Boyd Coddington, the Southern California native hot-rodder whose works earned him seven Grand National Roadster Show’s America’s Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR) trophies, died Wednesday at 63.
Originally raised in Idaho, Coddington made his name in Southern California building stylish hot rods—specifically with the ’32 Ford roadster. But he was soon working on ‘33s and ‘34s, eventually expanding his work to a variety of themes that awed spectators.
His Smoothsters and Boydsters created a new paradigm for rods. Not only was he noted for his work on the body, but for his unique billet aluminum wheels that earned him the name of “Billet Boyd.”
Coddington was known also for his ability to assemble teams containing world-class talent. In the 90s, one of his teams included Lil’ John Buttera and designer Chip Foose, who helped him to again raise the bar for the hot-rodding hobby.
The one design element that set Coddington’s work apart from the rest was his simplistic lines that flowed throughout the body. His Boydsters took the ’32 Ford roadster and stretched it three inches, dropped the body and created a smooth channel of lines in the body that is yet to be paralleled.
His latest endeavor, the show
American Hot Rod, was a centerpiece for the rodding community on the Discovery Channel. The testosterone-injected drama occurring on the show, however, cannot overshadow his contribution to the hot-rodding community.
American Hot Rod's Boyd Coddington dies at 63
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