Rod Powell

Rod Powell's 1951 Mercury - Merc on the Wild Side

Robert E. Larivee, Jr. and Peter A. Toundas' 1941 Ford - The Eagle One

Clif Inman's 1957 Chrysler

Leroy Kemmerer's 1956 Mercury of Castro Valley, California. Leroy's Merc, also known as The Jade Idol, was restyled by Gene Winfield of Winfield's Custom Shop. The build was started in 1958, and completed in 1959. The Jade Idol became an instant hit at car shows all over the US, and it was the car that helped Gene gain national recognition as a custom car builder. Rod painted the restored version of the Jade Idol for Jerry Rehn in the 1980s.

Jesse Cruz next to the Richard Zocchi's 1950 Mercury in the 1990s. Known as the Cool 50, this was Rod's last Candy paint job. "I had a lot of help on that," Powell told Curtis Mcgann in 2020. "All I did was pull the trigger. Mark Duliba, Jesse Cruz, Jesus Villalobos, and Dan Rosas were all helping that night." Photo courtesy of Jesse Cruz, provided by Curtis Mcgann.

Rod Powell's Cars

Rod Powell's 1951 Mercury - Merc on the Wild Side

Cars Built by Rod Powell

Robert E. Larivee, Jr. and Peter A. Toundas' 1941 Ford - The Eagle One
Rod Powell's 1951 Mercury - Merc on the Wild Side

Cars Painted by Rod Powell

Richard Zocchi's 1950 Mercury - Cool 50
Leroy Kemmerer's 1956 Mercury - The Jade Idol

Cars Restored by Rod Powell

Clif Inman's 1957 Chrysler