIONAL
By Linda Spencer

Emerging Trend in China

Pickups Are the Latest Craze on the Chinese Off-Road Scene

	“Pickups have been becoming popular over the past two years, mainly because they are inexpensive,” Yunliang said. “The import tax on trucks is a lot cheaper than on passenger vehicles. For example, a Raptor is about half a million yuan. If it was imported as a passenger vehicle, the market price would be about 1 million yuan. This low import tax policy greatly boosted the sales of big and powerful pickups, such as the Raptor and the Tundra.” Courtesy of Yunliang
	“In our experience, the growth rate of pickups is a lot faster than that of Wranglers in 2011 and 2012,” said Zhu Yunliang, president of Yunliang.” Courtesy of Yunliang
	The Jeep Wrangler is widely credited with a whole new group off-road enthusiasts creating excitement in the market and leading to increased demand for products.” Courtesy of Yunliang

SEMA News recently traveled to Beijing, China, the center of the Chinese off-road market, to talk to some key players about evolving trends. All of the sources we consulted widely credited the Jeep Wrangler as one of the most exciting and important developments in recent years in growing the off-road market, but they said that pickups are the fastest-growing segment.

Expecting a continued bright future for the Wrangler, the wholesalers and retailers we talked to cited, in particular, the heavy-duty Ford Raptor, Toyota Tundra and, to a somewhat lesser extent, Ram 1500 as examples of increasingly popular pickups. They said that the pickup is the latest status symbol of the wealthy. A representative from a Shenzhen-based business named Power Controller pointed out that wealthy people buy big pickups, such as the Tundra or Raptor, to impress others, and that notion was supported by Wang Bin, the deputy general manager of Tuner Tribe.

“We noticed a fast growth of pickups in the Chinese market since last year,” Bin said. “American auto culture is becoming more and more appealing to rich Chinese. Over the past 20 years, it’s been the Chinese people’s dream to own cars. For most of the car owners, their first cars are either Japanese or German cars. So at the very beginning, when Chinese upgraded their first cars, they also used Japanese or German upgrading accessories. After many years of owning cars, we are not satisfied with what we have. All those who grow up watching Hollywood movies fall in love with the American lifestyle—especially the off-road lifestyle. I believe that is why pickups are becoming popular among some rich Chinese.”

High-line pickups don’t come cheap. When duties and taxes are added into the price, the Raptor in China starts at about 670,000 yuan ($106,350 USD) compared to $42,975 in the United States. And the vehicle is available only through gray exports, with Ford so far not choosing to export directly to China.

The Chinese sources honed in on the average age of Raptor owners in addition to their wealth. High-end pickup owners, they said, are generally 40 years old and over, and they have both the money and the time for enjoying pickups.

Many cities, including Beijing, have limits on the times when, and the roads where, pickups can be driven, but most specialty-equipment distributors we talked with didn’t believe that this was a big issue for their customers.

“Those who buy a Toyota Tundra or the Raptor buy it as an alternative vehicle, which means that it is their second or even third vehicle,” said Liang Zhilong of Off-roader Accessories Beijing. “They do not drive it to work; they only take it out on weekends for fun.”

While having access to key highways is less of a concern, the gray area under which customization operates is of greater importance. Vehicle owners worry about whether they can pass the annual inspection after they have their vehicles modified, and many enthusiasts resort to temporarily restoring the vehicles to stock condition before they are inspected or otherwise rely on connections to help them pass. Companies also fear a crackdown by the government on tuned off-road vehicles, though most believe that the government is more closely watching for modified street vehicles.

As the popularity of off-roading grows—particularly for Jeep and pickup drivers—so does the number of companies in the industry. Though the market is far from saturated, specialty wholesalers and retailers are facing competition for the first time. One company’s representatives said that they did not need to advertise at all when they started about 10 years ago but are currently spending funds in that area. Another company noted that it needed to sell two times as much product as it did in 2009 because its profit margin has shrunk from the heyday of no competition.

Beijing and Chongqing are among the most popular regions for off-roading. Beijing has the biggest base of wealthy people and “car guys,” and it also has easier access to deserts, mountains rugged roads and other fun places, according to Yang Jun of Off-roader Accessories Beijing. And Yang Xue Song of China 4WD said that Beijing is the most popular place for customizing.

“Beijing enthusiasts can go to the desert, go drifting and go to the mountains or muddy areas,” said Xue Song. “Guangdong [Shenzhen and Guangzhou] is next. Guangdong enthusiasts can go to beaches or neighboring countries with their off-roading.”

Among the top-selling aftermarket accessories are lighting, suspension, bumpers and winches. Between 150 and 200 pickup enthusiasts are currently customizing their vehicles and otherwise getting them ready for the upcoming Pickup Festival, hosted by Yunliang and media company FB Life. Zhu Yunliang, president of the company that bears his name, expects mostly Raptor and Tundra pickup owners from all over China, especially the northern regions.

SEMA annually sponsors trips to China to meet with key buyers and distributors. The 2012 event takes place this fall with travel to Shanghai and Beijing. SEMA members interested in learning more about the opportunity to sell products for pickups, SUVs and cars in China may contact Linda Spencer at lindas@SEMA.org.

SEMA News—September 2012

INTERNATIONAL
By Linda Spencer

Emerging Trend in China

Pickups Are the Latest Craze on the Chinese Off-Road Scene

	“Pickups have been becoming popular over the past two years, mainly because they are inexpensive,” Yunliang said. “The import tax on trucks is a lot cheaper than on passenger vehicles. For example, a Raptor is about half a million yuan. If it was imported as a passenger vehicle, the market price would be about 1 million yuan. This low import tax policy greatly boosted the sales of big and powerful pickups, such as the Raptor and the Tundra.” Courtesy of Yunliang
	“In our experience, the growth rate of pickups is a lot faster than that of Wranglers in 2011 and 2012,” said Zhu Yunliang, president of Yunliang.” Courtesy of Yunliang
	The Jeep Wrangler is widely credited with a whole new group off-road enthusiasts creating excitement in the market and leading to increased demand for products.” Courtesy of Yunliang

SEMA News recently traveled to Beijing, China, the center of the Chinese off-road market, to talk to some key players about evolving trends. All of the sources we consulted widely credited the Jeep Wrangler as one of the most exciting and important developments in recent years in growing the off-road market, but they said that pickups are the fastest-growing segment.

Expecting a continued bright future for the Wrangler, the wholesalers and retailers we talked to cited, in particular, the heavy-duty Ford Raptor, Toyota Tundra and, to a somewhat lesser extent, Ram 1500 as examples of increasingly popular pickups. They said that the pickup is the latest status symbol of the wealthy. A representative from a Shenzhen-based business named Power Controller pointed out that wealthy people buy big pickups, such as the Tundra or Raptor, to impress others, and that notion was supported by Wang Bin, the deputy general manager of Tuner Tribe.

“We noticed a fast growth of pickups in the Chinese market since last year,” Bin said. “American auto culture is becoming more and more appealing to rich Chinese. Over the past 20 years, it’s been the Chinese people’s dream to own cars. For most of the car owners, their first cars are either Japanese or German cars. So at the very beginning, when Chinese upgraded their first cars, they also used Japanese or German upgrading accessories. After many years of owning cars, we are not satisfied with what we have. All those who grow up watching Hollywood movies fall in love with the American lifestyle—especially the off-road lifestyle. I believe that is why pickups are becoming popular among some rich Chinese.”

High-line pickups don’t come cheap. When duties and taxes are added into the price, the Raptor in China starts at about 670,000 yuan ($106,350 USD) compared to $42,975 in the United States. And the vehicle is available only through gray exports, with Ford so far not choosing to export directly to China.

The Chinese sources honed in on the average age of Raptor owners in addition to their wealth. High-end pickup owners, they said, are generally 40 years old and over, and they have both the money and the time for enjoying pickups.

Many cities, including Beijing, have limits on the times when, and the roads where, pickups can be driven, but most specialty-equipment distributors we talked with didn’t believe that this was a big issue for their customers.

“Those who buy a Toyota Tundra or the Raptor buy it as an alternative vehicle, which means that it is their second or even third vehicle,” said Liang Zhilong of Off-roader Accessories Beijing. “They do not drive it to work; they only take it out on weekends for fun.”

While having access to key highways is less of a concern, the gray area under which customization operates is of greater importance. Vehicle owners worry about whether they can pass the annual inspection after they have their vehicles modified, and many enthusiasts resort to temporarily restoring the vehicles to stock condition before they are inspected or otherwise rely on connections to help them pass. Companies also fear a crackdown by the government on tuned off-road vehicles, though most believe that the government is more closely watching for modified street vehicles.

As the popularity of off-roading grows—particularly for Jeep and pickup drivers—so does the number of companies in the industry. Though the market is far from saturated, specialty wholesalers and retailers are facing competition for the first time. One company’s representatives said that they did not need to advertise at all when they started about 10 years ago but are currently spending funds in that area. Another company noted that it needed to sell two times as much product as it did in 2009 because its profit margin has shrunk from the heyday of no competition.

Beijing and Chongqing are among the most popular regions for off-roading. Beijing has the biggest base of wealthy people and “car guys,” and it also has easier access to deserts, mountains rugged roads and other fun places, according to Yang Jun of Off-roader Accessories Beijing. And Yang Xue Song of China 4WD said that Beijing is the most popular place for customizing.

“Beijing enthusiasts can go to the desert, go drifting and go to the mountains or muddy areas,” said Xue Song. “Guangdong [Shenzhen and Guangzhou] is next. Guangdong enthusiasts can go to beaches or neighboring countries with their off-roading.”

Among the top-selling aftermarket accessories are lighting, suspension, bumpers and winches. Between 150 and 200 pickup enthusiasts are currently customizing their vehicles and otherwise getting them ready for the upcoming Pickup Festival, hosted by Yunliang and media company FB Life. Zhu Yunliang, president of the company that bears his name, expects mostly Raptor and Tundra pickup owners from all over China, especially the northern regions.

SEMA annually sponsors trips to China to meet with key buyers and distributors. The 2012 event takes place this fall with travel to Shanghai and Beijing. SEMA members interested in learning more about the opportunity to sell products for pickups, SUVs and cars in China may contact Linda Spencer at lindas@SEMA.org.

SEMA News—September 2012

HERITAGE
By Drew Hardin
Photo Courtesy of the Petersen Archives

Going 90

When we titled this piece “Going 90,” we weren’t talking miles per hour. Alex Xydias and his radically chopped SO-CAL Speed Shop Double Threat Coupe were good for far more than that: a class record of 172.749 mph at Bonneville in 1953; a little more than 170 mph (with an ailing engine) in 1954 when this photo was taken of Xydias in the coupe; and a record 132.79 mph at the Pomona drags later in 1954, when he had the engine sorted out and tipped the nitro can just a bit.

No, the 90 we’re referring to is Xydias’ age, a milestone he celebrated recently with some 400 friends at a festive party held at California’s Pomona Fairplex, just a stone’s throw away from the historic dragstrip where the coupe made its record run nearly six decades ago.

Alex Xydias is among a select group of true hot-rodding pioneers and founders of the performance industry. He built several hot rods and raced on the Southern California dry lakes before World War II, then opened one of the very first automotive performance retail stores in the country—the original SO-CAL Speed Shop—on the day he mustered out of the Army Air Corps in 1946.

“We carried chrome carb stacks, steel wheels, acorn carb nuts…we couldn’t afford much,” he said at the party about his early inventory. But he also established relationships with other rodding pioneers, men like Vic Edelbrock, Barney Navarro and Eddie Meyer, and SO-CAL’s stock began to fill with real speed parts.

To promote the business, Xydias built and raced a string of successful cars: belly tankers, streamliners, the coupe shown here. At the very first speed trials at Bonneville in 1949, his SO-CAL streamliner, with Dean Batchelor at the wheel, ran an astonishing 193 mph, some 30 mph faster than the record set on the lakes just a month before. Xydias and his SO-CAL cars were so successful, and so photogenic, that they made several appearances on the cover of Hot Rod magazine.

Yet Xydias abruptly quit racing shortly after an accident in the Double Threat Coupe took the life of another SO-CAL team member. He began filming races and other car events, eventually closed the speed shop and then went to work for Petersen Publishing Company in 1963. While there, he was instrumental in putting on the High Performance & Custom Equipment Trade Show at Dodger Stadium in January 1967, an event that evolved into the SEMA Show.

Another milestone in Xydias’s life took place in 1997, when he and rod builder Pete Chapouris struck a deal to revive the SO-CAL Speed Shop name. They opened the shop in Pomona, building high-quality hot rods and custom cars and retailing everything from turn-key Deuce roadsters to T-shirts. Now there are eight SO-CAL Speed Shops around the country, plus one in Canada.

“It’s worked out really well,” Xydias said of the reborn SO-CAL. “I’ve had a great time.”

Silent and live auctions were held during Xydias’ birthday party to raise funds for the Alex Xydias Center for Automotive Arts—a vocational school located on the Pomona Fairplex grounds. Among the treasures offered were some of his original racing trophies, including the one his team won at that first Bonneville meet in 1949.

It commanded the highest bid of the evening, at $15,000. “We didn’t spend that much on the whole car that won the award,” Xydias said.

What’s next for Alex Xydias? He shows no signs of slowing down. Look for him at this year’s SEMA Show. He hasn’t missed one since 1967.

 

SEMA News—September 2012

HERITAGE
By Drew Hardin
Photo Courtesy of the Petersen Archives

Going 90

When we titled this piece “Going 90,” we weren’t talking miles per hour. Alex Xydias and his radically chopped SO-CAL Speed Shop Double Threat Coupe were good for far more than that: a class record of 172.749 mph at Bonneville in 1953; a little more than 170 mph (with an ailing engine) in 1954 when this photo was taken of Xydias in the coupe; and a record 132.79 mph at the Pomona drags later in 1954, when he had the engine sorted out and tipped the nitro can just a bit.

No, the 90 we’re referring to is Xydias’ age, a milestone he celebrated recently with some 400 friends at a festive party held at California’s Pomona Fairplex, just a stone’s throw away from the historic dragstrip where the coupe made its record run nearly six decades ago.

Alex Xydias is among a select group of true hot-rodding pioneers and founders of the performance industry. He built several hot rods and raced on the Southern California dry lakes before World War II, then opened one of the very first automotive performance retail stores in the country—the original SO-CAL Speed Shop—on the day he mustered out of the Army Air Corps in 1946.

“We carried chrome carb stacks, steel wheels, acorn carb nuts…we couldn’t afford much,” he said at the party about his early inventory. But he also established relationships with other rodding pioneers, men like Vic Edelbrock, Barney Navarro and Eddie Meyer, and SO-CAL’s stock began to fill with real speed parts.

To promote the business, Xydias built and raced a string of successful cars: belly tankers, streamliners, the coupe shown here. At the very first speed trials at Bonneville in 1949, his SO-CAL streamliner, with Dean Batchelor at the wheel, ran an astonishing 193 mph, some 30 mph faster than the record set on the lakes just a month before. Xydias and his SO-CAL cars were so successful, and so photogenic, that they made several appearances on the cover of Hot Rod magazine.

Yet Xydias abruptly quit racing shortly after an accident in the Double Threat Coupe took the life of another SO-CAL team member. He began filming races and other car events, eventually closed the speed shop and then went to work for Petersen Publishing Company in 1963. While there, he was instrumental in putting on the High Performance & Custom Equipment Trade Show at Dodger Stadium in January 1967, an event that evolved into the SEMA Show.

Another milestone in Xydias’s life took place in 1997, when he and rod builder Pete Chapouris struck a deal to revive the SO-CAL Speed Shop name. They opened the shop in Pomona, building high-quality hot rods and custom cars and retailing everything from turn-key Deuce roadsters to T-shirts. Now there are eight SO-CAL Speed Shops around the country, plus one in Canada.

“It’s worked out really well,” Xydias said of the reborn SO-CAL. “I’ve had a great time.”

Silent and live auctions were held during Xydias’ birthday party to raise funds for the Alex Xydias Center for Automotive Arts—a vocational school located on the Pomona Fairplex grounds. Among the treasures offered were some of his original racing trophies, including the one his team won at that first Bonneville meet in 1949.

It commanded the highest bid of the evening, at $15,000. “We didn’t spend that much on the whole car that won the award,” Xydias said.

What’s next for Alex Xydias? He shows no signs of slowing down. Look for him at this year’s SEMA Show. He hasn’t missed one since 1967.

 

SEMA News—September 2012

HERITAGE
By Drew Hardin
Photo Courtesy of the Petersen Archives

Going 90

When we titled this piece “Going 90,” we weren’t talking miles per hour. Alex Xydias and his radically chopped SO-CAL Speed Shop Double Threat Coupe were good for far more than that: a class record of 172.749 mph at Bonneville in 1953; a little more than 170 mph (with an ailing engine) in 1954 when this photo was taken of Xydias in the coupe; and a record 132.79 mph at the Pomona drags later in 1954, when he had the engine sorted out and tipped the nitro can just a bit.

No, the 90 we’re referring to is Xydias’ age, a milestone he celebrated recently with some 400 friends at a festive party held at California’s Pomona Fairplex, just a stone’s throw away from the historic dragstrip where the coupe made its record run nearly six decades ago.

Alex Xydias is among a select group of true hot-rodding pioneers and founders of the performance industry. He built several hot rods and raced on the Southern California dry lakes before World War II, then opened one of the very first automotive performance retail stores in the country—the original SO-CAL Speed Shop—on the day he mustered out of the Army Air Corps in 1946.

“We carried chrome carb stacks, steel wheels, acorn carb nuts…we couldn’t afford much,” he said at the party about his early inventory. But he also established relationships with other rodding pioneers, men like Vic Edelbrock, Barney Navarro and Eddie Meyer, and SO-CAL’s stock began to fill with real speed parts.

To promote the business, Xydias built and raced a string of successful cars: belly tankers, streamliners, the coupe shown here. At the very first speed trials at Bonneville in 1949, his SO-CAL streamliner, with Dean Batchelor at the wheel, ran an astonishing 193 mph, some 30 mph faster than the record set on the lakes just a month before. Xydias and his SO-CAL cars were so successful, and so photogenic, that they made several appearances on the cover of Hot Rod magazine.

Yet Xydias abruptly quit racing shortly after an accident in the Double Threat Coupe took the life of another SO-CAL team member. He began filming races and other car events, eventually closed the speed shop and then went to work for Petersen Publishing Company in 1963. While there, he was instrumental in putting on the High Performance & Custom Equipment Trade Show at Dodger Stadium in January 1967, an event that evolved into the SEMA Show.

Another milestone in Xydias’s life took place in 1997, when he and rod builder Pete Chapouris struck a deal to revive the SO-CAL Speed Shop name. They opened the shop in Pomona, building high-quality hot rods and custom cars and retailing everything from turn-key Deuce roadsters to T-shirts. Now there are eight SO-CAL Speed Shops around the country, plus one in Canada.

“It’s worked out really well,” Xydias said of the reborn SO-CAL. “I’ve had a great time.”

Silent and live auctions were held during Xydias’ birthday party to raise funds for the Alex Xydias Center for Automotive Arts—a vocational school located on the Pomona Fairplex grounds. Among the treasures offered were some of his original racing trophies, including the one his team won at that first Bonneville meet in 1949.

It commanded the highest bid of the evening, at $15,000. “We didn’t spend that much on the whole car that won the award,” Xydias said.

What’s next for Alex Xydias? He shows no signs of slowing down. Look for him at this year’s SEMA Show. He hasn’t missed one since 1967.

 

SEMA News—September 2012

HERITAGE
By Drew Hardin
Photo Courtesy of the Petersen Archives

Going 90

When we titled this piece “Going 90,” we weren’t talking miles per hour. Alex Xydias and his radically chopped SO-CAL Speed Shop Double Threat Coupe were good for far more than that: a class record of 172.749 mph at Bonneville in 1953; a little more than 170 mph (with an ailing engine) in 1954 when this photo was taken of Xydias in the coupe; and a record 132.79 mph at the Pomona drags later in 1954, when he had the engine sorted out and tipped the nitro can just a bit.

No, the 90 we’re referring to is Xydias’ age, a milestone he celebrated recently with some 400 friends at a festive party held at California’s Pomona Fairplex, just a stone’s throw away from the historic dragstrip where the coupe made its record run nearly six decades ago.

Alex Xydias is among a select group of true hot-rodding pioneers and founders of the performance industry. He built several hot rods and raced on the Southern California dry lakes before World War II, then opened one of the very first automotive performance retail stores in the country—the original SO-CAL Speed Shop—on the day he mustered out of the Army Air Corps in 1946.

“We carried chrome carb stacks, steel wheels, acorn carb nuts…we couldn’t afford much,” he said at the party about his early inventory. But he also established relationships with other rodding pioneers, men like Vic Edelbrock, Barney Navarro and Eddie Meyer, and SO-CAL’s stock began to fill with real speed parts.

To promote the business, Xydias built and raced a string of successful cars: belly tankers, streamliners, the coupe shown here. At the very first speed trials at Bonneville in 1949, his SO-CAL streamliner, with Dean Batchelor at the wheel, ran an astonishing 193 mph, some 30 mph faster than the record set on the lakes just a month before. Xydias and his SO-CAL cars were so successful, and so photogenic, that they made several appearances on the cover of Hot Rod magazine.

Yet Xydias abruptly quit racing shortly after an accident in the Double Threat Coupe took the life of another SO-CAL team member. He began filming races and other car events, eventually closed the speed shop and then went to work for Petersen Publishing Company in 1963. While there, he was instrumental in putting on the High Performance & Custom Equipment Trade Show at Dodger Stadium in January 1967, an event that evolved into the SEMA Show.

Another milestone in Xydias’s life took place in 1997, when he and rod builder Pete Chapouris struck a deal to revive the SO-CAL Speed Shop name. They opened the shop in Pomona, building high-quality hot rods and custom cars and retailing everything from turn-key Deuce roadsters to T-shirts. Now there are eight SO-CAL Speed Shops around the country, plus one in Canada.

“It’s worked out really well,” Xydias said of the reborn SO-CAL. “I’ve had a great time.”

Silent and live auctions were held during Xydias’ birthday party to raise funds for the Alex Xydias Center for Automotive Arts—a vocational school located on the Pomona Fairplex grounds. Among the treasures offered were some of his original racing trophies, including the one his team won at that first Bonneville meet in 1949.

It commanded the highest bid of the evening, at $15,000. “We didn’t spend that much on the whole car that won the award,” Xydias said.

What’s next for Alex Xydias? He shows no signs of slowing down. Look for him at this year’s SEMA Show. He hasn’t missed one since 1967.

 

SEMA News—September 2012

INDUSTRY NEWS 

Now Underway: SEMA Mustang Build Powered by Women 

	SBN volunteer Theresa Contreres removed underhood components so that the area could be painted black to conform to the project paint scheme.

For this year’s SEMA Show, Ford Motor Co. and SEMA have teamed up on a unique project: the SEMA Mustang Build Powered by Women. Under the direction of the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN) and built entirely by SBN members, the project is designed to shine the light on women working in the automotive aftermarket and encourage more women to pursue careers in the industry.

Donated by Ford, the vehicle will be auctioned on eBay, with proceeds benefitting the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund, thereby helping to foster the industry’s next generation of leaders. The satin-black luxury Mustang concept, designed by Jennifer Seely of Ford and known as High Gear, was adopted after an intense period of Internet voting and an ambitious build schedule was developed.

The first to get their hands on the donated ’13 Mustang GT were SBN members Theresa Contreras and Sara Morosan of L&G Enterprises in San Dimas, California. L&G is an award-winning, family-owned, full-service paint and body shop that has developed a national reputation for custom paint and design. L&G’s work has appeared on over a dozen magazine covers and at many custom car shows, and its team regularly builds customs that end up at the SEMA Show.

Contreras is an experienced car builder and custom painter, and Morosan is L&G’s sales manager. Both grew up working in the L&G body shop and clearly relished the job at hand.

The High Gear Mustang GT came in white from the factory but is slated to receive a custom black-satin exterior finish. The paint is scheduled to be the last job in the build sequence, but because the plan includes adding underhood performance mods, the engine compartment needed to be painted first. That meant that all of the engine accessories bolted to the fenderwells, firewall and framerails had to be removed, along with the entire front clip, before the engine compartment could be painted black.

Contreras and Morosan, working as a team, took on the tedious job of removing everything that might hinder a perfect underhood paint job, which included removing components such as the battery and battery box, air intake and air filter, brake line plumbing, hood release mechanism, CPU, wipers and washer fluid reservoir, driving lights and fog lights and the hood and entire front bumper, plus all of the assorted pieces of insulation and heat shielding, among other things. The hardware was meticulously labeled and stored in plastic bags, and all of the connectors and fasteners were taped off and labeled.

After a few hours of work, the white engine compartment walls and framerails were completely exposed. Factory stickers and labels were removed, then the engine and remaining lines and wiring harness pieces were masked off and all of the white underhood surfaces were sanded and wiped down with tack cloth prior to painting.

At the spray booth, Contreras carefully sprayed the underhood area, paying attention to all the little nooks and crannies that might show up if any white remained visible. When she was satisfied, the paint was allowed to dry, and all of the pieces that had been removed for painting were carefully re-installed, including the factory labels. The end result was an all-black underhood area that looked exactly as if it had come that way from the factory.

Next stop for the High Gear Mustang will be the shop at Source Interlink Media headquarters, where other teams of SBN-member volunteers will add more custom touches, such as quilted suede seats and Rosegold chrome accents throughout the exterior and interior. They will also make modifications to the engine, undercarriage, drivetrain and sound system.

The SBN vehicle build task force is comprised of Task Force Chair Rose Kawasaki (Exports International), Project Vehicle Coordinator Sherry Kollien (Ford Motor Co.), Assembly Coordinator Kellie Colf (Colf Creative Resources), PR/Media Coordinator Camee Edelbrock (Schiefer Media Inc.) and Product Coordinator Susan Carpenter (JR Products). Advisors include Mike Spagnola (Street Scene Equipment), Joel Ayres (Bedslide/Tākit) and Marla Moore (Hypertech).

To learn more about the SEMA Mustang Build, e-mail SEMA Project Manager Bryan Harrison at bryanh@SEMA.org.

SEMA News—September 2012

INDUSTRY NEWS 

Now Underway: SEMA Mustang Build Powered by Women 

	SBN volunteer Theresa Contreres removed underhood components so that the area could be painted black to conform to the project paint scheme.

For this year’s SEMA Show, Ford Motor Co. and SEMA have teamed up on a unique project: the SEMA Mustang Build Powered by Women. Under the direction of the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN) and built entirely by SBN members, the project is designed to shine the light on women working in the automotive aftermarket and encourage more women to pursue careers in the industry.

Donated by Ford, the vehicle will be auctioned on eBay, with proceeds benefitting the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund, thereby helping to foster the industry’s next generation of leaders. The satin-black luxury Mustang concept, designed by Jennifer Seely of Ford and known as High Gear, was adopted after an intense period of Internet voting and an ambitious build schedule was developed.

The first to get their hands on the donated ’13 Mustang GT were SBN members Theresa Contreras and Sara Morosan of L&G Enterprises in San Dimas, California. L&G is an award-winning, family-owned, full-service paint and body shop that has developed a national reputation for custom paint and design. L&G’s work has appeared on over a dozen magazine covers and at many custom car shows, and its team regularly builds customs that end up at the SEMA Show.

Contreras is an experienced car builder and custom painter, and Morosan is L&G’s sales manager. Both grew up working in the L&G body shop and clearly relished the job at hand.

The High Gear Mustang GT came in white from the factory but is slated to receive a custom black-satin exterior finish. The paint is scheduled to be the last job in the build sequence, but because the plan includes adding underhood performance mods, the engine compartment needed to be painted first. That meant that all of the engine accessories bolted to the fenderwells, firewall and framerails had to be removed, along with the entire front clip, before the engine compartment could be painted black.

Contreras and Morosan, working as a team, took on the tedious job of removing everything that might hinder a perfect underhood paint job, which included removing components such as the battery and battery box, air intake and air filter, brake line plumbing, hood release mechanism, CPU, wipers and washer fluid reservoir, driving lights and fog lights and the hood and entire front bumper, plus all of the assorted pieces of insulation and heat shielding, among other things. The hardware was meticulously labeled and stored in plastic bags, and all of the connectors and fasteners were taped off and labeled.

After a few hours of work, the white engine compartment walls and framerails were completely exposed. Factory stickers and labels were removed, then the engine and remaining lines and wiring harness pieces were masked off and all of the white underhood surfaces were sanded and wiped down with tack cloth prior to painting.

At the spray booth, Contreras carefully sprayed the underhood area, paying attention to all the little nooks and crannies that might show up if any white remained visible. When she was satisfied, the paint was allowed to dry, and all of the pieces that had been removed for painting were carefully re-installed, including the factory labels. The end result was an all-black underhood area that looked exactly as if it had come that way from the factory.

Next stop for the High Gear Mustang will be the shop at Source Interlink Media headquarters, where other teams of SBN-member volunteers will add more custom touches, such as quilted suede seats and Rosegold chrome accents throughout the exterior and interior. They will also make modifications to the engine, undercarriage, drivetrain and sound system.

The SBN vehicle build task force is comprised of Task Force Chair Rose Kawasaki (Exports International), Project Vehicle Coordinator Sherry Kollien (Ford Motor Co.), Assembly Coordinator Kellie Colf (Colf Creative Resources), PR/Media Coordinator Camee Edelbrock (Schiefer Media Inc.) and Product Coordinator Susan Carpenter (JR Products). Advisors include Mike Spagnola (Street Scene Equipment), Joel Ayres (Bedslide/Tākit) and Marla Moore (Hypertech).

To learn more about the SEMA Mustang Build, e-mail SEMA Project Manager Bryan Harrison at bryanh@SEMA.org.

SEMA News—September 2012

INDUSTRY NEWS 

Now Underway: SEMA Mustang Build Powered by Women 

	SBN volunteer Theresa Contreres removed underhood components so that the area could be painted black to conform to the project paint scheme.

For this year’s SEMA Show, Ford Motor Co. and SEMA have teamed up on a unique project: the SEMA Mustang Build Powered by Women. Under the direction of the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN) and built entirely by SBN members, the project is designed to shine the light on women working in the automotive aftermarket and encourage more women to pursue careers in the industry.

Donated by Ford, the vehicle will be auctioned on eBay, with proceeds benefitting the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund, thereby helping to foster the industry’s next generation of leaders. The satin-black luxury Mustang concept, designed by Jennifer Seely of Ford and known as High Gear, was adopted after an intense period of Internet voting and an ambitious build schedule was developed.

The first to get their hands on the donated ’13 Mustang GT were SBN members Theresa Contreras and Sara Morosan of L&G Enterprises in San Dimas, California. L&G is an award-winning, family-owned, full-service paint and body shop that has developed a national reputation for custom paint and design. L&G’s work has appeared on over a dozen magazine covers and at many custom car shows, and its team regularly builds customs that end up at the SEMA Show.

Contreras is an experienced car builder and custom painter, and Morosan is L&G’s sales manager. Both grew up working in the L&G body shop and clearly relished the job at hand.

The High Gear Mustang GT came in white from the factory but is slated to receive a custom black-satin exterior finish. The paint is scheduled to be the last job in the build sequence, but because the plan includes adding underhood performance mods, the engine compartment needed to be painted first. That meant that all of the engine accessories bolted to the fenderwells, firewall and framerails had to be removed, along with the entire front clip, before the engine compartment could be painted black.

Contreras and Morosan, working as a team, took on the tedious job of removing everything that might hinder a perfect underhood paint job, which included removing components such as the battery and battery box, air intake and air filter, brake line plumbing, hood release mechanism, CPU, wipers and washer fluid reservoir, driving lights and fog lights and the hood and entire front bumper, plus all of the assorted pieces of insulation and heat shielding, among other things. The hardware was meticulously labeled and stored in plastic bags, and all of the connectors and fasteners were taped off and labeled.

After a few hours of work, the white engine compartment walls and framerails were completely exposed. Factory stickers and labels were removed, then the engine and remaining lines and wiring harness pieces were masked off and all of the white underhood surfaces were sanded and wiped down with tack cloth prior to painting.

At the spray booth, Contreras carefully sprayed the underhood area, paying attention to all the little nooks and crannies that might show up if any white remained visible. When she was satisfied, the paint was allowed to dry, and all of the pieces that had been removed for painting were carefully re-installed, including the factory labels. The end result was an all-black underhood area that looked exactly as if it had come that way from the factory.

Next stop for the High Gear Mustang will be the shop at Source Interlink Media headquarters, where other teams of SBN-member volunteers will add more custom touches, such as quilted suede seats and Rosegold chrome accents throughout the exterior and interior. They will also make modifications to the engine, undercarriage, drivetrain and sound system.

The SBN vehicle build task force is comprised of Task Force Chair Rose Kawasaki (Exports International), Project Vehicle Coordinator Sherry Kollien (Ford Motor Co.), Assembly Coordinator Kellie Colf (Colf Creative Resources), PR/Media Coordinator Camee Edelbrock (Schiefer Media Inc.) and Product Coordinator Susan Carpenter (JR Products). Advisors include Mike Spagnola (Street Scene Equipment), Joel Ayres (Bedslide/Tākit) and Marla Moore (Hypertech).

To learn more about the SEMA Mustang Build, e-mail SEMA Project Manager Bryan Harrison at bryanh@SEMA.org.