Coca-Cola

Before becoming a world-famous artist, Vincent Lawrence Garrison was just a young car enthusiast growing up in San Diego, California. Born in Detroit in 1923, Larry’s family split their time between Michigan and California, but by the late 1930s, they had settled on the West Coast, right as custom cars were taking off. A skilled painter and designer, Larry worked for Coca-Cola painting billboards by hand while still in high school. In 1941, he put his artistic talents to use on his first custom, a sleek 1936 Ford Cabriolet. He gave it a 1939 Ford front end, shaved the running boards, and added a chopped and padded top. Finishing touches included fender skirts, flipper hubcaps, and ripple bumpers. Photo courtesy of Paul Garrison.