NHTSA finalized a regulation to implement the SEMA-led Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act. SEMA worked with Congress to amend federal law to enable small auto manufacturers to produce completed replica vehicles under a streamlined regulatory structure that reflects the distinctly different business model of this niche industry. NHTSA’s regulations offer a business-friendly pathway for companies to begin producing up to 325 such replica cars a year. Replicas must resemble production vehicles manufactured at least 25 years ago to qualify—from ’30s roadsters to ’70s musclecars and more.

Hot Rod magazine Publisher Ray Brock picked up the phone. Mickey Thompson was on the line, calling from Detroit.

In addition to the annual SEMA Show, the association works continuously to supply a wide array of programs and benefits members can tap into 365 days a year. Here are just a few.

Vehicles from the early ’70s and later have traditionally been considered “classics,” with the idea of ’73 (pre-gas crisis, pre-catalytic converters) as reasonable cutoffs. However, the landscape has changed. More and more, classics have expanded to include vehicles from the ’70s and ’80s. These emerging classics are sparking the same nostalgic feelings among drivers looking to recapture a piece of their youth as they did to consumers a generation earlier. While the traditional areas of the classic vehicle space aren’t going anywhere, newer classic models are becoming more important for the industry.

When the crossover utility vehicle (CUV) first appeared in the mid-’90s, it seemed like the push-me-pull-you of the automotive market—not quite car and not truly SUV. As such, it raised several questions: Could consumers ever embrace a vehicle whose purpose wasn’t clearly defined and whose styling, quite honestly, wasn’t all that exciting? And, if they did, how would they utilize such an oddity? As a commuter car? A grocery getter or cargo hauler? Some sort of neo station wagon or minivan?

The products featured below are from SEMA Data member companies that have attained Gold- or Platinum-level data, which means that their product data is robust and complete—likely to drive customer purchase decisions. SEMA Data members meeting data scorecard requirements are invited to submit product releases for consideration to enews@semadatacoop.org.

Once considered one of the more backward-looking segments of the automotive aftermarket, the hot-rod and street-rod markets have changed radically over the past generation. No longer the exclusive province of ’30s through ’50s roadsters and sedans equipped with traditional running gear, today’s hot-rod market spans the automotive spectrum to include ’60s through ’80s musclecars, pickups and utility vehicles sporting 21st-century technologies. In all, the market has grown into a global industry that constitutes a $1.26-billion market sector, according to the most recent survey from the SEMA’s Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA).