Boyd Coddington and John Buttera’s passing in 2008 marked the end of modern hot rodding’s founding era. Here’s a look back at our tribute with six of Boyd’s standout builds, as featured in the May 2008 issue of Street Machine.

Hot Rod magazine said of Boyd Coddington: “His award-winning rod-building efforts have legitimised street rodding as a native American art form.” His recent death at just 63 was a huge shock, and with John Buttera, who helped define the Boyd look, passing the very same week, the fathers of modern hot rodding were gone. Here are the highlights of their legacy.

1. VERN LUCE COUPE

This was the car that launched a thousand red hot rods. Built for wealthy American businessman Vern Luce, the smoothed ’33 Ford showed what could be done to a hot rod if you had the right people and enough money.

Although it might look plain these days, this is the car that pretty much started the whole smoothed over billet look. Boyd removed all the lumps and bumps to accentuate the lines of the car. If you know what a stock ’33 looks like around the grille area, then you’ll understand how much work has gone into the hood sides to clean up those lines.

The wheels were extra special, being one-off billet numbers machined by Boyd – even if they do look a lot like Indy Champs! The car has been in Australia for a number of years and was featured in SM May, 2001.

Above: Vern Luce coupe at Showcars Melbourne 20172. CHEZOOM

CheZoom was radical custom, but one intended to be more recognisable to the masses. Designed by Thom Taylor and built by Boyd for Joe ‘Mr Gasket’ Hrudka, only 10 per cent of the original ’57 Chevy sheet metal remained untouched.

Built on Corvette underpinnings, CheZoom was designed to be a driver, using completely stock parts simply detailed with paint. Of course, Boyd machined a set of custom 17-inch wheels and steering wheel, while the interior was covered in a mixture of grey leather with teal tweed inserts.

3. CADZZILLA

I remember absorbing every ounce of information I could find when Boyd’s team were crafting a rather dowdy looking ’48 Cadillac into one of the most amazing custom cars ever built. I still remember that Boyd told designer Larry Erickson that they could build any shaped windscreen they wanted. This freed up the roof from having to use a restrictive donor windscreen and it’s only in recent years that we have seen this same design on factory cars. Looks a hell of a lot like a new Merc, don’t it?

4. ALUMACOUPE

Probably one of my least favourite of Boyd’s designs, the Alumacoupe was a breakthrough car nonetheless. Built with input from Mitsubishi, and featuring a mid-mounted DOHC turbo four-pot, it was unveiled at the New York Motor Show in 1992. It was a modern take on an old design and, although effectively a late-model car, unmistakably recognisable as a hot rod.

5. BOYDSTER

The original Boydster was Boyd’s interpretation of the classic Deuce highboy. The hand-crafted body by Marcel DeLay was all steel, and he stretched, pinched and sectioned the traditional ’32 Ford profile into a much more modern silhouette. Elements of the styling were borrowed from the ’33 Ford, such as the doors, while the swage lines, chassis reveal and grille shape were heavily modified, although still recognisable as ’32 Ford. The Boydster II is the fendered version.

6. SMOOTHSTER

Originally penned by Larry Erickson, the ’37 Ford cabriolet was well underway when Midollo pulled out of the project and sold it to his former boss Boyd Coddington. Boyd put a young and fresh Chip Foose on the job and a slew of changes turned a car that was going to be great into something truly awesome.

Underneath sat ’92 Corvette running gear and Boyd billets, but the amazing 22-rib chrome grill is what makes it memorable.

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