For many consumers, building their rig or Sunday racer begins in the digital world, scouring online retailers and distributors for the right parts and matching applications. To help consumers navigate this vast online marketplace, specialty-equipment manufacturers create extensive datasets for resellers to create product descriptions with specifications. 

But where is the standardization for this data? Where can it be housed, and is the information as detailed and accurate as it should be?

Years ago, former SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting and other association advocates saw that aftermarket manufacturers could vastly improve their appeal to resellers and distributors through standardized product data. So, with the SEMA Board of Directors' approval, the association launched the Data Co-Op, now called SEMA Data, to set the industry standard. 

Today SEMA Data (SD) is the largest industry product database for resellers, offering vital data-management services to manufacturers. We spoke with SEMA Vice President of Technology, Data and Strategic Initiative, Gigi Ho to fully understand SD's services and data score system to answer the question you might be asking: "What exactly is SEMA Data?" 

A Digital Age
The digital market grows every month, and brands and manufacturers are doing everything they can to optimize their product data for an online market. As Ho explains, “Since COVID, data has skyrocketed in terms of its value. When COVID happened, we couldn't talk to anybody. We couldn't travel outside of our houses. We couldn't gather in groups to exchange ideas. Data was it. Everyone's experience was online, and online sales just went through the roof. Businesses were growing 30% to 60%, depending on the segment that they were in.”

The numbers don’t lie. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, e-commerce sales increased by 43% in 2020 when lockdowns kicked in and everyone shopped from home. E-commerce went from $571.2 billion in 2019 to $815.4 billion in 2020; in 2023, those numbers grew to $1.12 trillion. While 2024's total numbers were yet unreleased as this issue went to press, eMarketer forecasted online sales to reach $1.26 trillion based on quarterly growth. The digital market is growing with the automotive aftermarket. 

Ho observes, “They say it takes 16 weeks to form a habit, and we had 52 weeks. We not only formed a habit; it's a muscle. There's no going back. We’re in the digital age. So data has exponentially become more important to every business.”

“This Isn’t What I Ordered”
SD’s mission is to assist manufacturers with data cleanup and housing. The more complete their data is, the more appealing resellers and distributors find it. Consumers want as much information about a product as possible to make sure it is the right fit for their vehicle, but before the consumer sees that data, it’s handled by a reseller. 

The SD data experts continually press brands to create the best content and product information for their customers. Being primarily resellers and warehouse distributors, these customers connect their products to consumers who need the best information possible to make an informed purchase. 

Mark Dorman, marketing coordinator for CSF Cooling’s racing and performance division, oversees the brand's product datasets. CSF had a bronze SD rating when Dorman came aboard, meaning the brand’s data met the repository’s minimum standards. Understanding the importance of having cleaner data, he challenged himself to bring that score up. 

“When I came on, I wanted to get our data score ranked up,” he says. “It's the gamer in me who wants to get a higher score. But I also knew the value of good product data because as someone who worked for a retailer, we could make [share???] much better product descriptions [from] someone with good data versus someone with minimalistic data.”

Dorman successfully brought CSF's data score to platinum, making CSF a Data Excellence brand. “I can definitely say there's less mistakes and fewer inaccuracies on dealer websites. For a while, we just had super-generic product descriptions and generic fitments, so people would get things wrong. We cleaned up a lot of that information, and now we have fewer product listing mistakes, and we have fewer customer issues.” Simple product features and attributes go a long way toward damage control and minimizing dissatisfaction.

Scorecards
It’s not always enough to explain why improving data is vital to a brand’s bottom line—explaining how to improve the data is just as important. SD implements a scorecard system that evaluates the brand’s overall data and content organization to encourage better data management. There are four ranks a brand can score: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. When a company ranks gold or platinum, they are considered a Data Excellence brand. 

As Ho explains, “At the bronze level, the fields are at the minimum needed to set up the part number at any business in a POS system or a WD’s ERP system. Part number, price, it's the bare minimum to get the part number set.

“Then silver is expanding on that a little more. Another digital asset, a different description field gets put in, and then it goes up... If you go to Home Depot's website and look at a refrigerator or something similar, you'll see some listings have all kinds of information, some attributes, measurements or whatever. And you'll see others that have a picture and a minimum description. You get some concept of what you're purchasing. That's silver."

Previously, SD’s scorecard used to be measured quantitatively. Meaning there would be 10 buckets to fill on the scorecard. So long as all buckets were filled, your brand would receive a data excellence score. “It was about completeness,” remarks Ho. But even if the individual bucket’s data wasn’t thorough, there was some leeway, and your brand would receive a score. In 2024, Ho wanted that scorecard to carry more tangible impacts, so the SD team worked on new scoring criteria.

“For the 2024 scorecard iteration, you have to be 100% for these super-important fields. No more leeway,” says Ho. “If you're using the same description in all these other boxes, that will not score you. For resellers, it's 180 degrees from five years ago when all the scoring was almost meaningless. Now, they really are looking at what brands are gold or platinum and relying on those scores to know who they can get the best data from.”

Data Excellence 
For a brand to receive a platinum score, it must hit 100% in select bronze and silver fields and 100% of all gold fields on the scorecard. Data segments such as digital assets, descriptions, product attributes, pricing, vehicle applications and regulatory information gather qualitative points. A platinum score is not essential, but Ho encourages members to strive for Data Excellence, which are exemplified by cases like Dorman and CSF Cooling. 

In fact, SD celebrates the brands and manufacturers who have created datasets that have gone beyond the full completion. The rigorous work it takes within one’s company is recognized through the SEMA Data Excellence Awards. 

“Achieving data excellence requires diligence and commitment. We commend the manufacturers who have achieved this significant milestone that benefits the entire industry,” exclaims Ho.

Data excellence brands are awarded trophies at the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas and receive widespread recognition through SEMA’s digital media and social media outlets. The SEMA Show Banquet Program also feature their names, plus they receive carpet ads in the Featured Products Showcase area and on the Show floor near their booths for extra brand extra exposure and recognition. 

Tools and Somebody to Lean On
Companies that become SD members have an arsenal of tools at their disposal, including PartsHub, an easy-to-use data management platform ideal for the smaller brands that may not have the most tech-savvy individuals overseeing their data.

“If you know how to describe your part, if you know what your part fits on, and if you know what to price your part, then you can [work the platform],” Ho points out. “It doesn't require any fancy tech or knowledge around the standards at all. You’re just describing your product, and it creates standardized data.”

In addition to the user-friendly platform, members can also leverage the SD data team whenever the need arises. “There are manufacturers we've signed up that are wonderful and committed, but they're also short-handed,” Ho explains. “They have the information--they have it in their catalog or in their price sheets--but they don't have the manpower to put the information into the formats needed for SD to provide resellers, and that's where our data team comes in.”

Ho points to Garrett Harmola and Aldan American as a good example of a brand with a great product and a smaller operation. Aldan American manufactures American-made coil-over shocks and suspension solutions with a niche in older muscle cars. Harmola is the President of Aldan and acquired the company a few years ago. 

She described Harmola as “a wonderful person and committed. He's always in PartsHub, but he doesn't have the bandwidth to manage all the product attributes, features and benefits. He sends information over to our team, and our team catalogs it for him. Then all he has to do is log in, look it over and say, ‘Yeah, that's what I want.’ Or he can make a note on the platform for us to correct or change something and we'll fix it.”

To sum it up, if you can gather and provide the information consistently, then SD will catalog it for you. Provide more information, pictures and videos, and your score will increase. Outsourcing your data management leaves you more time to focus on other essential matters to grow your brand. 

Get Your Data Ready Before SEMA Show
To receive a SEMA Data Excellence Award, manufacturers must score gold or platinum by August 1 of any given year and keep that score through the end of October. Ho expresses how intense those weeks leading up to that deadline can be for both SD and member companies.   

“It's tough because I was kind of this way in school," she says. "You might say, ‘That deadline is three months out. I got plenty of time.’ Well, it's a lot of information to sort. It's easy to get to bronze, and it's easy to get to silver… but if you want the promotions that we provide to data excellence brands, if you want your brand featured in SEMA publications and at the Shows, then it takes effort and can't be done overnight.

“More conversations can happen earlier in the process than later. By the time June 20 rolls around, everyone's trying to cram in. There's no conversation. We're just trying to process files so they can score them all. It doesn't become a great experience on either side. The personalization is gone.” 

Aldan American
After Ho divulged Harmola's success utilizing SD’s Do It With Me (DIWM) services, we contacted him to expand on his personal experience. What made Harmola decide he needed help with data, and what did he get out of SD?

“From the beginning with Aldan, there were price files, image files and product data in many places, but it wasn't consolidated in one source,” he explained. “From there, it just wasn't scalable the way we were building product data [and how it] had been stored.

“What SD allowed us to do is house all our data under one roof and build out the year, make, model, fitments and attributes. That allowed us better communications with our distributors and even to internally store all of our product data needed to make sales.”

Harmola mentioned he knew of a few companies who believe they are getting by just fine without data services. And indeed, most companies are managing their data reasonably well before they become members, but Harmola believes even they could benefit from standardization and data housing with SD.

“I think they could have more sales,” he explains. “They might be getting so many sales, but if they had their part numbers, all the fitness attributes, all that data that distribution networks and customers need, that's where there's value… [Consumers] want as much detail as possible. And I think SD allows manufacturers to know what [information you're missing] and what 100% fulfillment looks like.”

If you’re a manufacturer or reseller and want to learn more about SEMA Data, go to semadata.org. 

It’s not often that a mechanic is considered a household name. But having built a subscription army of over 10 million and counting, this man has established himself as the go-to, one-site-fixes-all resource for anyone looking to tackle automotive repair. The recent recipient of SEMA’s Content Creator of the Year award, ChrisFix is passionate about automobiles, fishing, and, perhaps above all, people. We recently sat down with Chris to learn more. 

SEMA Magazine: When and how did your passion for cars begin? 

ChrisFix: It actually began with boats. I love fishing, and when I was a little kid, my parents decided to get a small boat so we could go fishing, to the beach and, you know, cruise around. To afford the boat, my dad and I would work on it. That was back in second grade. We’d change this and that, and he would show me how to change the spark plugs. He'd show me how to change the water pump. He'd explain how to do it as he watched me. I remember he'd reach down and help me lift the wrench to break the bolt loose. And then I'd do it the rest of the way, or he'd do one spark plug and then watch me do the rest. 

I learned all the basics of engines working on that boat. Oil changes, coolant, all that stuff. How it worked, and why this different system worked. And then my boating neighbors would be like, “You mean Chris was able to get in that tight spot? Can he come and do my boat?” And they'd pay me in tools, or they'd pay me like 100 bucks. That’s how I got my start. I was like, “This is cool.” 

Although the boat got things started, my dad and mom were car people. My mom had an MGB, and my dad had Mustangs, Cadillacs and cars like that. My family, in general, is full of car enthusiasts. My uncle has a bunch of collector cars, and every Thanksgiving we would go over and check out a new one. So, it was always kind of just in my blood. 

SM: How did the <ChrisFix> channel come to be? 
CF: It originally started with just me finding a place to post videos that I could share with my friends and family. At the time, I didn't know YouTube was a thing you could share with the public. I could download to the internet and then send the link in an email. I’d make videos of my adventures fishing, going out into nature, whatever I was doing--just fun videos. 

Then I got to driving age and realized I needed to learn to fix a car because I couldn't afford a mechanic. We had this old ‘92 Cadillac Deville sitting in the driveway with a bad water pump. My dad said, “If you can fix it, you can drive it to school.” I was like, heck yeah, and took it to a mechanic who wanted like 500 bucks. That wasn’t an option on my Pizza Hut salary. 

I could fix it myself, and my dad was encouraging me. I thought, “Worst-case scenario, the car doesn't run, or we end up taking it to a mechanic anyway–go for it. So, I watched a ton of YouTube videos, talked to friends, read books, and took in as much information as I could. 

The water pump, I'd done on boats; it's just an impeller, it's pretty simple. I watched something like eight to 12 hours of YouTube videos on different water pumps. I realized that some people are good at explaining stuff, but their videography skills were not there—their videos were dark, out of focus, or whatever it might be. Others’ camera skills were awesome--in focus and lit well, but they blasted music, or they did not explain things well. But after learning all this stuff, I replaced the water pump, the car worked and it felt great. 

We drove it to Thanksgiving dinner, and I remember my parents bragging about it at dinner, how I fixed the car, and it just felt really good. I was able to accomplish this on my own limited knowledge and my dad's tools. I thought it would be cool to make videos to show people how to do that--but good-quality, one-stop videos. You watch my video on replacing the water pump and you know how to do it. You don't have to search a million different videos. So I started making videos as things broke or as I worked on things, and it just grew from there. 

SM: What does being recognized as SEMA Content Creator of the Year mean to you? 
CF: This was a really, really cool thing. I felt like all the hard work, all the videos that I've made, that have helped almost 2 billion people--that's billion with a B! It’s like I’m being accredited for it. I got this award for it. It's cool to be recognized by SEMA because SEMA is just such an amazing organization. I can't even put into words how awesome it is. I've gotten play buttons, you know, for the 100,000, for the million, for the 10 million, and those are awesome. And this is right up there with those play buttons. 

SM: What are your thoughts on content creation marketing in the aftermarket space? 
CF: I do a lot of that, and I like to do it organically. I don't like to shove products into people's faces. I just have a job that I need to do. If I want to do a video on changing drum brakes to disc brakes, and there's a company that makes the adapter, it's included in the video. It's very organic, it's very necessary. And the viewers trust the products I use. So it's a very easy integration that works well for myself, the viewers and the brand. 

SM: How should brands approach it and leverage it? 
CF: They should approach it with a budget in mind. If they've never done it before, talk to the content creator and ask what the process is. Everybody has a different process; my process is different from somebody else's. Explain the budget and see what can be done with it. It helps to explain how you want the product to be shown, or if you want to use Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, etc. Trusting in the content creator is the most important thing. If you're trying to force the content creator to do certain things, then just hire somebody to create an ad. Just let the content creator do their thing. I know how to make it good for my audience and good for the brand because the idea is it's not an ad, it's an integration. It's a use of your product that viewers are going to see, as well as the quality and all that stuff. 

SM: Any specific thoughts on best engagement, particularly towards a younger audience? 
CF: Today you have to be quick and snappy. You can't tell long-winded stories. You need to get to the point, be interesting and constantly keep the viewer interested. And that could be with cool things happening or information that they need. Once you get away from those two things, viewers tend to drop off. 

SM: What advice would you give a younger version of yourself trying to establish a presence or a content business? 
CF: I'd tell myself to do it again. Be true to yourself. Make content that I'm proud of. That's how it all started, right? I was proud to share it with my friends and family because I knew how much work went into it. I knew it was helpful. Do the right thing, keep it honest. Show the actual process and just make content that you're happy about and proud of. That's the biggest thing I say when kids come up to me and ask, “Hey, how can I get started making YouTube videos?” 

I’d say the content piece is one thing, but the skills that you learn and acquire leading up to that are another. So, learn as much as you can. I was in the New Jersey State Police. I was a chef. I was a marine biologist. I worked for the Department of Homeland Security. I did all these different things and acquired different skills from each of them. Creating a recipe as a chef? Each video is a recipe. In the state police, it was a very stressful job–not a lot of sleep, and you had to be able to focus. It’s the same thing with content creation. Sometimes, you have to get a project done, a video, and you're editing. There's not a lot of sleep and it can be stressful. You're not worried about somebody shooting you, but you have millions of viewers asking when the next video is? What's going on? Why is it taking so long? They don't know, they're just excited.

That’s stressful in a different way. The state police taught me how to deal with that. And in marine biology and homeland security, you take these complex topics that the public isn't aware of and simplify them so the public can understand. It's the same with videos; taking a seemingly complex job on a car that somebody doesn't know about and making it understandable and digestible for them. So, I took all these aspects that I’ve learned in life and applied them to this one thing, and I feel that's what has made it successful. 

SM: Your favorite platform is presumably YouTube. What are your thoughts on others? 
CF: YouTube is the best platform. It's also the one I'm most nervous to post to. My content there has to be the cream of the crop. Unlike Instagram, not that I don't care, but I don't mind posting stuff on there that has nothing to do with cars. I show fishing and random house stuff, and you don't have to make this perfectly crisp video on that. You could just show your behind-the-scenes. That's how I use it. It's more to keep the audience engaged while you make that next YouTube video. 

SM: How do you work with brands in the automotive aftermarket? 
CF: Sometimes brands reach out, and other times, if there's a product that I need, I go and buy it. If a brand approaches me, I assess whether the product or video fits my channel and audience well. If it does, I’ll create a plan for it that we can agree on. Then I send over a contract with my deliverables, their deliverables, and the estimated timeline. 

I'm always late. It's unfortunate on my end, but I will not produce or publish content I am not 1,000% happy with. I will go back outside and reshoot shots that I'm not happy with. I've done it on pretty much every video. I'll go back out, disassemble what I put together, get to the point that I need to get to, and then reshoot it. I give the brand updates along the way, such as,  “You're next in line,” or “There are two more videos ahead of you.” 

I let brands change two things–safety and facts. If I'm not factual or my method isn’t safe, they're allowed to change that. It’s in my contract. I don't want them forcing me to say stuff that I don't want to say or make it an ad. 

SM: What, if any, areas of the industry do you see trending or blowing up again? 
CF: I don't know, I think a lot of people are really into the hybrid stuff. They're not getting into the electric stuff as much. There's a place for electric cars, but I think people are starting to realize that we want our gas engines. We want that rumble and feel. But the technology for better fuel efficiency and the ability to go 40 miles in a plug-in hybrid before using gas is also good. I think that combination is where the industry is going to end up going in the immediate future.

That’s not the aftermarket, but I don't know if I see anything personally. I think people just want to make cars fun. They want to use cars as an escape. People lower their cars, put wheels on, tires, turbos or an intake. They do little things to make their car their own. And I see that all the time at car meet-and-greets. Because of my videos, fans always show me pictures of their cars and their added dash cameras, brakes or exhausts. 

SM: What do you think the future looks like in social media, and more specifically, the aftermarket industry? 
CF: Social media is very interesting because back in the day, it was the Wild West, right? You couldn't make money on social media. I didn't know you could make money on YouTube. I just did it because I wanted to help people. Today, when I talk to fans at meet-and-greets, parents sometimes come up to ask if I can talk to their son about being a YouTuber. I'm like, yeah, it's 16 hours a day, seven days a week, nonstop pressure and stress. I boil it down to “it's not easy.” You think it's this glorious thing and, yes, it has its awesomeness, but it's not this simple and you don't see what goes on behind the scenes. I try to explain that to the kids.

Now it's “I want to be a YouTuber.” I try to use the terms “content creator” or “YouTuber.” I hate the word influencer. There are so many people in this content-creation field now, and everybody has a camera on their phone, which takes pretty good videos, shoots 4K, 60 frames a second, and has decent audio. It does all this stuff for you. You don't have to know too much about film and photography. You don't need to know what an aperture is or a frame rate; it just does it for you. So, I think the barrier to entry is very low right now, and I think everybody wants to do it. It's overly saturated. 

SM: What are you going to be doing going forward? Much of the same, or are there any plans for anything new?
CF: Moving forward, I have a couple of video ideas, like series ideas. It's a very big undertaking, will be really cool, and I think it’ll do well. The problem is it's a year's worth of work before I even film. Also, I need to fix my fleet of cars! I’ll be working to make sure that the videos are more consistent. I haven't been very consistent since I recently moved. My goal is to get more situated, and that will help with the consistency.

SM: What is the most valuable career lesson that you have learned since you started in this industry? 
CF: Be true to yourself. Be kind. Be positive and treat people the way you want to be treated. An example is at meet-and-greets. People line up to meet you and sometimes there’s a cut-off time. Often, the line is still long past that cut off but I always make a point of meeting them all, even if it takes an hour or two after that. If I waited in line and that person just stopped at a set time, I’d have a poor impression, it’s a bad memory. So, I prevent that as much as possible. Treat people the way you want to be treated and create content the way you would want to consume content. 

SM: What specific areas of car culture are you drawn to these days? 
CF: I just like all of it. Every car is unique and different. I have 15 different cars, from a Prius to an H1 Hummer. Every car has its own feel. When you get into the Hummer, it's this tank. It's this raw, visceral feeling of a diesel engine-like tin can, it just feels this, this certain way. You get into a Prius, it's more refined, it's quiet, it's economical. You play like a fuel-economy game. How much? You know, if I coast here, I'm going to get this much energy, this much energy back, and I'm going to slowly brake so that I can regenerate… And then there's everything else in between. You get into a sports car and it's exciting and fun. You get into a Mustang, it's like you've got this torque and this V8 rumble. 

I think it's cool to see how people make their cars unique, and I like the idea of everybody just meeting up, hanging out, talking about cars. These car meets, the Cars and Coffee, it's not a car show where you're trying to make your car nicest. You can appreciate the guy who has his daily driver and just put in this air intake. It's such a simple thing. But for him, that's the first time he did it and it's special to him. It's cool to see that. 

I also like going to different countries. I went to Japan and got to see the car culture there. It's so unique and different. 

SM: Craziest day at work? 
CF: Oh, man, there's so many awesome days, there's so many crazy days. I mean, I've been at the Indy 500 with the Shell team and Shell One, and we celebrated. I've been to Ferrari and had dinner in Ferrari's trophy room. I get to go to all these cool places. 

SM: Daily driver? 
CF: Whatever car is working! I was daily driving my Corvette for a long time. Then I got my Hummer, and I got the Drift Stang, and I drove the Drift Stang until I started drifting it and modifying it. Then it was the Hummer until I blew the transfer case. Now that needs to get replaced, and I'm like, I need to make a video. So I'm daily driving the Prius, and then the Prius has to get, you know, a wheel bearing video or E85 kit on it, and then I daily drive the Del Sol. I switch cars around a lot. 

SM: What projects can we find in your garage? 
CF: Every car is a project. Every single one. Right now it’s the Del Sol. Gonna turbo it. So I'm doing a series on building it up to get it turbo. Next, I'm fixing the shifter. It's loosey-goosey, like a wet noodle. You don't know what gear you're in. I'm putting new bushings in, setting it up so it's nice, crisp shifts. Every car is a project, and it's kind of a problem. 

SM: Dream car? 
CF: My Hummer H1, 1990. In this case, it's the ’96, and that thing is awesome. That's my obtainable dream car. An unobtainable dream car is a Zonda. I always liked the Pagani Zonda, but obtainable is my Hummer. And that's my baby. I love that car. I was playing on my bicycle as a kid, and one passed by, and I told my dad about it. Then they took me to the GM dealership where they had them lined up, and I was like a kid in a candy store. My dad told me, “You work hard, you go to a good school, you get good grades, and you'll be able to afford one of those.” That was like a motivational thing for me. My parents were always there to push me and try to make sure I had a good direction. That was a big part of my life. 

SM: When you’re not in or around cars, where can we find you and what will you be doing?
CF: I love fishing and boating. That's why I have the Chris Fish Channel. But I like to explore. Shark-tooth hunting is a big thing, and I enjoy that because takes me back to my marine biology background. Plus, the hunt, in this case, shark's teeth. Boating is a big part of my life. I love being on the water. I just feel at peace on the water. Maybe even more so than in a car. In a car, you have a road that you have to drive on, and there's a lane, but a boat, you could go anywhere, do anything. So fishing, boating, outdoor stuff. I love playing different sports such as baseball, tennis, and any other sports.

SM: Chris Fix in 10 to 15 years. Who and what? 
CF: I would say I'd like to just keep going. I need to find a work-life balance. It used to be all work. Recently, it’s been a lot of life, and I need to find that balance. If I can manage that balance, that's my 10-to-15-year goal. Continue producing content that helps people. Brands that are represented in my videos continue to thrive, and the viewers continue to fix their cars, save money, and love the meet-and-greets. I love hearing that. They're like, “Oh man, you got me into the industry. I'm a tech because of you. I'm an engineer because of you.” 

My first meet-and-greet ever, this couple--well, this guy and girl--were in line next to one another. They started talking to each other and ended up getting married. I think they have kids now, all because they went to my meet-and-greet. So being able to affect people and their lives positively is a goal, and I hope I can continue doing that. But that work-life balance, that's the thing that I am seriously working on right now. It's not easy, but that's pretty much everything. I'd say the last thing would be doing more stuff in the industry. The tool thing was a cool experiment. The cool thing I always wanted to do. Maybe open an automotive shop.

Also, I started getting tools made with the ChrisFix name, working with different companies in America to make ChrisFix tools. That way you watch the videos, and you use the tools. I thought that was pretty cool. That was more for fun than anything else, but all the money goes to charity. Charity work is a big thing I like to do. I work with a couple of charities, such as Building Homes for Heroes, which is a good one that helps veterans and first responders, and $0.95 of every dollar goes to the cause. Their CEO takes no money. Their employees take regular pay, and everybody's for the cause, which is great. So I've been trying to do more of that.

I also gave away a car to a family that lost their parents. At the time, the 19-year-old daughter took custody of her three siblings, and she was balancing school and work to afford their apartment, which they were getting kicked out of because they couldn't afford it. She just basically got put in this place that was not good. Building Homes for Heroes got them a mortgage-free house, but they had no car. So, I got them a car and I was able to make a video and share it, and we raised over $100,000, plus the car. So, more charity stuff this year. I'm hoping to give three cars away to three different families in need. This is, you know, me giving back. 

SM: Finally, and it has to be asked, why the helmet?
CF: [Laughs] I never thought of showing myself on camera. The whole point of my videos is to teach people how to fix cars, so I thought that I should just focus on that. It has nothing to do with me being on camera, minus my hands. Then I started getting into motorsports, like drifting and endurance racing, so naturally, I was wearing a helmet and it helped keep my identity hidden. It was never about me; it's about the work that's at hand. I like the idea of how anyone can put some nitrile gloves on and use common hand tools and basically become ChrisFix.
 

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."