It was the beginning of November and the holiday season was bearing down on us. In need of a break and some alone time with my son, Justin, we hopped a flight from Vancouver to Las Vegas where we joined countless attendees for a truly remarkable SEMA Show 2007.
You may have heard of the SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association founded in 1963, which represents the $36.7 billion specialty automotive industry of 7,094 member-companies. It is the authoritative source for research, data, trends and market growth information for the fast-paced specialty automotive industry.
This explains why the SEMA Show is recognized as the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world, making it the hottest ticket in town for the entire four days it is conducted.
It is no exaggeration to say that the annual SEMA Show draws the industry's brightest minds and hottest products to one place, the Las Vegas Convention Center, attracting more than 100,000 industry leaders from over 100 countries for unlimited profit opportunities in the automotive, truck and SUV, marine and RV markets.
Looking back, I just found out that SEMA Show 2006 drew over 50,000 domestic and international buyers, showcasing the latest and greatest unique automotive accessories across two million square feet of exhibits. Much like this year's SEMA show, SEMA Show 2006 displays were segmented into 11 sections, and a New Products Showcase featured more than 2,000 newly introduced parts, tools and components.
This year, however, the SEMA Show boasted noticeable growth, drawing in more than 100,000 industry leaders from over 100 countries!
Both years SEMA Show also provides product demonstrations, educational seminars, networking opportunities, and more, making sure attendees expectations are exceeded at every turn.
Justin and I Go On the Hunt!
Determined not to be overwhelmed by it all, Justin and I set out with a single goal in mind. We were laser-focused on finding and meeting face-to-face the legendary Carroll Shelby.
The famed racecar driver and automobile designer, perhaps best known for creating the Shelby Cobra, and his work as a member of the team that produced the Dodge Viper (along with his numerous national and international race wins), was rumored to be at SEMA Show 2007 and we were going to find him!
After all, we were there to get the scoop on all the going-ons within the kit car industry and, in my mind at least, one of the very cornerstones of this growing industry is Shelby.
But, we had a lot of ground to cover, with more than 2,000,000 square feet to explore. Yes, that's equivalent to a 41 full-size football fields. Talk about a car lover's dream.
The weather, which cooperated beautifully and held steady at a comfortable 78-80 degrees with a consistent light breeze, only enhanced our Las Vegas trip and SEMA Show 2007 experience and made moving from building to building a real pleasure.
Speaking of buildings, Justin and I walked the exhibits all day. Starting in the morning and forging through to 5 pm, when the day concluded. Our feet may have been sore, but our brains were in overdrive! Still, SEMA Show is so big that there were two whole buildings we never even got to.
Truly, this was the ultimate car show. We saw fascinating product demos, attended spectacular networking events and, in a nutshell, got to taste anything and everything related to the car world. It was a smorgasbord of the auto industry, providing a sampling of anything you could think of!
But Where of Where is CS?
We enjoyed looking around, and there is just no denying that SEMA Show is tops, but where in the world was Carroll Shelby?
Our quest continued, and along the way, we sure saw some great sights. We were on the hunt not only for Carroll Shelby, but for anything we could find related to kit cars, replicas or rebodied cars - including all the parts and accessories related to the kit car world, so we could report about it here.
And, just as we walked in on day one, we saw a jaw-dropping MR2 rebody. Needless to say, this piqued our interest and wet our appetites to see more.
Lots of hard walking the first day, but we didn't even notice because of all the tasty eye candy we took in. Then, out of nowhere on day two, and just about as we were ready to believe that rumors of Carroll Shelby were just that - rumors, we heard he was there in the flesh and signing autographs.
We made our way to where we heard he was and waited in line for more than an hour. Apparently, many SEMA Show 2007 attendees were there to meet Shelby, for after an hour of waiting in line passed, there was still no CS autograph to brag about.
Oh, well. Places to go and cars to see. We were off again.
This is when we discovered that in the world of the Corvette, there are a number of companies now producing new models, or taking newer model Corvettes, and then developing bodies for these cars that make the Corvette look like a 1968 Corvette (but in all actuality it's a newer one).
These are just plain cool - all modern, boasting the latest in technology, suspension, drive train and handling. If you've ever driven an old Vette, which drives like a tractor, you can really appreciate the ability to drive a vintage Vette that is equipped with all the modern advances and comforts on the great-driving Corvettes of today.
This new, vintage-look Corvette is, in summary, a nice tight car. A favorite was a classic reflection coach works, a 1962 "C5" Corvette conversion that Justin and I found in the Central Hall. The car had the name "Tim Mills" on it, along with this contact telephone number: 206-390-4098 Want one or one somewhat like it? If so, give Tim a call.
We also saw a very early kit car, a Bricklin SV-1 (1975). This one was fully restored and modified in a bright orange. It's the only North American built gull-wing car. Manufactured primarily from Detroit parts from 1974 to 1976 in Brunswick Canada for exclusive sale in the US, there were only 5000 Bricklin SV-1s sold in NA. However, unfortunately there were only 2854 Bricklin cars built before Bricklin was forced into bankruptcy.
This orange one was a beauty, with a built-in roll cage, sideguard rails, and shock absorbing bumpers (quite an advancement for a kit car back then). The fiberglass body came in five colors (safety red, safety orange, safety green, safety suntan, and safety white) and was even recognized by Canada Post with its own limited edition stamp and the Canadian Mint with a $20 silver anniversary coin. This particular car was built by Syndicate Automotive Concepts.
Big-names "the Norm" at SEMA Show
Still on the hunt for one of my personal favorite celebrities of all time, Carroll Shelby, Justin and I couldn't help but notice that SEMA Show 2007 was literally packed wall-to-wall with like big name individuals and the most recognizable, most respected car-related companies across the globe, such as Meguiars Car Care Products.
While looking through Meguiars latest developments, another rebodied corvette - this one from Street Rods Only in Macon, IL, caught my eyes. This LS2 550 hp, supercharged corvette, also in bright orange with beautiful stripes, had a finish that was nothing short of amazing. This coupe version showcased an exquisite custom interiors and rebody and I knew would be hard to beat.
I also quickly recognized that taking new cars and placing older bodies on them is becoming a very big business, with kit car owners of today looking for today's functionality and a look of days past.
Shortly after this realization, Justin and I visited Factory Five Racing, where there were a couple of head-turning GTM Super Cars - one black on black, and another orange with two black stripes. As you might suspect, the GTM Super Car drew quite an audience, one so large, in fact, that it was hard to get close to the car at all. I did manage to take some great close-up shots so you can see for yourself all the amazing details of this car.
I saw prototype of this car at SEMA a few years ago and this finished version certainly did not disappoint. And judging by the size of the crowd it drew and the escalating excitement amongst viewers, it was clearly a huge hit with others, too.
We were also able to take a firsthand look at the rolling chasis, allowing us to take a good look at it before the body was put on. We saw the Corvette engine, real transaxle and more - all of which was equally impressive.
No Daytona Coupe on-hand, and no Carroll Shelby Yet!
No Daytona Coupe on-hand. Not sure why. Maybe this beauty has been on display at other events, but it wasn't ay SEMA Show 2007 and I'm not sure why.
There was a Mark III Roadster, which, of course, was orange, with two silver stripes. Talk about dominating SEMA Show 2007 - that orange color was everywhere!
Again, the rolling chasis was front and center so we could all have an up-close look at "inards" of this car, showcasing the supreme quality behind each.
Next, Justin and I stumbled across company that had on display a Superformance GT40 that showed off their custom transaxle configurations. Powered by a powerful Roush engine, it was great to see this car up close because I had never seen one of these in real life and was pleased to see how well it was constructed.
Once again, it here was a orange, and also had a sleek black stripe.
A Work in Progress
Every day during the event, the crew from popular television show Overhaulin', led by Chip Foose, was right in front of us via a television set in the Overhaulin' tent, actually overhauling a car step-by-step so we could witness the process from beginning to end and even see the finished product at the conclusion of SEMA Show.
Ripped off from some poor unsuspecting soul (or one very lucky one if you consider what they are left with), the Overhaulin's whittled away at a 1954 4-door Ford sedan. Of course, Justin and I popped in the Overhaulin' tent every day to check on the progress of the overhaul and see for ourselves how they were doing on the reconstruction of this car.
It was fascinating to watch them work because at any one time, there might be 10 people working on the single car and at its peek, we actually counted 33 people working hand-in-hand on the car all at once.
On Wednesday evening, Justin and I took off from hotel and headed back to SEMA Show on the monorail and checked at midnight to see progress on car and discovered several others had made their way back to see this, too, with everyone watching as the Overhaulin' crew performed their magic. And, low and behold, here it was midnight and Chip Foose was there working on the finished car drawing, which, if you're a regular viewer of the show, you know is Chip's rendering, where he adds paint, color, design aspects, etc. for both the interior and exterior of the car.
As soon as he was done, Chip walked over to Justin and me and gave us a preview of the drawing he had just completed. We took photos of Chip and the car.
Hard to top this, but a visit to the Roush Performance booth was a close match. Roush, which is famous for their line of high-end engines, which usually run about $30,000-$50,000, proudly displayed some of its best work. Here, Justin and I had a good look at the impressive line of Roush crate engines and got photos of these engines up-close. Typically, these range from 500-600 hp, and are always well-finished, boasting a beautiful engine that is the result of a collaboration between Jack Roush and Carroll Shelby. In fact, originally, this engine was designed for the Shelby Cobras.
A Favorite is Found
Here we also saw a Superformance GT40 in vintage racing colors from the 60s - baby blue with orange stripes and orange mags. Powered by Roush engines, this was my favorite car at show. This GT40-P/2101 with 15-inch brim wheels, A/C, and a Roush 427ir fuel-injected 550 hp engine, and sporting a gulf color package, was spectacular.
And, even the gulf color package included more orange.
Orange, orange, orange. This was definitely the color of SEMA Show 2007.
Also in the Roush booth was a stunning red Roush Cobra replica (finally, no orange), with two silver stripes, leather interior, 5-pt racing harness, and black side pipes. Across the way in another booth that was selling braking systems, I discovered another Cobra powered by Roush. This one was dark silver with two light silver stripes and the number 65 on its side. It had a chrome roll bar and a Roush engine with Paxton Supercharger - signed by who else but Carroll Shelby himself!
Had he been here? Would Justin and I cross oaths with him gain at SEMA Show 2007? Sure, we remained on the lookout, but with all there was to see, to learn and to experience, we were certainly content. In fact, at times it was hard to contain our excitement.
While we had not yet had the chance to actually get close to or interact with Carroll Shelby, we did see other industry big dogs, such as Chip Foose from the TV show Overhaulin' who I mentioned above, as well as Boyd Coddington, from American Hot Rod), and Jack Roush.
Forging Ahead, Engines Revved
Came across a 1933 ford all steel body full top convertible. This car is designed for hot rodding enthusiasts who want to build their own hot rod. What was unique about this car was its fully retractable soft top that hides under a steel hard Tonneau cover. This whole car constructed of heavy 18-gauge steel, included powered windows (despite being built in 1933), and heavy gauge substructure.
Made by American Speed Company, the convertible was unpainted. Perhaps a few coats of orange would do the trick!
Next thing we know, we learned that, low and behold, Carroll Shelby was going to be over at the Auto Week Magazine booth signing autographs so we weren’t going to make the same mistake this time and miss that. That is why we got there an hour early and anxiously waited for Carroll Shelby to show up - and he did.
It paid off. Justin and I both met and shook hands with Carroll Shelby. And, I have to say, he looked great. We also met his wife.
One more dream I could check off my list.
Shelby, Shelby, Shelby
I have to admit that Carroll Shelby has always been an idol of mine. Because of this, my wife Arlene and I named our oldest daughter Shelby. Well, when I mentioned this to him, he smiled and said, “Come here.”
You can imagine how Carroll Shelby must have felt when I told him we named our daughter after him and after the Shelby Cobra, and that I own a 1967 Shelby Cobra replica.
He was touched, to say the least.
I presented Carroll Shelby with my daughter’s photo, and he looked at it admiringly and wrote on it: “I love you Shelby. From your friend Carroll Shelby.” He also asked me to send a photo of my daughter to him.
What a guy! IT was a very special 60 seconds indeed.
Carroll Shelby Dream Checked Off, But Still More to Take In
Still floating high from the face-to-face meeting with Carroll Shelby, Justin and I continued on and were delighted to discover yet another Corvette rebody from Classic Reflections Coach Works (crcoachworks.com). Red (not orange) with an inlaid white stripe and a black one with inlaid silver stripe.
She was gorgeous!
Next, we stumbled across a Noble 400. It was in the Car and Driver and Road and Track Magazines booth, along with a M400 (a UK car).
We capped off the event with another visit to the Overhaulin’ booth to check on progress of the car that was getting overhauled. This third day of the project was an absolute zoo. We looked in awe at the shop disaster, which was a complete disaster. There was stuff everywhere.
Funny to me because I had always envisioned the shop as neatly organized. Not the case by the time day three rolled around. The whole crew was working furiously “behind the scenes.”
Tables were stacked with parts as team members scrambled to find bolts, fasteners, etc. It was hilarious to watch this come together.
We watched in amazement as they did everything right there. They used a paint booth, which had been set-up on site. We saw the upholsterers hard at work right in front of our eyes. They sewed up seats in front of everybody.
Grated, we didn’t see the actual unveiling because we flew out on Friday about five hours before it was all completed. And, when we left, it was overwhelming how much was left yet to do.
You’ll want to make a note now to watch this episode of Overhaulin’. It’s going to be a head-spinner and one no one will soon forget. I saw much of it firsthand and still marvel at it all.
Before concluding our time at SEMA Show 2007, we came across one more rebodied Corvette, designed with all carbon fiber body. This rebody was blue (not orange), with a red interior that I thought didn’t lend well to blue C12 Carbon.
About this same time, Justin discovered the “SEMA girls” and got photos with lots of beautiful women.
SEMA Show 2007 comes to a close
There is one other highlight worth mentioning here and that is Dynacorn, which is currently manufacturing a picture-perfect reproduction of the much-adored 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback.
Dynacorn has a licensing deal with Ford and designs this car for anyone that wants to build themselves a brand new version of a Mustang (any custom version of that body style is now available so there’s no need to spend tens of thousands trying to resurrect a 40-yr-old body when you can buy new body).
There is a huge following to these Mustangs and buyers are just snatching these up.
FYI: Dynacorn also reproduces s a 1969 Camaro convertible, but this was not at the SEMA Show.
Also, there are a number of cars now being built on the Dynacorn body, which are brand new cars with that much-desired vintage look and these include the 1967 Mustang Fastback, 1967 custom one-off version, 1967 red, black, and another in full race setup from Year One (where you can actually buy a 1967 replica mustang complete and ready for the racetrack right out of the Year One catalog).
As we started to leave the show, we came across 1960 Chevy Corvette replica built by HiTEK Hot Rods of Dayton OH, powered by 383 stroker engine T-56 6-speed transmission by Keisler Engineering. It showcases custom 2x4 box tube frame with 9-in ford housing and C4 corvette from suspension and triangulated four-link with adjustable coil covers, stainless works exhaust, and vintage air-front runner setup.
We also saw the HiTek Hot Rods replica frontrunner roadster body, which was bright red with white inlays, lots of chrome, and beautifully finished. Really, you would never know this was a replica.
The same holds true for the IMC Sports Cars IMC408F1, which can go from 0 to 60 MPH in 3.8 seconds. With a top speed of 161 mph, this 2-seater is a road worthy racecar and has a rear engine, transaxle, open cockpit, and is powered by V8.
Of course, it was orange!
Hot Wheels also proudly displayed there with three full-size hot wheels which were matched only by a hand-built, one-of-a-kind care inspired by Shelby Cobra, Jag, and Aston-Martin. Red with beige interior, it is undeniably a very cool car.
As we wondered out, came across a brand new Porsche, sparkling in all its orange glory. Orange yet again, but it was quite the way to end our adventure, after which we immediately began planning for SEMA Show 2008.
I hope to see you there!
