Hot-Rod Builder Boyd Coddington Dies
World-renowned hot-rod builder and innovator Boyd Coddington died this morning. His hot-rod creations earned him the Grand National Roadster Show's America's Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR) trophy a record six times. He was 63 and the cause of his death is currently unknown.
Coddington was raised in Rupert, Idaho, where he attended machinist trade school at Idaho State University. He moved to California in 1966 to pursue a career building hot-rods. There he opened his first shop, Hot Rods by Boyd, in Cypress, California in 1977.
Boyd carved a niche out in the automotive community for himself and worked with some of the best designers in the game, including Chip Foose. He is remembered not only for his stunning vintage hot-rods, but also from his TLC show American Hot Rod.
Comments
MJK
Thom Taylor and Chip Foose made Boyds name with their design work. He probably had a heart attack after the last of his talented workers were sick of his crap and went to Chip's place.
Dan
MJK - Jealous much? Obviously, Chip and Thom saw some reason for working with him. I was thinking I'd get a set of MJK wheels for my car, but I can't seem to find them anywhere. Stay classy.
dante
Boyd was best at getting the right guys working for him and I don't think that's a knock at all - the same could be said of Enzo Ferrari, as well as the ill-tempered disposition towards his employees. Just like in Ferrari's case, some of his people left and went on to do their own things. I'm not necessarily putting him up at the level of Ferrari (and I'm really not much of a fan of Coddington), but there are some parallels and they were both influential in their respective corners no matter their personal involvement with the final product. Somebody's got to be the director.
MJK
Good point Dante..and Dan..not jealous, just wanting to give credit were it is due, like the talented people who helped build his name in the 80's and 90's. I also believe Jesse James spent some time as a fabricator for him in the early 90's. But you do know these guys did more than just wheels right?
Russ Bellinis
I'm sorry to hear of his passing. I didn't like American Hot Rod as a show, but I don't know how much of the personna seen on the show was Boyd and how much was was just "putting on a show for TV." I wonder what happens to his shop now? HIs first wife pretty much ran the business end of it and he may have had enough talented peole there to keep the business going.
Larry
I knew of Coddington only from the television shows, and don't know that his personality was any more abrasive than anyone else who heads up an organization made up of strongheaded individualists as those on the show.
Ducati Minor
This is a shock to me. I'm not a hot rodder, but some Coddington's customs were marvelous.
brian
his show is more about drama then actual car building. Plus the stuff they build are in the stone age. Their audience are mainly baby boomers and young kids who can only afford POS cars.
Jeff
Sad news. He did some great work.
southern
The time when people would forget differences and salute a fallen soldier with respect is gone.
Read the comments by these immature kids who have no idea how Boyd was up close and personal and see why the world of Autos no longer has any class. None.
Goodbye Boyd. RIP old friend.
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