1961

Norman Kopp's 1932 Chevrolet Coupe of Beloit, Wisconsin. Originally owned and built by Norman's brother, the first running completion was in 1958. The build was completed in 1961. Norman was a member of the Road Gents of Beloit car club.

Jacques Bechard's 1932 Ford Roadster of Montreal, Canada. The build was started in 1958. This photo shows the car as it appeared circa 1961.

Bob Moloney's 1932 Ford Five-Window Coupe of Boston, Massachusetts. Built in the East Coast style and owned by Bob Moloney since 1960, this historic Deuce coupe has evolved across decades, states, and styles. Originally channeled and boxed in a Dorchester garage in the 1950s, Bob bought the abandoned project for $425 and had it road-ready by June 1961. Over the years, it gained Corvette small-block power, a Jaguar XKE rear suspension, and countless custom details. Continuously registered and running since 1965, the coupe blends East and West Coast influences with Bob’s personal craftsmanship, making it one of the longest-owned, continuously driven hot rods in the U.S.

Ron Price's 1933 Ford 3-Window Coupe of San Jose, California. Built in the early 1960s, the car made its debut in 1961, at the Grand National Roadster Show.

Dave Willis' 1933 Ford 3-Window Coupe of Port Alberni, Bristish Columbia, Canada. Originally built by Gary Stermer of Vancouver in the 1950s, Dave purchased the coupe circa 1960. Dave spent two years of spare time turning the coupe into a showstopper. This photo shows the coupe as it appeared in 1961.

Larry Wood's 1936 Ford 5-Window Coupe of Haddam, Connecticut. Later known as "Mr. Hot Wheels," the Ford was Wood's first hot rod and a project that would encapsulate his early fascination with automotive design and craftsmanship. The build was started in 1958. He completed it in 1961 before being accepted to the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California.

Augustus Eberman's 1941 Chevrolet Coupe of Geneva, Wisconsin. The build was completed circa 1961, and it is believed to be designed by Brooks Stevens.

Gary Overby's 1940 Chevrolet Coupe was chopped and by Gary in 1960 and 1961.

Dan Hiramoto's 1941 Buick Century convertible of Cleveland, Ohio. Built by Dan and his brother Ken, the car went through several iterations between 1951 and 1962. This photo shows the car as it appeared in 1961, after Dan had taken full possession of the car.

The Flintstones of Hollygroff Car Club's 1947 Buick Convertible. Owned by members of The Flintstones of Hollygroff Car Club, a notable club in the early Swedish custom car scene, the Buick was acquired by a group of teenagers in Stockholm in 1961, it became an emblem of youthful creativity and camaraderie during a formative era for hot rodding and car clubs in Sweden.

George Jezek's 1949 Chevrolet 2-Door Sedan of West, Texas. Jezek was a local pinstriper and a founding member of the Eliminators of West car club. Known as The Candy Cart, Jezek's Chevrolet went through several modifications during the late 1950s and the 1960s. This photo shows how it appeared in 1961 after Jezek had installed chromed wheels with spider caps.

Gary Overby's 1949 Ford of Tacoma, Washington was sectioned 5 inches in 1961.

Lloyd C. Hammond's 1949 Ford of San Bernardino, California. Lloyd was a member of the San Bernardino Krankers and his car was known as "The Majestic Lady." The first iteration of his Ford was completed circa 1958. Circa 1961 the car received canted quad headlights from a 1959 Chevrolet.

The first incarnation of Ken Bausert's 1950 Mercury Convertible was completed in the summer of 1961.

Ron Aguirre's 1956 Chevrolet "X-Sonic" Corvette of Rialto, California. By May of 1961 the car had received a futuristic bubble top. In 1960, the year the Predicta won “The Car of the Future Award”, an earlier iteration of the X-Sonic was shown at the National Roadster Show. After the show, Ron and his good friend Ed Roth decided that they wanted to build “Feature” cars and get paid to show them, not just win trophies. Ron had already installed hydraulic lifts on the Corvette, and now he wanted to go futuristic, replacing the stock top with a plastic bubble top.

Ed Roth's Beatnik Bandit of Bell, California. The Beatnik Bandit was Ed Roth’s first bubble top show rod. In 1960 Ed and Darryl Starbird toured together. Starbird had the Predicta, and Ed had the Outlaw. Starbird remembered that they often discussed building bubble top cars, and Starbird told him about how they made the top for the Predicta. Built by Roth and Dirty Doug Kinney, the Beatnik Bandit was Roth’s second fiberglass build. The body was sculptured over a shortened 1950 Oldsmobile chassis, and it featured a blown and chromed Oldmosbile engine. The build was completed in 1961, around the same time as Ron Aguirre’s X-Sonic.

A photo of Garret Greydanus' 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air taken at the 1961 NHRA Winternationals in Pomona. The show was held February 19, 1961, and by then, the car had received hydraulic lifts by Ron Aguirre. Photo courtesy of Peterson Digital Archive.

Roy Abendroth originally wanted Richard Axcell to give his 1955 Buick custom a Metalflake paint job. Too busy doing everyday cars, Axcell told Roy to see his buddy Larry Watson. Roy told Watson that he was interested in something different for the car. Watson, who had just recently painted Ron Aguirre's X-Sonic, told Roy about the lifts Ron had installed on his Corvette to adjust the ride height by the touch of a button. That was something brand new that caught Roy's interest, so he approached Aguirre about having him install lifts on his Buick as well. Ron accepted the offer, and Roy drove the car up to Fontana to have Ron install lifts up front. Afraid of damaging the paint, Roy figured out it was safer to install the lifts while the car was still in primer. "Ron took it apart and put all the lifts in. From what I understand, the lifts were built from parts from an aircraft. Like a piper cup or something like that. Componentes that lifts the wheels in and out when it's flying." The lifts were installed around 1961, about a year before he first showed it. It was the second car Ron installed lifts on, and it might have been the third hydraulic lifted custom in the world. Photo courtesy of Roy Abendroth.

Ron Aguirre's 1956 Chevrolet Corvette of Rialto, California. Ron's Corvette, known as the X-Sonic, received a scallop paint job by Larry Watson of Watson's House of Style in 1961.

Bill Schott's 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 of Portland, Oregon. Bill was a member of The Kings of Portland car club, and his Fairlane was mildly restyled by Von Hunter in 1961.

Gary Glenn's 1957 Ford of Lansing, Michigan. The Hyde Brothers gave the car a panel paint job in 1961.

Ron Volpe's 1957 Ford Convertible of La Salle, Illinois. Ron was a member of the Illinois Valley Mis-Fires. Between the years 1960 and 1963, he took the car through five different stages. This photo shows a mild iteration of the car as it appeared circa 1961. By then, the car had received quad headlights.

Jim and George Bernardo's 1957 Plymouth convertible of Milford, Connecticut. Jim and George ran Bernardo Auto Body in Milford, and they were specialists in unique finishes such as Metalic, Candy, Pearl and Metalflake. Their Plymouth was completed early in 1961, making its debut at the 1961 Hartford Autorama. It featured a Silver Metalflake paint job, making it one of the first Metalflaked cars.

Doug Osterman's 1958 Chevrolet Corvette of San Jose, California. Doug's mild Corvette was restyled in 1961.

Joe Roth's 1959 Chevrolet Impala of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Restyled by Cudahy Auto Body, the build was started in 1960 and completed in 1961.

Keith Christensen's 1959 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery of Norwalk, California. Keith and Doug Carney installed hydraulic lifts on the car in 1961. It was also dressed up with a Murano Pearl Yellow paint job by Larry Watson of Watson's House of Style. Keith ran Gene's Mufflers, and the Sedan Delivery was his daily driver.

Bob Croatti's 1959 Ford Thunderbird of Milford, Connecticut. Bob's Thunderbird was restyled by Bernardo Auto Body. The build was completed in 1961, and it made its debut at the 1961 Hartford Autorama.

Dail Southwick's 1960 Chevrolet Impala of Compton, California. A photo of the car, developed in November of 1961, shows it featuring a shaved hood, a unique 1953 Chevrolet grille, and a custom single-headlight conversion, giving it a sleek and distinctive front-end treatment. The reflection in the rear window reveals a white tuck-and-roll interior, a hallmark of early 1960s custom styling.

Tom Von Pertz's 1960 Chevrolet Impala of Lynwood, California. Tom was a member of the Tridents of Southern California, and his Impala featured a bright red paint job with a bright pearl stripe painted by Barris Auto in Lynwood. Barris painted the stripe circa 1961.

Gary Ruddell's 1960 Ford Starliner of Norwalk, California. Gary was the President of the Seagrams of Norwalk car club, and he bought the car and had it restyled circa 1960-1961.

Bill Whetstone's 1960 Ford Starliner - The Adonis

Thanks to the Alexander Brothers, Detroit was never far behind the West Coast when it came to executing the latest custom trends. In fact, when it comes to modifications such as asymmetrical styling, it seems like Mike and Larry Alexander even beat George Barris to the finish line. Mid-September 1961, the Alexander Brothers completed the second iteration of Bill Whetstone's 1960 Ford Starliner. By then, an already famous custom known as the Adonis. Mike and Larry wanted their creations to be clean and neat, and in an interview with The Rodder's Journal, Mike said that they would often turn customers away because they knew what the customer was asking for wouldn't look right. When it comes to asymmetrical restyling, the Alexander Brothers kept it at a minimum, and modifications were often limited to an off-set hood scoop or an off-set rear license plate. Photo from The Brad Masterson Collection.

The second iteration of Bill Whetstone's 1960 Ford Starliner, as it appeared after the Alexander Brothers completed it in September of 1961. After touring the car for the 1961 season, Bill and Bud Andersen sat down to plan a new and reworked version. Redoing it was necessary to stay competitive on the show circuit, and being able to get paid for having a featured car. Painted Candy Blue, this version featured radiused wheel wells, shaved fins, and a single asymmetrical scoop in the hood. Known as the Adonis, this is one of the first customs featuring asymmetrical styling. Photo courtesy of George Barris.

In 1961, Björn Ramsten founded The Flintstones of Hollygroff Car Club with a group of neighborhood friends in Stockholm, Sweden, naming it after the popular animated sitcom. This photograph, taken at Fredhäll in 1961, shows the club’s 1947 Buick convertible along with members Nils-Erik Schullström, Tommy Ternström, Björn Hammar, Tore Ström, and Björn Ramsten. Driver "Kurre" is also present, while Lelle Larsson operates the camera. During this era, clubs such as The Road Devils, Car Angels, and Teddyboys were active in Stockholm, but as Björn recalled, “We were 6–7 friends with cars that started a local club called The Flintstones. The Road Devils already ravaged around a bit in folk parks and such, receiving a bit of coverage. We didn’t do that. We were just interested in cars and thought it was fun.” Photo by Lelle Larsson.

The Flintstones of Hollygroff Car Club was one of the pioneering car clubs in Stockholm, Sweden during the early 1960s, marking an important chapter in the evolution of Swedish custom car culture. The club was founded in 1961 by a small group of neighborhood kids who grew up in Fredhäll at Kungsholmen in Stockholm. Inspired by their passion for American cars and the burgeoning custom scene, these young enthusiasts came together to celebrate their love for automobiles long before they were legally old enough to drive.

The 1961 Plymouth Asimmetrica was the production version of the XNR showcar. 25 cars were supposedly planned for special clients, but only 2 are believed to actually have been built. Photo by Josh Bryan, courtesy of RM Auctions.