Las Vegas, NV., Oct. 30, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With 2012 marking the 80th anniversary of the 1932 Ford, the legendary SO-CAL Speed Shop debuted a custom '32 Roadster at Ford Motor Company's SEMA press conference on Tuesday, Oct. 30 in Las Vegas. Nicknamed "Coyote," the hot rod features Ford Racing's latest engine technology in its 625hp supercharged Coyote 5.0L power plant. The vehicle received the Outstanding Achievement and Design Award from Ford Motor Company's press conference.
Shifting gears via a six-speed manual transmission and featuring a Dearborn Deuce all-steel cabriolet body sitting atop a SO-CAL Speed Shop New Traditionalist chassis, the Coyote pays homage to SO-CAL Speed Shop founder Alex Xydias, who celebrates his 90th birthday this year. The throwback gold and white paint worn by the Coyote was inspired by the shop's first P-38 Belly Tank Lakester race car that has become part of land speed racing lore thanks to countless records felled on the lake beds of Southern California and the famed salt flats of Bonneville, Utah. Xydias and the Lakester were also on-hand for the unveiling of the Coyote.
The vehicle was built in collaboration with Detroit Street Rods and Champions Moto. Champions Moto, a company known for its bespoke motorcycle designs and vintage speed inspired fashion line, commissioned the roadster project. Richard Varner, co-founder of Champions Moto, wanted to create a vehicle that combined vintage heritage and style with modern performance. The roadster reflects Varner's theme of combining the old with the new.
"The Coyote is truly a milestone vehicle and I am thrilled to be working with SO-CAL Speed Shop and Detroit Street Rods on this project," says Champions Moto co-founder, Richard Varner. "Unlike the 80-year-old original '32 Fords, the new version will come with air conditioning, heated seats and a manually operated convertible top. This will be the ultimate mix of a traditional hot rod with modern amenities."
Alternative Automotive Technologies in Troy, MI painted and assembled the car under the supervision of Detroit Street Rods at the former Saleen facility in Troy, Michigan that AAT now calls its headquarters. Sparing no expense, Shelby Trim in Sterling Heights, MI was signed on to handcraft the custom interior carefully cut and stitched from ultra-leather, joining the project's all-star list of contributors.
"SO-CAL Speed Shop has long collaborated with Ford, as has Detroit Street Rods," says SO-CAL president Pete Chapouris. "Judging from DSR's huge success with their '75th Anniversary Deuce' program, it just made good sense for us to do the Coyote 5.0 project in the Motor City."
From Las Vegas, the Coyote will be transferred to its new home at the SO-CAL Speed Shop in Pomona, Calif. where it will be displayed when it's not making appearances at various events during the 2013 show season before ultimately being sold at auction with the proceeds being donated to charity.
About Champions Moto
Champions Moto, founded by Richard Varner and Terry Karges, is a custom motorcycle company and lifestyle fashion label based out of Costa Mesa, Calif. The business is dedicated to crafting concept bike parts and designing vintage motorcycles powered by modern superbike engines. The company's bikes are bespoke and built to order. Champions Moto's motorcycles and fashion label are designed for people who wish to represent the history and spirit of the motorcycle and speed racing lifestyle. For more information, visit www.championsmoto.com or call 714-242-4061.
About SO-CAL Speed Shop
On March 3, 1946, the day of his military discharge, - - using
money borrowed from his mom, Alex Xydias opened the first SO-CAL
Speed Shop on Olive Avenue in Burbank, CA. Alex's popular SO-CAL
Speed Shop racing team set numerous records at the salt flats in
Bonneville, UT and at the NHRA drags well into the 1950's.
Meanwhile across town, another California kid was bitten with the
hot rod bug. Pete Chapouris started building hot rods in his
backyard around 1957 and in 1973 he co-founded Pete & Jakes Hot
Rod Parts. Alex and Pete shared much of the same dreams and
little did these young men know their paths were destined to cross.
Both Alex and Pete had been working behind the scenes to resurrect
the famed SO-CAL Speed Shop and on November 21, 1997 the SO-CAL
Speed Shop began yet another chapter in this on-going element of
hot rod history.
About Detroit Street Rods
Best known for their modern interpretation of the '32 Ford known as the "75th Anniversary Deuce", Detroit Street Rods manufactures high quality component street rods, utilizing superior materials, state-of-the-art technology and craftsmanship in an original equipment manufacturer production line assembly environment. Co-founder and President Robert Smith was born in Detroit, raised in the suburbs, and spent his early automotive career focused on drag racing and performance cars.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 164,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit corporate.ford.com.
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