The last few years I have witnessed friends become celebrities and small public access automotive programs be taken over by huge cable TV shows with enormous production budgets. I have watched this market from many angles for many years and have witnessed generations of business owners and PR firms toil over the "future" of the market. I believe that all of the stars are now aligned and this industry I have dedicated my life to is just now entering its prime.
A few years ago I decided, rather reluctantly, to open an automotive shop that only worked on custom cars. I knew that the demand was definitely greater than what I could supply, but I did not grasp how much greater. It was about three years ago that the boom of cable TV
shows pushed our hobby onto a mainstream stage for the first time in its 60+ years as a legitimate industry. Soccer moms and business people suddenly were talking openly at social gatherings about Chip Foose and Boyd Coddington's latest creations and what something sold for at Barrett-Jackson, and for the first time there was interest in cars from non-car people.
I have observed that cable TV alone is not the only factor in today's auto craze. We are sitting on an economy that is ripe for a boom in our market. The children of the '60s are now entering their 60's and for one reason or another have the means to now own the things they have always wanted. Business owners, young entrepreneurs, successful two-income families, and your occasional car nut, now dominate the buyers and builders of today's hot rods.
Another influence in today's market is that the machines that are being built are actually decent investments. Unlike the past, where small fortunes were sunk into rides that could never be sold for a profit, today's builders are actually able to build cars that can be sold for a decent return.
Woody's Hot Rodz was developed with the idea that the industry is ever-changing. Today's customers are worlds apart from the customers of five years ago. The custom rides being built are also worlds apart. Customers that I see on a regular basis want cars that look classic but handle and perform like their new cars, have more creature comforts, are not only fast but safe and believe it or not "economical" to maintain!
Many customers I've dealt with lately also don't fit into the car show people niche; in fact, some of them couldn't care less about ever taking their creation to a show of any kind. They want it because they want it, that's all. What a change from years gone by!
I guess the best way to summarize what drives me is the knowledge of all that has come before. From multi-generation hobbyists to newfound car enthusiasts, this market continues to grow and thrive. I look forward to watching it move forward as it rides the current high and attracts enthusiasts from all walks of life who seem to be discovering the hobby on a daily basis.
