Friday, December 29, 2006

New Year...New Project Cars

© bonspeed 2006

The new year is more than parties and Times Square around the bonspeed design studio. While most car guys in the Midwest and East are safely storing their cars for winter, we are dreaming up new SEMA projects. Yes, SEMA! I know that show-of-shows just ended a month ago, but the car makers already want new fresh ideas.

Every year at this time we are conceptualizing our newest ideas for the factories. Some of the ideas are accepted and others are thrown in a drawer. Some of those ideas are damn good ones too!

In 2006 bonspeed was asked by Ford to create a design that would make the already steller Mustang GT 500 Shelby even better. This car never was built, but these illustrations will show you just one project gone but not forgotten, maybe one day we will dust off the drawer of old ideas for a customer or ourselves!
Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting


Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Wait till you see what we are designing for 2007!

© bonspeed 2006 All rights Reserved

Monday, November 27, 2006

New & Improved bonspeed!



Everything is new at bonspeed; a new website, new products and a new catalog. Check it out and let us know what you think? You could even shop online while you are there!

CLICK HERE: Visit the new website
CLICK HERE: See New T-shirt Designs
CLICK HERE: Order the bonspeed Catalog

Edsel Ford's Hot Rod Has bonspeed Wheels!




Edsel Ford II, the grandson of Henry Ford is a real car guy, but he is also a giving guy. The bonspeed boys have had the opportunity to get to know Edsel. When asked if we would create a set of wheels for his charity '32 roadster we jumped!

Wanting the car to have the right look Edsel asked for a set of bonspeed's. We built a set of 18" wheels for the front and 20" wheels for the rear. The style is the bonspeed "V8", our retro inspired kidney bean, baby moon look. The Hot Rods and Horsepower built roadster debuted in the Ford booth at SEMA and Edsel had a big grin.

Edsel's charity is the JDRF, (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), and he has teamed with Hot Rods & Horsepower who will build the cars. This first car, #7532001, will be signed and driven on-stage by Edsel Ford II, at the Barrett-Jackson Auction in Scottsdale, January 2007. The entire proceeds will benefit the JDRF. In addition to the premiere vehicle, Edsel Ford II will sign an additional 9 cars, each with a $25,000 premium that will be donated to the nearest local chapter of the JDRF to where the purchaser resides.

Learn More:
hotrodsandhorsepower
bonspeed Wheels

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

When Muscle Cars Cruised The Streets!


Are there any real cruise nights anymore? Not the fairground cruises that Goodguys and NSRA promote. Those overly structured, local parking lot gatherings do not count either. What I am seeking is a place where every week, on a given day, street machines, muscle cars, hot rods and barely street legal race cars just know where to go and when to be there.

No glossy advertising, monthly magazines or even a flyer, you just know. That is how it was on Van Nuys Boulevard, or Central Avenue in Phoenix, Arizona and even one of my stomping grounds Dodge Street in Omaha, Nebraska.

Towns big and small around the country all had a local cruise night. Some cities had numerous cruise night locations! It was just a known fact that places like these existed. They were unorganized bastions of youth rebellion where your shouts were made with Hooker headers and screeching tires.

Like I said, Dodge Street in Omaha, Nebraska was where I learned the ways of real car cruising. Every Friday and Saturday night, from the first night in April (above 45 degrees) until late Fall, we gathered on Dodge. I learned quickly that parking was done in a hierarchal manner. Just pulling in anywhere could get you at best, leering stares, at worst a fight. On Dodge, it was Big O Tires, McDonalds, the Music Store and National Automotive. Sure there were other places to park but these were where “The Cars” parked and National Automotive was “The Show”.

During my second season of Dodge Street cruising, I was asked by a guy with a notable LS6 triple black 1971 Chevelle SS if I wanted to park at National? No need to ask twice, I was in the show!

That night, my 1967 Chevelle SS drove down Dodge with a newly found swagger. I pulled up to the driveway of National and inched my way into a parking space. The night was warm and humid the exhaust fumes just hung around and made the night air grey. The haze was no annoyance, this was the spirit of horsepower.

My Chevelle was ready for this night, the car was unmistakable with a bright Vega Orange paint job that sat in stark contrast to the Blue, Black and Red muscle cars of the day. The big block was bored .40 over, with an Holley 850 double-pumper, Hooker headers, a Powerglide with a high-stall converter, B&M shifter and 9” slicks wrapped around Corvette rally wheels. Ready, if someone wanted to meet at Abott Drive by the Airport for a late night street race.

Nothing worth mentioning happened that night. But, I can still remember seeing my car parked at National amongst the best cars on the street. Nowadays, that collection of cars would command millions at Barrett Jackson.

Cars like “ThunderColt” a Pearl White Mach 1 Mustang, a Black 1969 COPO Camaro, Hemi cars of all types, a flamed H.O. 455 Olds, the dual-quad Galaxy lightweight that ran pop-can Thrush glass packs. So many notable cars that were impressive then for their command of the street not the auction block.

I guess those days and those cruise nights are gone forever? Today, liability limits the parking lots and corporate-minded promoters organize the cruise. I’ll keep searching and if you know of a place that still exists, let me know. Maybe I will visit it sometime!

Barrett-Jackson 2006 Revisited

Every January Barrett-Jackson plops a giant tent in the Arizona desert and sells some of the finest cars, trucks and motorcycles in the world. This year bonspeed brought five concept cars and Sammy Hagar's GT500 Shelby to the event.

It was hard to see these cars cross the auction block. Each represents hours of fabrication, our original ideas and the collective creative soul of the bonspeed crew. The cars included the 2004 bonspeed X-Type Jaguar, 2003 "Speed Cult" Pontiac Sunfire, 2004 bonspeed "Banshee" F 150, 2005 bonspeed "Black Rose" Mustang GT and the 2003 Saleen "bonspeed Edition" Thunderbird.

Sure we emptied the warehouse and refueled the bank account by selling these cars. Still it was difficult to see the cars drive away. in one case literally. The new owner of the F-150 drove his new purchase home, even after I advised against it. The bonspeed concepts are not just show cars they are one-off vehicles built for the factories and really represent part of american car culture and history. It was nice to know these enthusiasts bought our cars out of the 1500 or so at the event, but deep down I had hoped they would go to a museum or maybe a foreign country. Some place I could visit them regularly or that far off land where I would never again see them.

The F-150 buyers trip home, Phoenix to Palm Springs, it is just what the truck was built to do, however, I recommended, after you familiarize yourself with the GT motored six-speed road demon. I also directed him to the fiberglass front fascia and like all of the bonspeed concepts, it represented the only one in the world. A late night run across the desert might prove fatal to such a part!

Maybe I'm just an automotive parent who hates to see the kids leave or maybe deep down I wish they still had a place in my warehouse?

It was the Monday after Barrett-Jackson and the phone rang at the office, it was him! I wondered, what happened is my truck wrecked...ummm....is his truck wrecked? Worse, maybe it was something mechanical and he was stranded in some desert town and totally pissed at me. I picked up the phone and his cheery voice exclaimed something to the effect of, "What a truck! I got 18 miles to the gallon and it drove perfect, I love this thing.

I hope the other cars are appreciated and will be put to good use, I even hope to see them again some day. Now it is time to begin filling that warehouse again and we have already begun working on two new concept cars here at the bonspeed studios. When the time is right we will tell you about them here. We will design them, build them and some day sell them.

See the cars at: www.bonspeed.com
Also Visit the new bonspeed homepage

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Rock-N-Road Michael Anthony & Sammy Hagar On Tour


It was hot, really hot last Friday when I jumped in the car and fought Friday traffic on the 15 Freeway. If you don’t live in Los Angeles you cannot imagine how many people pile in their cars to drive the 15 on their way to Las Vegas.

But who am I to complain? I was headed to the Glen Hellen Pavillion; just off the 15 freeway for an afternoon in the sun at Michael and Sammy’s pre-tour rehearsal. This would be the last fine tune before they head out for an entire summer of concerts. They had invited some close friends and family to watch the run-through of songs and last changes.

Sammy, who I had not seen since the Barrett-Jackson auction; when we sold his Shelby was in great spirits. It was either he was ready for a summer tour or he had already hit the Cabo Wabo tequila bar? Michael was trying out each of his bass guitars and tuning his bonspeed designed Ford GT bass he will be using this summer.

Guitar Row Backstage



These car guys will be away from their cars all summer, so support them by attending as many shows as possible! If you are up front where Michael can hear you, give a shout out for bonspeed, Michael will surely give you the big thumbs up!




Check out these links for tour dates and more information!
http://redrocker.com/
http://madanthonyblog.blogspot.com/
http://madanthonycafe.com/

Friday, June 09, 2006

Von Dutch - Ed Roth - Rat Fink & Robert Williams


Car Art: Ed Roth, Rat Fink Von Dutch

A few weeks ago, I attended an RM Auction at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles. The auction was a collection of art and memorabilia from the Brucker Collection. This auction was a collection of items from the once museum; Movie World: Cars of the Stars that closed in 1979.

When they cleaned out the museum the brothers Bruckner stored anything and everything in an airplane hanger. This included a turbine powered car, to paintings, signs and even personal items from such low brow artists as Von Dutch, Ed Roth and Robert Williams!

The treasure trove survived thanks to these guys and was vast because Roth worked for them and Von Dutch had his home there (an old bus parked out back). Every sign, toolbox and office item has now become a part of Kustom Kulture because the hands of these artists and usually their striping brushes touched them!

The auction was small and attended by true enthusiasts of the low brow art world. I ran into a few old friends like Craig Stysek a supporter of the art since before it was cool to like the style.

I must say, I felt that estimates were low in the catalog but the prices even surprised me! The Von Dutch pinstriping box fetched an incredible $270,000, the tailgate from his truck got a whopping $149.000.

Roth items also grabbed some big prices like $25,300 for an ink drawing used for t-shirt and sticker art. Almost all of those drawings went for prices in the thousands of dollars.

I had my eye on a few items like the Howard Hughes motor on a pinstriped stand by Von Dutch. One of the many paintings by Robert Williams or the striped tool boxes, those however were scooped up by much wealthier enthusiasts than me!

Later in the day I found my chance and was able to get something for my own collection! An original Ed Roth ink drawing complete with a monster, blown motor and huge tires. The drawing was mine at the drop of the hammer and I can now say I own something that Roth drew in the 1960’s.




Check out all of the auction results at: http://rmauctions.com/index.cfm

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Click Below to Visit our Other Blog!

Why Car Guys Love Cool T-Shirts


James Dean and Steve McQueen both were t-shirt guys that enjoyed cars. Both of these icons had the choice of any t-shirt; as long as it was white. We have the choice today of t-shirts emblazoned with virtually any type of car, performance product or event.

T’s are great because they show your pride in Chevrolet, Ford, Mopar, Ferrari or whatever you drive. Now they come in a variety of colors including the ever popular belly-reducing black. Admit it, black looks cool and promotes your bad-boy image, but, it also hides the results of too many late night burger runs.

Ebay has a great selection of vintage t-shirts and even some very nice reproductions. You can also find a huge selection of car-guy t-shirts at car shows. The t-shirt tells the world who you are and what you like, it also says you have style; so I would recommend a bonspeed T!

http://www.bonspeed.com
http://www.ebay.com

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

For Sale 1967 Chevelle SS



My Dad asked if I was interested in looking at a car his friend had for sale? I was 15 years and 11 months old, so needless to say, I would have looked at a ratted-out Pinto. Dad then told me that his friend had a 1967 Chevelle for sale, an SS he added.

Although, my Dad always had powerful Fords with 429 Interceptor motors he was not what you would call a car guy. His cars were ordered with the legendary motors because he traveled a lot and wanted the power for the open highway. When he uttered the words Chevelle, immediately followed by SS, he honestly didn’t realize my knees were weak.

All Dad knew was his buddy had a car that seemed like something I might like and it fit my budget. Yes, three words that are never mentioned in the same sentence anymore; “muscle car and budget”. It was 1978 and this 1967 Chevelle Super Sport with a 396 and posi-traction rear end could be mine for a post negotiation price of $535.00.

This 35,000 mile Chevelle was all original in Marina Blue with a black interior. This is the car we all dream of finding in a garage or barn today. In 1978 it was transportation for a family in Iowa and was soon to become mine!

I bought the car with my paper route money and the proceeds from selling my YZ80 dirt bike. Times change and today cars like this even in nearly junkyard condition, fetch $5-$6k while a 30,000 mile original would cost far more than paper route money.

Unlike so many people who can only wonder what happened to the muscle car they drove in high school, I know. My Chevelle sits apart awaiting restoration in my garage. It was a high-milage car when stored and now after 26 years of gathering dust, it is a low-milage jewel. I better get that car back on the road before I’m high-milage and unrestorable!

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Hot Rods Need To Be Reinvented!



It was a great idea in the 1950s when guys began building hot rods. They were bored, wanted cars that would go faster and desired something with a cool, new look. In the 1960’s, hot rods took a turn toward futuristic design with bubble tops and gimmicks.

It was the late 1970s that hot rods again changed, builders wanted cars that handled better and took advantage of the technology of the day. Jaguar independent rearends, power windows and late model drivetrains found their way under the bodies of the 1920s and 1930s. It was thought that these cars could get no better.

As the 1980s dawned, innovative thinkers reinvented the hot rod again, the “Vern Luce Coupe” and the “Jamie Musselman Roadster” dramatically changed hot rods forever! These two hand-built hot rods utilized aerospace machining technology and artistic vision to create what is considered commonplace today. These were the hot rods that introduced billet wheels, billet components, smooth style and laid-back grills and windshields.

The 1990s saw this style of hot rod refined and developed virtually every way possible. It was a fantastic time for hot rodders as imagination, innovation and opportunity loomed around every shop. As the Millennium grew closer so did the anticipation that a new era in hot rodding would dawn. Who would usher in the next era? What new style would some innovative hot rodder develop?

Just like the ballyhooed Y2K scare, nothing happened! It is now 2006 and still no new innovative look has emerged. The cars that win Riddler and the GNRS all would look virtually the same if painted white. The smooth look sans door handles and flush mounted everything is now overdone. The only new look in hot rods has been rat rods. I love rat rods and have been happy to see this trend grow, but it is the restoration of a 1950s look.

Sure, I see cars that I really like and I see parts or small details that scream with innovation. What I don’t see, is a fresh new look, an overall design that changes how everyone imagines building a hot rod. Maybe it is the intimidation of the high six-figure cars that scares away anyone from trying. It could be that anyone who cares enough is looking to retirement and, hot rods are becoming a dying breed.

Will hot rods be replaced with the next generations interest in muscle cars? That is where the money is being spent, just look at Alan Johnson’s latest project, a 1971 Plymouth Cuda that has raised the bar and the standard for muscle cars or street machines, as you like. Nothing like that has found its way from a shop wearing a hot rod skin. It could be an evolution that will dawn, not the revolution of style.

The time is now for hot rod builders to take a forward looking eye at what they build. Hot rods have become a big business and any good businessman knows that products trend and that your next product better be new and improved!

See More Photos and read about the Alan Johnson built Cuda:
http://popularhotrodding.com/editorial/0604phr_cuda/

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Hot Rods by Boyd 10.5 Years Ago


A little over ten years ago my days were filled with attorneys, accountants and tons of billet aluminum. It was 1995 and I had just achieved a tremendous goal, taking Hot Rods by Boyd and Boyds Wheels public!

I was the guy behind the scenes; Boyd Coddington’s business partner and President of both companys. Just six years earlier, I had joined a small but creative hot rod shop and now we were listed on NASDAQ. You have heard the saying, “These are the best of times and the worst of times.”. That pretty much sums up my last year with Boyds.

PHOTO: Boyd Coddington and Brad Fanshaw on Wall Street the day of Boyds I.P.O. 1995

The best of times are so endless, that I cannot even list them all, but here are some highlights:
• Leading the creative marketing and a team that crafted some of the finest hot rods and innovative wheels ever built!
• Working with Harry Hibler (Hot Rod Magazine’s Publisher) and Gray Baskerville (Hot Rod Magazine Legend)
• An assembly of the finest employees and friends to work with; such as all of the Swedes like Larry, Karl, Andy, Pele and Johnny, Keith Russell and Greg Morrell (Painters Extraordinary), Jesse James, Chip Foose and Lil’ John Buttera. Yeah it was quite a team!
• The planning and completion of the I.P.O.
• Having a job that was all about cars!

Instead of going into the worst parts, I’ll leave it on the positive side. The people, the cars and the projects are what made Boyds the incredible company it was. When I resigned and sold my stock in the company, I thought that I was out of hot rod and wheel business forever. If you love cars, I mean really love cars you can’t just walk away.

Many things happen in ten years and it was 1996 that I was starting a new part of my automotive life, that is when bonspeed was born. Born under the name Bonneville Sports and later the Bon was combined with Speed; “bonspeed”. This blog represents a new era and it is a great way to begin the next ten years.

That brings me back to a question, where were you? Leave your comments about where you were ten years ago and what you drove.

Top photo:
Boyd and I proudly showing off the newest creation from Hot Rods by Boyd. The Larry Erickson designed “Smoothster”, a hot rod that set new standards. With us is the team of craftsman who made the cars from Hot Rods by Boyd reality. Look just behind me and you will see Chip Foose, he had just recently been hired to sketch the hot rods.

http://www.bonspeed.com
http://www.bonnevilleworldwide.com

Friday, March 24, 2006

Car Collectors Need More Room!

The wish for a larger garage is never satisfied, no matter how many square feet. We all could use just a little bit more room. You have most likely seen the guy in a magazine with a huge car collection that sits in a 25,000 square foot warehouse. Undoubtedly, he has said at least once, “I could use a little more room.”

Now, I do not have a garage that is anywhere near 25,000 square feet, but I feel quite lucky to have a sizable garage. By Orange County, California standards, I have a huge garage. Mine is 1500 square feet and that does not include the garage where my wife parks her car. I actually should say, where she previously parked her car, before, I installed the car lift and stored another three vehicles in her space.

There was a time when the family room or den was the guys domain, now for car guys it’s the garage. Today, some garages have cable or satellite TV, phones, internet, heat and A/C. The days of impressing your friends by having the old refrigerator filled with beer in the garage are past.

Organizing a garage is also a big deal and having the best hardware is essential. Everyones needs are different but some items are just “Must Haves”! Here are a few things that anyone could use in their garage.

Cord or Air Hose Hanger:
If you still have an old Cragar SS hanging on the wall with an extension cord or air hose wrapped around it, tear it down. Fabricated aluminum hangers that look cool and hold your cords and hoses tangle free are now available.





Flashlight Bracket:
Everybody has a flashlight, the problem is you can never find it when you need it. The darn thing has rolled under the car or it is hidden in plain sight. Time to hang it up on the wall with another of those handy yet simple aluminum mounts.





Reproduction Posters:
Vintage posters are also great items to cover those walls. Today, so many enthusiasts want to remember the past that a huge variety of reproductions are available.




We will never have enough room, enough time or enough money. We can have a better looking and better organized garage.

Garage Gear: http://www.bonnevilleworldwide.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=BSS&Category_Code=RB-1
Retro Posters:
http://www.bonnevilleworldwide.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=BSS&Category_Code=PO-1

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

bonspeed Turns Up the Bass


The bonspeed studio designs and builds trend-setting cars, clothing, watches and accessories. Recently, we also designed some innovative Yamaha guitars!

Michael Anthony, the bass player of the legendary rock group Van Halen is also one of bonspeeds owners. Because Michael and everyone at bonspeed have a love of hot rods and rock-n-roll the graphic ideas came easily!

Designed at the bonspeed studio each bass was crafted at Yamaha’s custom shop in Hollywood, by John Gaudesi. Each guitar began with one of Michael’s signature models. John at Yamaha put hours into each guitar to ensure that the graphics stayed true to our designs.

Here is the scoop on each Yamaha bass (Left to Right):

bonspeed “Black Rose” Bass
This Yamaha bass has a gloss Black base paint and Pearl Black graphics that match the hood of the “Black Rose” Mustang GT concept car. The graphics are positioned on the head and the body has bonspeed in red. This guitar was given to the lucky winning bidder of the bonspeed “Black Rose” at the recent Barrett-Jackson auction. Michael was on-hand to autograph the guitar!

• “Speed Cult” Sunfire Bass (Shown with Michael Anthony)
Painted to match the gargoyle graphics on the GM concept car, built by bonspeed this bass is painted a bright “Road Stripe” Yellow. This guitar was given to the winning bidder of the bonspeed “Speed Cult” Sunfire at the recent Barrett-Jackson auction. Michael was on-hand to autograph the guitar!

• “banshee F-150” bonspeed Logo “b” Guitar
The bonspeed supertruck came complete with its own matching guitar as well! The dark Currant colored bass has the bonspeed “b” graphically angled across the Yamaha body. The new owner of the bonspeed Ford F-150 also had Michael lay some ink down on his new bass.

• Ford GT40 Gulf Bass (Center)
the team at bonspeed also designed this bass that pays tribute to the famous Gulf Oil sponsored, Ford GT40 race cars. Michael took delivery of a new 2005 Ford GT and it was displayed at SEMA with 20” bonspeed wheels. Custom wheels were not enough, so we designed this bass to display with his new car.

Michael will play this Yamaha bass on-stage when he tours this summer with Sammy Hagar. Visit Michael’s, Mad Anthony Cafe website for tour dates!

www.bonspeed.com
www.madanthonycafe.com
www.van-halen.com

Monday, March 20, 2006

Our Muscle Cars Cruised The Streets!


Are there any real cruise nights anymore? Not the fairground cruises that Goodguys and NSRA promote. Those overly structured, local parking lot gatherings do not count either. What I am seeking is a place where every week, on a given day, street machines, muscle cars, hot rods and barely street legal race cars just know where to go and when to be there.

No glossy advertising, monthly magazines or even a flyer, you just know. That is how it was on Van Nuys Boulevard, or Central Avenue in Phoenix, Arizona and even one of my stomping grounds Dodge Street in Omaha, Nebraska.

Towns big and small around the country all had a local cruise night. Some cities had numerous cruise night locations! It was just a known fact that places like these existed. They were unorganized bastions of youth rebellion where your shouts were made with Hooker headers and screeching tires.

Like I said, Dodge Street in Omaha, Nebraska was where I learned the ways of real car cruising. Every Friday and Saturday night, from the first night in April (above 45 degrees) until late Fall, we gathered on Dodge. I learned quickly that parking was done in a hierarchal manner. Just pulling in anywhere could get you at best, leering stares, at worst a fight. On Dodge, it was Big O Tires, McDonalds, the Music Store and National Automotive. Sure there were other places to park but these were where “The Cars” parked and National Automotive was “The Show”.

During my second season of Dodge Street cruising, I was asked by a guy with a notable LS6 triple black 1971 Chevelle SS if I wanted to park at National? No need to ask twice, I was in the show!

That night, my 1967 Chevelle SS drove down Dodge with a newly found swagger. I pulled up to the driveway of National and inched my way into a parking space. The night was warm and humid the exhaust fumes just hung around and made the night air grey. The haze was no annoyance, this was the spirit of horsepower.

My Chevelle was ready for this night, the car was unmistakable with a bright Vega Orange paint job that sat in stark contrast to the Blue, Black and Red muscle cars of the day. The big block was bored .40 over, with an Holley 850 double-pumper, Hooker headers, a Powerglide with a high-stall converter, B&M shifter and 9” slicks wrapped around Corvette rally wheels. Ready, if someone wanted to meet at Abott Drive by the Airport for a late night street race.

Nothing worth mentioning happened that night. But, I can still remember seeing my car parked at National amongst the best cars on the street. Nowadays, that collection of cars would command millions at Barrett Jackson.

Cars like “ThunderColt” a Pearl White Mach 1 Mustang, a Black 1969 COPO Camaro, Hemi cars of all types, a flamed H.O. 455 Olds, the dual-quad Galaxy lightweight that ran pop-can Thrush glass packs. So many notable cars that were impressive then for their command of the street not the auction block.

I guess those days and those cruise nights are gone forever? Today, liability limits the parking lots and corporate-minded promoters organize the cruise. I’ll keep searching and if you know of a place that still exists, let me know. Maybe I will visit it sometime!

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Barrett-Jackson Where bonspeed Sold Out!

Every January Barrett-Jackson plops a giant tent in the Arizona desert and sells some of the finest cars, trucks and motorcycles in the world. This year bonspeed brought five concept cars and Sammy Hagar's GT500 Shelby to the event.

It was hard to see these cars cross the auction block. Each represents hours of fabrication, our original ideas and the collective creative soul of the bonspeed crew. The cars included the 2004 bonspeed X-Type Jaguar, 2003 "Speed Cult" Pontiac Sunfire, 2004 bonspeed "Banshee" F 150, 2005 bonspeed "Black Rose" Mustang GT and the 2003 Saleen "bonspeed Edition" Thunderbird.

Sure we emptied the warehouse and refueled the bank account by selling these cars. Still it was difficult to see the cars drive away. in one case literally. The new owner of the F-150 drove his new purchase home, even after I advised against it. The bonspeed concepts are not just show cars they are one-off vehicles built for the factories and really represent part of american car culture and history. It was nice to know these enthusiasts bought our cars out of the 1500 or so at the event, but deep down I had hoped they would go to a museum or maybe a foreign country. Some place I could visit them regularly or that far off land where I would never again see them.

The F-150 buyers trip home, Phoenix to Palm Springs, it is just what the truck was built to do, however, I recommended, after you familiarize yourself with the GT motored six-speed road demon. I also directed him to the fiberglass front fascia and like all of the bonspeed concepts, it represented the only one in the world. A late night run across the desert might prove fatal to such a part!

Maybe I'm just an automotive parent who hates to see the kids leave or maybe deep down I wish they still had a place in my warehouse?

It was the Monday after Barrett-Jackson and the phone rang at the office, it was him! I wondered, what happened is my truck wrecked...ummm....is his truck wrecked? Worse, maybe it was something mechanical and he was stranded in some desert town and totally pissed at me. I picked up the phone and his cheery voice exclaimed something to the effect of, "What a truck! I got 18 miles to the gallon and it drove perfect, I love this thing.

I hope the other cars are appreciated and will be put to good use, I even hope to see them again some day. Now it is time to begin filling that warehouse again and we have already begun working on two new concept cars here at the bonspeed studios. When the time is right we will tell you about them here. We will design them, build them and some day sell them.

See the cars at: www.bonspeed.com