Celebrating 19 years of incredible off-road racing, King of the Hammers, or KOH for short, roared back to Johnson Valley, California, earlier this year. Often referred to as “the world’s hardest single-day off-road race,” KOH continues to grow and morph as it entertains thousands of thousands of race fans. 

A yearly tradition, KOH has become an off-roading paradise for racers and enthusiasts alike. Taking place on Means Dry Lake, the southernmost entrance to the Johnson Valley off-highway vehicle (OHV) area, the KOH venue features big boulders, dry lake beds, rolling hills, steep mountains, silt-ridden areas and everything in between. Elevations range from 4,600 ft. at Hartwell Hills to 2,300 ft. at Melville Dry Lake. Meanwhile, what usually is a dusty, open lakebed transforms into “Hammertown,” a place where more than 100,000 racers, spectators, support staff and vendors congregate during the multi-week event. 

Today’s off-roading extravaganza is a far cry from its humble beginnings. When first conceived, KOH was a simple idea sketched on a napkin by founders Dave Cole and Jeff Knoll. It started with just 13 drivers—known as the "OG 13." The core group started competing against each other to see who could conquer the area’s toughest trails, referred to as the Hammers, the fastest. 

According to Rory Connell, the sales and marketing manager for Hammerking Productions Inc. and KOH, the competition has grown exponentially ever since. It now has more than 700 drivers competing across multiple classes beyond the legendary 4400 Unlimited "Race of Kings." Stock vehicle classes are attracting major OEM manufacturers like Ford, while Every Man Challenge has made competitive racing more accessible to grassroots groups. Women and men alike vie for class wins or overall titles. In short, KOH has evolved into one of the world's premier off-road racing events—but how exactly did it gain this stature so rapidly?

CHALLENGE, CAMARADERIE AND EVOLUTION
Perhaps the answer can be found in KOH’s mix of challenge, camaraderie and evolution—all qualities from the event’s outset that continue today. “New UTV classes have not only boosted driver participation,” Connell points out, “but strengthened the vendor show and expanded the event’s consumer base.” For him, it's exciting to see powersports manufacturers, like Can-Am, building vehicles and formulating factory-supported race teams specifically for KOH classes. Connell started as a vendor in 2014, became a volunteer as well as a vendor in 2018, and started his current role in 2023.  

Connell spent his career in the automotive aftermarket. “The majority of this time has been in the off-road market, but I did come from the custom-car/hot-rod side of the industry originally.”
Johnson Valley has been Connell’s consummate local off-roading spot. “All these things combined brought me to KOH along with many others on our team.”

Since its inception, King of the Hammers has been owned and operated by Dave Cole. He founded Hammerking Productions Inc. and has always been its principal shareholder. Hammerking Productions Inc. is made up of multiple shareholders. Together, Hammerking Productions Inc. owns KOH, Ultra4 and all related intellectual property. 

“What initially drew me to KOH was that’s the world’s hardest one-day off-road race,” Amber Slawson said, a welder, talented off-road racer and rock crawler. “The challenge itself is what drew me. It’s truly the pinnacle of our sport. I’ve always looked for the ‘toughest’ things to accomplish.”
Slawson’s career began when she bought her ’88 Suzuki Samurai and wanted to modify it. She took a welding class at her local community college. 

“I saw Jessi Combs in an American Welding Society video,” Slawson said, “and decided to make welding my career.” Combs, of course, was a renowned TV personality on shows like “Xtreme 4×4”, “Mythbusters” and “Overhaulin’,” and a talented welder, fabricator and racer. She earned the name "Queen" of the Hammers, by winning KOH classes in 2014, 2016 and 2018 before she tragically perished while shattering her own land-speed record of 483 mph, beating Kitty O'Neill's 1976 record of 512.7 mph at Oregon’s Alvord Desert.

After sweeping floors and working in industrial welding shops, Slawson realized she needed to get back into the offroad industry. Slawson started at Bomber Fabrication, a small, high-end fabrication shop specializing in building, maintaining and repairing off-road race vehicles, in May of 2021.

“I’ve been attending KOH since 2014. I immediately knew this was the world I had to be a part of,” Slawson stated. “My family and I started out volunteering and have continued to do so.” For Slawson and her family, being behind the scenes is more exciting. “In 2019, Jessi Combs passed away trying to set a world land-speed record. That event is what spurred me to take on racing KOH.”

Slawson started racing her Samurai in 2020 as part of KOH’s 4600 Stock Class for Every Man Challenge. After five years of drastically improving her time, she was just outside of finishing withing her official time allotment. 
In 2024, Slawson raced Randy Slawson’s 4800 Legends Class Bomber chassis car in the 4400 unlimited Race of Kings. (He is her boss and now her husband.) After back-to-back race days competing with that car and her Samurai, she nabbed her first official finish in the 4400 Class in 21st place.

This year Slawson again raced the same Bomber rig in the 4800 Legends Class. She was the first female in history to finish in physical first place overall place in the Every Man Challenge. However, after penalties, she earned an official second-place overall finish.

“I’m a firm believer Jessi paved the way for my success,” Slawson stated. “I’ve never felt inferior to any of the other male racers. Combs spent years proving the throttle pedal doesn’t care who’s pushing it, and her 2014 win in the 4700 Spec Class really cemented that.”

“I’m just a girl trying to make it in a guy’s world,” Slawson adds, mentioning how Combs always said, “Be the light you want to see in the world.” That’s stuck with Slawson more than anything.

And in that, Slawson sees the KOH community as open and accepting. “These guys will give me crap, but it all comes down to who can get to the finish line the fastest. Every one of us is willing to help the next one get there.”  She says sportsmanship is so heavily ingrained in the Ultra4 community, it’s second-to-none. From the rocks and the nightlife to the friendly atmosphere and the challenge of it all, she says there isn’t another race on earth like KOH.

“Jessi paved the way for so many women in motorsports,” Justin Andrews, the brand manager for Warn Industries and Factor 55, said. “Her presence is still felt all over the lakebed. That opened doors for the next generation, like [KOH racer] Bailey Campbell and Amber Slawson, to charge hard and prove they can race with (and beat) the boys.”

“When Jessi died it was a natural step for Amber to start racing, in her memory,” Dolly Hanna, Amber Slawson’s mother explained. Hanna’s parents, Chuck and Jo Colyer, were in the International Jet Ski Boating Association’s Hall of Fame. “Mom and dad raced into their 70s so Amber experienced family racing as a youngster.” Hanna said KOH brings families and racing enthusiasts together.

“Everyone supported Amber in the pits and during prep,” Hanna said. “I remember being amazed when racers would show up at the other pits with one or two crew members and our guys/gals would adopt them.”

Hanna said KOH is the only event her family will show up for. “Grandma's vacations don't even get the attention KOH gets. The KOH culture is family, friends and community.”

“It’d have been better for Amber to be crowned ‘Queen of the Hammers’ but she made her point,” Hanna stated. “Work hard and be persistent. We’re so proud of her accomplishments.”

HARDCORE PROVING GROUND—AND FESTIVAL
From a vendor perspective, Andrews said it’s about staying connected with the KOH community. “The most hardcore users are out there. It’s proving grounds for our products, supporting racers, the community, and showing the world our gear is ‘Hammers proven.’ If it can survive KOH, it can survive anything.”

Over a decade ago, KOH was relatively small. Now, it’s the center of a full-blown seasonal city in the middle of Johnson Valley, living up to its title as the hardest single-day off-road race in the world. It’s expanded from a one-week event to three weeks of varied activities. 

“KOH has done a great job to retain the fans and keep people entertained,” Andrews stated. “From the concert series, food trucks and Overland Area, it’s constantly evolving to make it the most fun time. Hits or misses, I think it’s all good because at the end of the day it betters the experience for vendors and consumers and gets more people interested in the sport.”

Andrews stated KOH has had some challenges. From staff changes, protocol changes and keeping racers safe to coordinating volunteers, and more, he said it’s a lot to handle. “Even from a vendor/sponsor perspective, we went from selling out of the back of a truck in a 10x10-ft. tent to having a full semi.” For him, growth is necessary. He explained you need enough staff to avoid burn-out, time to plan goals while being off-grid for multiple weeks, and ways to improve communication. Andrews said this: The effort everyone puts in is the reward they get out.

Johnson Valley is unlike anywhere else in motorsports. Drivers tackle infamous rock trails like Backdoor, Chocolate Thunder and Outer Limits—plus endless whoops, silt beds, rocks,and high-speed driving. The course changes every year, making it unpredictable, tough and survival-based.

“KOH isn’t just a race; it’s an off-road festival,” Andrews added. “Hammertown becomes a full city, packed with fans, teams and vendors. It’s a mix of hardcore off-road culture, cutting-edge tech and a spectator experience unlike any other. The open pits, camaraderie and sheer energy make it Burning Man meets motorsports.”

“Next year marks the 20th anniversary of the event. We have exciting plans lined up to celebrate this milestone,” Connell stated. “Our focus will remain on driving growth for our domestic and international regional events. Ultra4 USA, Ultra4 Europe, Ultra4 New Zealand and Ultra4 Australia continue to expand. The partners in these series are pushing boundaries alongside us—making us all better in the process.”

Beyond that, the organization is planning to incorporate more cutting-edge technology into their live production. They also remain committed to being responsible stewards of the public lands and the OHV area. “Whether it's reducing our impact on the environment during event production or educating our participants on off-road best practices,” Connell explained, “we understand the responsibility to lead in these areas.”

“I sincerely hope we can be an example of the good the off-road community can do,” Slawson said. “From daily trail clean-ups to spectator education by non-profits like Tread Lightly!, we can make a difference in the way our desert gets treated by its users and preserve land for future generations.”

“Most desert races focus on high-speed sections, while rock crawling is slow and technical,” Andrews stated. “KOH fuses both, forcing teams to build vehicles that dominate both worlds. Hitting 100+ mph in the open desert and then crawling through boulder-strewn canyons sets KOH apart. He believes the race will get even harder. The cars will get even better and faster. More winching. More miles and more laps. “Maybe even changes to how points and awards are structured. Expect stricter tracking and course marking,” Andrews suggested.  “KOH should be revered like F1. The tech and difficulty are like nothing else on earth.”

For Connell, as the event grows, they’re seeing new demographics arriving at the lakebed. They’re striving to accommodate them. “We stay on top of emerging trends and do our best to create spaces and activations for new segments.” They introduced the Overland Experience in 2019 to cater to off-the-grid participants. It’s been steadily growing ever since, with increased vendor and participant engagement each year. Additionally, they’ve added free public Wi-Fi at all major spectator areas—a significant achievement. They’ve also built an RC rock-crawler course and joined forces with simulator software developers to give fans the opportunity to drive the track virtually.  

For aftermarket companies seeking to build their brand and leverage the competition’s many events, Connell said KOH has recently hosted media from traditional and non-traditional outlets, beyond their usual scope. “While all of these outlets reach our core demographics in terms of age and gender, their content is often vastly different from what we produce.” In other words, there are plenty of opportunities to connect with the right audience—people who fit a target profile but may not yet be familiar with your brand. 

Connell added that it’s essential for brands to have a presence at major events like King of the Hammers or SEMA. “That means more than just showing up—it means investing in a booth and making sure people know you’re there.” As a promoter, Connell mentioned having vendors post they’ll be at an event is more authentic than promoters doing. 

While there, brands should also create evergreen content. “Events offer rare opportunities in front of new audiences to capture genuine reactions.” Connell said to make the most of it, brands only get a few chances a year to create content, but that content can continue working for them long after an event is over.

“From a manufacturer’s perspective,” Andrews explained, “event organizers can expand their audience and generate more business by focusing on engagement, inclusivity and ROI-driven opportunities for vendors and sponsors. They can expand social-media presence and digital reach and diversify to attract a wider demographic. In addition to booth spaces, Andrews said giving vendors live demo slots, Q&A panels or the chance to sponsor a key event aspect helps, too. He also mentioned incentivizing on-site sales, improving vendor logistics and tracking/reporting ROI for sponsors. 

PROMOTING INNOVATION, SHARING PASSION
KOH seems to have a magic formula, despite any growing pains. As it turns 20 in the coming year, “it’s about passion,” Connell said. “Whether it’s the race teams or spectators, those involved in the [KOH] off-road recreation are deeply passionate about their hobby.” 

KOH drives vehicle innovation and pushes competitors harder than other races they may compete in, creating a unique level of intensity. “The event also fostered entire market segments within the off-road industry because of this,” Connell exclaimed. “Another key benefit is KOH’s accessibility. While people travel from all over the globe, the majority of attendees can reach the event with relative ease, as we’re located just outside major markets in California, Arizona and Nevada.”

“There is just simply nothing better than pushing yourself and your vehicle to its limits and doing it with 100,000 of your best friends,” Andrews said. “It’s sharing parts, beers and stories. It’s King of the Hammers.”

“Every person on the lakebed [at KOH] has equal amounts of crazy running through their veins,” Slawson said. “The dust and dirt creeps into every fiber of our being and leaves a permanent scar. It’s an itch that can’t be scratched until another 365 days pass and we’re back together again.”
 

The overland industry, especially in North America, saw a decade-plus of consistent, steady growth followed by double-digit growth for four-plus years. Then the pandemic hit, and after a few months of stagnation, the industry saw nearly two years of vertical growth.

As the pandemic has subsided and the world has recalibrated to the new normal, we’ve witnessed about 2.5 years of declining sales, with more companies, including auto manufacturers, trying hard to attract the overland customer.

Through my experience reporting on this industry for more than 13 years and talking to a wide range of industry leaders for this article, the feeling is that we’re a larger industry than we were in 2019, and may soon see a similar steady growth curve to what the industry was on at that time.

Fritz O’Connor, Iron Man 4x4 America vice president of marketing, says the industry has “contracted since COVID, but is an enthusiastic space filled with enthusiasts.”

“A lot of brands think overlanding is the next big thing, but that was really 2017ish. We’re a decade into overlanding being the next big thing. The growth phase of overlanding stopped at the start of 2022, with everything going down since. We’ve now seen more years in decline than at the peak, which lasted 20ish months. Overlanding is here to stay, but the trend/fad is fading, and we’re no longer in a growth phase but now in the dilution phase,” said Matthew Scott, Adventure Imports and Overland Kitted owner.

“I’m curious [about] the age range [of the overland consumer] and will be concerned if it continues to become an old person with disposable income activity only. [There is] lots of great content on YouTube that I hope is connecting the younger generation to this [overlanding] in the real world,” said Chris Horton, Yakima Products category manager.
 
Industry Consolidation
While loads of new companies seem to pop up in the overland industry all the time, lately the trend has been big investment firms and larger companies gobbling up industry stalwarts.

Moea Theroux, ARB USA marketing manager, said she has seen "a lot of consolidation. It's good for the consumer because all these conglomerates have to lift their game, and their products need to respond to quality and price points. It forces innovation to stay relevant.”

On the flip side of that coin, Brian Fulton, Goose-Gear CEO said, “Consolidation is terrible for the industry but great for small innovative companies.” He went on to talk about how consolidation has discouraged innovation because some of the big players continue to copy products from the little guys and then spend more on advertising those products.

Scott said, “A lot of new companies are coming into the space, diluting the space, and we might be on the tipping point of consolidation.” He also thinks we could be two years away from some consolidated companies selling off brands or folding as they struggle to stay true to the brand ethos and product positioning that made them desirable in the first place.

Overland Retailers
Scott further observed that “many dealers have pivoted to selling campers and/or trailers, and those are the shops that are surviving.”
I’ve also seen this, as many overland retailers popped up during the COVID-era highs and have since disappeared. Many of those relied almost exclusively on drop-ship programs and quickly realized as the industry cooled that they didn’t have a way to differentiate themselves from the competition and couldn’t survive on such thin margins.

Even though revenue is down almost across the board in the overland space, there are still healthy retailers servicing the overland community. Fulton said, “Smaller guys are selling less and less, and bigger guys with better systems and processes are doing well.”
 
Overland Product Manufacturers
“Most companies have added direct sales to build revenue and profitability,” said Scott. This is true for all the overland manufacturers that I talked to for this piece: Yakima, ARB, Iron Man 4x4, Goose Gear and Overland Kitted.

While some have done this since the start, others like ARB and Goose Gear, have just added direct sales in the past few years, to the dismay of many retailers, as sales across the industry shrank. That said, both companies emphasized how important their dealership network is for the success of their business and the health of the industry overall.
 
Industry Seasonality
One aspect of the overland industry that I discovered in my discussions with company executives is just how seasonal it is. Everyone I talked to basically had the same thing to say: Springtime is when the bulk of yearly sales happen, with summer usually being strong as well. A holiday bump can happen but is highly dependent on the products and incentives/sales on offer.

Theroux said, “Usually, in the spring, people start building vehicles to have ready for the summer.” This was reiterated by O’Connor, who said there is “definite seasonality. Early spring is when people start buying to build and go adventure by Memorial Day.”
 
Overland Events
O’Connor also said, “Events are the canary in the coal mine of where the industry is headed.”

I find that to be true, as events seem to mimic the industry pretty well. For instance, in the past few years, we’ve seen more large shows and fewer smaller ones. We’ve also seen vendor participation at all the shows outpace attendance, although attendee numbers have remained strong. Additionally, we’ve seen more complimentary product companies to the overland space market harder to the industry and attend more of the events.

Seeing the builds and products on offer at the shows and talking with attendees can give great insight into the industry's health. Todd Scott, Yakima Products category manager, says he “talked to more retired-aged adventurers looking to drop cash than younger folks” when he attended Overland Expo Pacific Northwest in June. That is a concerning observation from the perspective of growth in the industry.
 
Auto Manufacturers’ Influence
One of the biggest trends in the past few years, and one that doesn’t look to be slowing down any time soon, is the automotive OEMs’ focus on building great off-road-capable overland vehicle platforms and supporting those platforms with overland accessories at the dealership. OEMs are also partnering with trusted overland industry companies on factory-built special editions—think ARB with the Tacoma Trailhunter and AEV with the Colorado ZR2 Bison.

“OEMs are really paying attention to the space. It’s good for the consumer because of choices from dealerships and the aftermarket and the better products on offer. Lots of new people to the space get guided from the dealerships/OEMS and/or get inspired for aftermarket upgrades on their own,” said Theroux.

“The influx of new overland-capable vehicles that are dropping right now is going to generate growth in products specific to those vehicles, which in turn sells more tents and awnings. The easy button is to buy from the dealer/manufacturer for the build-out. However, you’re going to pay a premium and might not get the quality you think you’re getting,” said O’Connor. He also went on to say the “strength of the industry is shown and legitimized by the OEMs/dealers” being so invested in the space.

Goose Gear’s Fulton also pointed out that more capable from the factory overland vehicles might help sell aftermarket items like drawer systems, rooftop tents, and other overland accessories that aren’t vehicle performance upgrades. Many of these new vehicles don’t need much on the capability and performance fronts, but can still use some help on the storage and camping fronts.
 
Builds Starting With Older Vehicles
Inversely, Fulton pointed out that older vehicles are hot again for overland builds. He said, “as the economy cools, people are starting to build their older vehicles, like JKU and older 4Runner.”

With the average new vehicle purchase now above $47,000, and most popular overland vehicles much more than that, consumers are finding ways to get their dream overland machines built. Starting with an older used vehicle can allow for more funds to be used toward modifications and personalizations.

While it has seemed like so many new overland community entrants have bought new vehicles and modified them right away, it’s likely that buyer is much rarer than we might think. As Adventure Import’s Scott pointed out, “Historically, the third buyer is the one to modify a vehicle.” However, it does seem like in recent years more people have built their overland vehicles up before or right after taking first ownership.
 
More Gear Means Bigger Trucks
While midsize trucks have been and still are the go-to for most of the world, fullsize trucks have become more popular recently with the North American overland crowd. Bigger trucks offer more carrying capacity and more space. As the trend continues to be carrying more and more gear and being more comfortable out in the wilderness, the fullsize truck just makes sense.
Trucks, in general, are hot in the overland space. Because of that, truck bed racks have also seen an explosion in offerings and innovation in the past few years. Yakima’s Scott said, “Jeeps, FJ Cruisers and 4Runners were less present than in previous years [at Overland Expo Pacific Northwest]. This was the year of the truck and truck rack.”
 
Product Innovation
O’Connor sees innovation and interest in suspension, bed racks and canopies. He also pointed out that, “We don’t sell consumables, we sell big-ticket durable goods. We have to rely on new people coming into the space, or people finally replacing something [in order to sell products].” Innovation is key to getting new and old overland community members alike excited about purchasing products.

Yakima’s Horton said it’s “all about temperature regulation. Small, portable diesel heaters and AC units are where I have seen the most movement in the past few years. Summers have only become hotter, and cold nights are very common in desert climates or for those winter travelers. I see the shape, size and ability all getting better, but also adding additional features like power storage or even generation for powering items in camp.” He went on to say, “For product categories to be innovative, it can’t just be shopping a supplier catalog to hit a trending consumer ASAP. Instead, brands will have to invest in the user perspective and build products to target them. We could see some more product innovations across categories like rooftop tents in the next two to five years as the brands and the consumers mature.”

Theroux wrapped up our innovation discussion by saying it “must be a solution to a problem that exists versus just being a really good product.” The market is saturated with products, but there is always room for new products that relieve a pain point for consumers.

Rooftop Tents (RTTs)
No discussion of overland trends would be complete without talking about the ultimate overland farkle, the RTT. O’Connor said it “seems like everyone is getting into the RTT game, the market is getting saturated, and it’s not great for the consumer because of the quality.” As of late, it really has seemed like a race to the bottom for RTTs in terms of price and quality. An RTT is a big-ticket vehicle adornment that many consumers want, even though they’re likely to use it just one or two times a year. Because of this, lower price points are highly attractive.

Theroux said, “RTTs are getting bigger and more spacious. So many products are getting bigger and heavier, which is pushing vehicle size larger.” She has also seen a shift from softshell RTT to hardshell because of their quick deployment and other options.
When you see RTTs for sale on websites like Lowe’s and Home Depot, like we have for a few years now, you know overlanding has saturated the market and is likely here to stay.
 
Political and Economic Influences
There are many factors that could stifle sales in the overland industry. Many of them are not within the control of those in the industry or community.

While the supply chain has mostly rebounded from its pandemic woes, the rising cost of quality raw materials continues to be an issue, especially as various wars continue to rage around the globe. Add in substantially higher shipping rates across the board, and you’ve got a recipe for increased product pricing.

Higher product pricing can be hard for consumers to stomach as they continue to deal with high inflation, continued increases in the cost of living, and political uncertainty. “Political, economic [high inflation, high gas prices], and coming out of the Covid pandemic have stifled big purchases, but this is not unique to the overland industry,” said Theroux. This opinion was reiterated by O’Connor, who noted that “no industry, even overlanding, is immune to people’s economic concerns.”

Brian Fulton, CEO, Goose-Gear, also brings up a great point: A “major issue is closing of trails.” He went on to talk about the continued closing of off-grid camping opportunities in North America, and how easy access to these opportunities are one thing that has fueled the growth in overlanding on the continent. Fulton says that “education is needed,” but doesn’t have a definitive answer for the best way to reach the masses with critical information caring for public lands and the political championing that can keep them open for all to enjoy into the future.

Late 2024 Overland Industry Trends
To sum it all up, the overland industry is currently is experiencing decline, but also still quite healthy. Growth is likely to be seen again in the near future, just not at the exponential rates seen during the pandemic. That possible growth could be hindered as geopolitical events continue to unfold and raise raw-material and shipping costs. We’re also likely to see continued consolidation in the industry, but it’s unclear how that will affect the industry’s health.

New vehicles, especially fullsize trucks, are a hot category, and are driving some of the recent innovation and new product development. Modifying older used vehicles is becoming very popular again, as new vehicle prices continue to rise. Truck racks are a hot category with lots of new players and innovations. The stalwart RTT segment is fully saturated and price point is largely driving much of the sales.

It’s hard for smaller retailers to get a foothold in the industry, and larger retailers continue to expand their product offerings, with many bringing in industry-adjacent off-road-capable RV products. Retailers are also having a hard time competing against manufacturers in the space, as most now offer direct sales. A bulk of overland industry sales happen in the spring, so let’s cross our fingers and toes for a strong first half of 2025.

They are so back!

And who would have thought? The iconic Fox-Body Mustang of the ’80s and early ’90s is making a comeback in the restomod arena as well as increasing inroads into pro-touring motorsports.

If you attended the 2024 SEMA Show in Las Vegas or the PRI Show in Indianapolis, you might have noticed a more significant Fox-Body presence, signaling a return of these vehicles to the automotive spotlight amid the cultural zeitgeist for all things retro. They are popular once more—but why, and why now?

A RETURN TO GLORY DAYS

The Fox-Body Mustang is the third generation in the Ford Mustang lineage, following the uncelebrated run of the Mustang II. Its manufacturing years were from ’79–’93, with a significant change to the front end from a "four-eye" design to the more popular and recognizable aeronose in ’87. Rear-end styles encompassed the notchback, hatchback or the less popular convertible. Ford offered such powertrain options as the 2.3L inline-4 Lima and the 3.8L Essex V6; however, it was the 5.0L High Output 302ci V8 that became synonymous with the platform.

To better understand the current market and find out what demographic is restomodding Fox Bodies, we contacted Manir Karim, owner of Our Dream Resto Mod, out of Salsbury, North Carolina. The hot-rod shop never labeled itself a Fox-Body specialty shop, but Karim considers himself a fan of the platform. Owning a few in his lifetime gave him the eye and creativity for some pristine builds. Word got around, and now Fox Bodies are the shop’s bread and butter.

“I would say we've been messing with them on a business level for the last 13 years or so," says Karim. "And definitely from when I first started to now, I'd say the last five years have been crazy as far as popularity."

Karim believes nostalgia plays a significant role in the platform's current revival. Most customers bringing in their Fox Bodies are in their 50s and 60s—either original owners or enthusiasts who recently bought the same model they drove in the ’80s or ’90s to relive the good times with modern upgrades.

The extent of vehicle modification has also paralleled the platform’s popularity. Fox Bodies have always been easily modifiable cars with strong aftermarket support. But where modifiers were previously apprehensive about putting big money into restomodding them, Karim says that's not the case anymore.

"We've done many no-budget Fox-Body builds, which was unheard of because it was almost like you're throwing your money away. People would do it on fastback Mustangs or 'Cudas. Whatever it took, they would fix them, make them nice, but no one would do that with a Fox Body. But we have done quite a few six-figure builds, which in the grand scheme of things in the restoration world isn't much, but for Fox Bodies, it's a lot."

Karim, along with every other source for this article, sees the original targeted demographic for this vehicle now at an age where they are monetarily stable enough to invest in their high-school dream cars.

With more premium Fox Body builds making waves, like Holley's pro-touring notchback at the recent SEMA Show, it’s a green light for others to follow suit and go further.

THE AFTERMARKET

Several factors make third-gen Mustangs so popular within their restomod circles: their abundance in the secondhand market, their low market cost, aftermarket support, and how relatively simple they are to work on. 

Modifiers typically start with five-lug conversions, permitting a wider wheel selection, followed by upgrades that enhance stance and handling, such as suspension and brake improvements. "Getting the stance right and putting a nice set of wheels goes a long way on these cars," expresses Karim.

Detroit Speed and Engineering made serious strides in the Fox-Body suspension market at the 2024 SEMA Show as the architect behind Holley Performance’s Fox-Body build. (At that time the Detroit Speed was under the Holley umbrella, but since has been acquired by QA1.) The performance notchback was Holley's booth vehicle promoting domestic muscle products and garnering favorable attention from attendees. Nathan Peterman, senior product design engineer at Detroit Speed, says with the rise in Fox-Body interest, the company wanted a project vehicle for use as a research and development canvas—a way to test new suspension systems.

"They're extremely well supported on a lot of the driveline stuff," says Peterman. "But we saw a hole for high-end-racing and pro-touring-type suspension. There's a lot of suspensions that have been on the market for a long time, but of course, with time you learn new things, and there's ways to improve upon it."

Companies like Detroit Speed are making third-gen Mustangs more prevalent in motorsports. While the vehicles have always been present in the drag-racing world, their unibody flex has hindered their cornering performance in other types of racing. But the aftermarket has been catching up to alleviate that trouble, and Detroit Speed has demonstrated the platform is far more capable than previously noticed.

The company has different levels of suspension conversions for the front and rear systems, but its project notchback utilizes Detroit Speed’s Short Long Arm (SLA) conversion system that incorporates upper and lower control arms with coilovers. According to Peterman, track testing has demonstrated a significant drop in lap times when the front strut setup is exchanged for the new SLA system.

"We got a good chance to do back-to-back, similar weather, fresh tires for both runs on the same racetrack to see how advantageous it is to go to an SLA compared to a max effort strut suspension. We headed up the local track that we use and went from a minute 45 lap to a minute 43, just from the front suspension change."

In racing, 2 seconds can feel like an eternity, and when you add a Ford Performance 363 crate engine with a Holley 4150 intake and a Sniper throttle body, you show the performance world that Fox Bodies can hold their own beyond the dragstrip.

Peterman and the Detroit team "took it on Power Tour and probably put 8,000 to 10,000 miles on it last year, just driving it on the road to different events. We autocrossed it, we drag-raced it, drove on road courses, and all around it turned out to be a good everything vehicle… We saw a big uptick in road racing and autocross and the street pro touring scene. We wanted to jump on that and ride that wave of popularity on those."

The fact that a Fox Body was featured in a Holley Performance Brands booth proves the platform’s growing prominence. But Holley and Detroit Speed weren't the only ones making a buzz at SEMA with a Fox Body.

A NEW FRAMEWORK

More Fox and a little less Body, Roadster Shop's booth featured a remarkable display debuting their new SPEC Chassis for third-gen Mustangs. The display featured the new chassis bolted to a half-skeletonized body to mock up how their new frame would interact and bolt up to the original subframe.

Roadster Shop specializes in aftermarket chassis for both body-on-frame and unibody vehicles, and the SPEC chassis give the unibody cars body-on-frame handling while eliminating the shock towers, allowing more engine bay room and compatibility with popular powertrains.

The display certainly grabbed attention and widened some eyes, but just how responsive was the public to the release? Was there much demand for aftermarket products starting at $15,000 for this platform? According to Roadster Shop Co-Founder Jeremy Gerber, demand has made the chassis a hot commodity.

Gerber explains that when they unveil a new product, it's typically a slow rollout. It's never a floodgate of overwhelming demand. However, "This particular product was the closest thing I could say we've experienced [to instant demand]. Honestly, I was shocked by the reaction and by how many initial sales we got… Right out of the gate, it's a pretty damn good performing product."

Roadster Shop didn't time the market for this release, but Gerber believes this phase in the platform's aftermarket growth was bound to explode based on its history. "It's not like it just came out of nowhere," he says. "It's been a popular car that people modify ever since its inception. It has a huge fan base… So I don't think we necessarily timed it to when the car became popular. I think we timed it so the right demographics are now getting to the point that they're willing to spend a little bit more money than in years past."

A GROWING FUTURE

The aftermarket future looks bright for Fox Bodies. "I think it's just getting started," asserts Gerber, noting that the demand for higher-end level builds will increase. Shops like Our Dream are already making great strides with his new frame.

Karim had ordered the SPEC chassis for a client with an '81 T-top coupe and has big plans for the project. He hopes to show more consumers that a high-end Fox Body build is worth pursuing. "We're going to flush fit all the glass… And then we're going to [build] a pretty wild coyote. Hopefully, [we'll get] a four-digit car with more than 1,000 hp. We have some ideas on the body. We might do some unique engine bay stuff since the Roadster Shop chassis gives us a blank canvas for the engine compartment."

New products like the SPEC Chassis and Detroit's SLA system are opening new opportunities for Fox-Body builders and, as Karim expressed, offering a blank canvas for higher-end builds in a market seeking more from the platform. So, what's next?

Having built numerous Fox-Body Mustangs and being familiar with their stock and modified architecture, Karim hopes to see more support in exhaust systems. "There's tons of exhaust systems for these cars,” he says, “but there's not an exhaust system that goes from the headers back that fits. Usually, this company will make a great header. That company will make a great mid-pipe, and then this company will make a great cat-back. But when you try to put it all together, you have to modify something to get it to fit nicely."

For Gerber, higher-end bodywork is a gap that has yet to be filled in these builds. That could very well change in the coming years as more products are released for the platform, encouraging top-tier, SEMA Battle of the Builders-level vehicles.

Josh Stamper, vice president of marketing and new product development for SS Tubes, is familiar with the platform, having developed a two-piece fuel-line system that works around aftermarket subframe connectors for the third-gen. Stamper agrees we'll see significant movement with the body of these Mustangs in the coming years and predicts the Fox-Body aftermarket will soon mirror that of the first-generation Mustangs in some aspect.

He explained that with companies like Roadster Shop now offering complete chassis, a growing market for reproduction body panels—similar to what exists for late-’60s Mustangs—is likely to follow. Stamper concludes, "I think with Fox Bodies, in the next 10 years, we'll be able to purchase a brand-new shell and custom panels. I think they'll be that popular."