The proper tool makes life easier, but it can also make a job more enjoyable. Whether it’s a diagnostic machine or a ballpeen hammer, a ratchet wrench or an English wheel, a good tool can be a treasure to the person using it. A good tool invites use, inspires confidence and demands care.

And just as with every other aspect of professional life, the tools and equipment used in the automotive world are subject to constant inventiveness, innovation and enhancement. Each year, new or improved industry equipment is introduced at the SEMA Show. The 2012 event held last November was replete with groundbreaking new creations, and we’ve brought them together in these pages for your convenience. Find one that makes your life easier.

You’re probably thinking, yeah, I know…a thousand words, right? Well, that certainly still holds true, but a picture is also worth hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of sales in today’s marketplace.

In case you haven’t noticed, today’s consumers are now demanding what could almost be called a sensory overload of visual information as they make decisions about where to spend their money. It’s all about quick, informative features and benefits, easy-to-consume product details, and pictures, pictures, pictures. And don’t forget videos! Videos showing installation, product features and function, performance and more are rapidly becoming the norm and are very influential in consumer decision-making. Add to this list things such as PDFs of installation instructions, schematics, warranty information and more to round out this new standard of excellence in presenting your products. No longer do you need to have just an image library; it’s all about managing all this stuff we now call “digital assets.”

George Barris, Eric Grant, Wade Kawasaki and Joe Schubeck Enter SEMA’s Hall of Fame

Often, those who truly make a difference never really set out to do so. They’re simply pursuing a dream, a passion. And yet, through sheer perseverance, innovation, dedication and a high dose of excellence, they somehow suddenly find themselves changing everything, revolutionizing an industry and inspiring a legion of followers.

Dean Jeffries, custom car painter, striper and builder, died in his sleep in early May. He was 80 years old. Jeffries was among the most talented of the men who shaped car culture in the ’50s and ’60s, though his profile was somewhat lower than that of George Barris, Ed Roth or Ken “Von Dutch” Howard. He may not have been as well known, but he was versatile and skilled enough that his handiwork could be found everywhere, from Gasoline Alley at Indianapolis to Hollywood movie and TV sets.

Arguably his best-known TV cars are the two GTO convertibles he modified for “The Monkees” TV show in 1966. We dug through the Petersen vault and came up with these shots, taken in June 1966 after a grueling 10-day build of the first GTO.

(And What Can We Do About It?)

The SEMA Education Institute (SEI) recently delved into this topic through an in-depth panel discussion at the 2012 SEMA Show. The presenters included Mickey Andrade, marketing manager of HRE Wheels; James Lawrence, CEO of Power Automedia; Jim Liaw, co-founder and president of the Formula D Drifting Championship; and Evan Smith, editor of Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords magazine. Highly experienced in the youth market, the four painted a picture of a young demographic displaying tremendous shifts in interests and buying habits. According to the panelists, these changes offer both challenges and new opportunities for the automotive specialty-equipment market.

An Interview With the Outgoing Chairman of SEMA’s Board of Directors

After many years of service in a number of different roles, Paul “Scooter” Brothers took office as SEMA’s Chairman of the Board in 2011. His time in the Chairman’s seat has been marked by a successful transition through difficult economic times, fruition of a number of high-profile projects, and the building of momentum on new strategic initiatives that will benefit the industry for years to come.

On Friday, July 26, SEMA will host its annual Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser, and Brothers will pass the leadership torch to SEMA’s new Chairman, Nate Shelton. SEMA News recently interviewed Brothers about his experience as chairman, and the conversation provided an ideal vantage point for understanding the State of the Association.

One of the World’s Largest Vehicle Markets

SEMA News recently traveled to Moscow to take a look at the center of the specialty-equipment market in the world’s largest country in terms of area (more than 6.6 million square miles). Russia is one of the fastest-growing emerging market economies and one of the five countries that make up the so-called BRICS, along with quickly growing Brazil, India, China and South Africa.

This article looks at the size of Russia’s passenger-vehicle market, the interest in customizing, consumer purchasing power, types of vehicles on the road and the implications for U.S. specialty-equipment companies as well as growth potential, opportunities and challenges.

Here’s the big news: The SEMA Data Co-op is currently building SEMA Search, an online product look-up tool powered by the SDC product information library.

Scheduled for roll-out in November of this year, SEMA Search will allow member retailers, including countermen and sales consultants at brick-and-mortar retail outlets, to find and present the digital product information and images of their manufacturer partners for every customer.

Not only will this provide the opportunity for resellers to view more sales options than ever, they will also enjoy this information at a speed to market rarely experienced before.

How to Cover the Basics and More

Whether they be OEM “dollar vehicles” or shop display cars, the aftermarket loves to promote itself through project builds and other collectible autos. Many retailers or garages will have one or more in the lot or showroom to wow customers. Manufacturers, of course, use them to showcase products at consumer automotive events and trade shows. At the annual SEMA Show, you’ll scarcely find a booth without one.

Build vehicles are valuable commodities, so whether your business keeps them on display at the shop or takes them on the road to tout your brand, you’ll want to have them properly insured. Yet, adequately covering them can be complicated.