AHRF Featured Members

Augie Esposito, Bob Kenz, J.D. Massey, and Warwick Nethercoat … and the revival of the Pasadena Reliability Run!  Everyone here at The American Hot Rod Foundation loves nothing more than to see our great tradition of hot rodding being carried on. Whether it takes the…

As we move into a new year and reflect a little on where we’ve been and where we’re going, it has made all of us here at the AHRF think about those who give so much of their time and knowledge to assist in the…

Our Featured Member series will be a little different this time around, as we would like to take this opportunity to applaud all of our AHRF-supporting members that we’ve spotted using their hot rods “as intended” at the various nostalgia drag racing events this year.

Those of you who follow our AHRF Hot Rod of the Month contest may recognize Chris as the owner and steward of The Pyle Special roadster that won our contest in February of 2023.

Who was the very first person to sign up as a supporting member of the AHRF? Well… the answer is… France-based hot rodder Baptiste Racine!

When we think of our friend Ed Iskenderian (known to most, simply, as “Isky”), we think of his child-like enthusiasm, curiosity, and youthful attitude toward everything. We most certainly don’t think of Isky as being 102. In fact, if you just listened to him talk…

Willie Ohnstad’s story, the ’32 Ford he built as a teenager, and how he inspired others to be great examples of what we think hot rodding has always been and continues to be.

A lifelong resident of southern California, Tony went from being another car-crazy kid to developing an interest in the history of the hot rod scene that was around him at an early age. This lead him to develop friendships with the more seasoned and senior…

It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of the passing of yet another friend and supporter of the American Hot Rod Foundation, Alex Finigan. Alex was well known throughout the hot rod, classic and sports car communities and along with his…

This month we say goodbye to our friend and AHRF contributor, Michael deLesseps, who passed away on February 8th of this year at the age of 84.

All of us here at The American Hot Rod Foundation are shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Jeff Beck. Since our launch in 2002, Jeff had always been one of our more enthusiastic supporters.

We want to take a moment and honor a couple of friends and supporters of the American Hot Rod Foundation. Their names are Rob Manson and Seth Hammond and they have both recently gone far beyond the call of duty when it comes to the…

Besides being a first-class hot rodder and hot rod builder, Ed checks our biggest box thanks to the fact that he’s a hot rod historian and preserver of hot rod history. Yes, our kinda guy! Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, Ed got into…

Born in Los Angeles, Bruce got the bug for cool machinery at an early age. Being a little kid in Southern California in the 1940s and ‘50s provided Bruce with a daily dose of some of the greatest traffic in the country, all viewed from…

Everyone here at The American Hot Rod Foundation is simply heartbroken to have lost our friend, Pat Ganahl, on Saturday, August 20, in a vintage drag racing accident at Riverdale Raceway in Washington state. Pat was a man after our own hearts, as he has…

Born​ ​and​ ​raised​ ​in​ ​Santa​ ​Monica,​ ​California,​ ​Steve​ ​was​ ​a​ ​car-crazy​ ​kid​ ​from​ ​the​ ​drop​ ​of​ ​the​ ​flag.​

This​ ​month​ ​our​ ​choice​ ​for​ ​the​ ​spotlight​ ​was​ ​a​ ​no-brainer.​ ​After​ ​all,​ ​how​ ​often​ ​do​ ​you​ ​get​ ​to​ ​raise​ ​a​ ​toast​ ​and​ ​wish​ ​a​ ​Happy​ ​101​ ​to​ ​a​ ​fellow​ ​hot​ ​rodder?​ ​Yes,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​true.​ ​Our​ ​hero,​ ​friend​, and​ ​platinum-level​ ​hot​ ​rod​ ​pioneer,​ ​Ed​ ​“Isky”​ ​Iskenderian​ ​(​sometimes​ ​known​ ​as​ ​the​ ​“Camfather”​​),​ ​turned​ 101​ ​on​ ​the​​ 10th​ ​of​ ​July.​ 

When​ ​you’re​ ​involved​ ​in​ ​something​ ​as​ ​specific​ ​as​ ​the​ ​preservation​ ​of​ ​automotive​ ​history,​ ​you​ ​quickly​ ​find​​that​ ​you’re​ ​part​ ​of​ ​a​ ​relatively​ ​small​ ​community.​ ​A​ ​community​ ​of​ ​characters​ ​who​ ​share​ ​this​ ​same​ ​passion​ ​and​ ​have​ ​invested​ ​a​ ​large​ ​part​ ​of​ ​their​ ​time​ ​and​ ​attention​ ​to​ ​see​ ​that​ ​a​ ​colorful​ ​past​ ​is​ ​not​ ​forgotten.​Because​ ​of​ ​the​ ​work​ ​involved​ ​and​ ​the​ ​focus​ ​that​ ​is​ ​demanded​ ​by​ ​the​ ​task,​ ​you​ ​begin​ ​to​ ​recognize​ ​and​ ​be​​inspired​ ​by​ ​the​ ​even​ ​smaller​ ​group​ ​within​ ​this​ ​community​ ​who​ ​work​ ​at​ ​a​ ​particularly​ ​high​ ​level.​ ​The​ ​ones​ ​who​ ​set​ ​the​ ​bar​ ​for​ ​the​ ​rest​ ​of​ ​us​ ​and​ ​whose​ ​contributions​ ​will​ ​be​ ​valued​ ​and​ ​relied​ ​upon​ ​for​ ​generations​ ​to​ ​come.​ ​When​ ​thinking​ ​of​ ​this​ ​group,​ ​a​ ​few​ ​names​ ​come​ ​to​ ​mind:​ ​Miles​ ​Collier,​ ​Leslie​ ​Kendall,​ ​Beverly​ ​Rae​ ​Kimes,​ ​Donald​ ​Osborne,​ ​Ken​ ​Gross,​ ​Doug​ ​Nye​ ​, and​ ​Dean​ ​Batchelor…​ ​​ ​to​ ​name​ ​a​ ​few.​ ​But​ ​when​ ​thinking​ ​of​ ​the​ ​contributors​ ​who​ ​have​ ​taken​ ​the​ ​concept​ ​of​ ​preservation​ ​to​ ​the​ ​very​ ​automobiles​ ​that​ ​set​ ​the​ ​records​ ​and​ ​standards​ ​that​ ​are​ ​so​ ​often​ ​written​ ​about,​ ​the​ ​group​ ​becomes​ ​even​ ​smaller.​ ​People​ ​like​ ​the​ ​late​ ​Briggs​ ​Cunningham,​ ​George​ ​Waterman,​ ​Bill​ ​Harrah,​ ​Jay​ ​Leno,​ ​the​ ​great​ ​hot​ ​rod​ ​preservationists​ ​Bruce​ ​Meyer​ ​and​ ​Ross​ ​Myers,​ ​the​ ​late​ ​Lindley​ ​Bothwell​ ​, and​ ​the​ ​recently​ ​departed,​ ​Dr.​ ​Fred​ ​Simeone.​ ​

Born in 1930 and raised in Montecito, California, Hammock was a natural-born car guy. Lee’s father was not only a full-time chauffeur but ran around in a home-built, Dodge-based underslung “runabout” and enlisted his young son to assist him in the build of a midget…

Although​ ​it​ ​is​ ​true​ ​that​ ​we​ ​have​ ​already​ ​featured​ ​this​ ​supporting​ ​member​ ​of​ ​the​ ​AHRF​ once​ ​before,​ ​it​ ​would​ ​be​ ​impossible​ ​for​ ​us​ ​not​ ​to​ ​acknowledge​ ​our​ ​friend​ ​and​ ​hot​ ​rod​ ​pioneer,​ ​Alex​ ​Xydias,​ ​on​ ​his​ ​100th​ ​Birthday​ ​…​ ​​ ​and,​ ​after​ ​all,​ ​if​ ​we’re​ ​going​ ​to​ ​nominate​ ​someone​ ​twice​ ​for​ ​this,​ ​why​ ​not​ ​have​ ​Alex​ ​be the​ ​person​ ​to​ ​break​ ​that​ ​barrier!​ ​

Congratulations to Claude and Sara Kern of Bedford, Indiana!

We are pleased and excited to be featuring AHRF supporting Member John Sticha!

We want to feature not one but TWO AHRF supporting members: Bob & Sharon Muravez!

This month The American Hot Rod Foundation would like to feature the recently departed John Wolf, who passed on September 15th of 2021.

Congratulations to Richmond, Virginia’s Joel Driskill on being our latest, featured member. At age 42, Joel is not only a serious and very hands-on car guy, he is also one of our favorite younger historians who has been locating and preserving early American auto racing…

In more ways than one, we want to congratulate AHRF supporting member, Jim Jard.

We want to take a moment to acknowledge the great work done by Alex Xydias in preserving hot rod history.

Augie started out in cars the way so many of us did … as a young kid pouring over issues of Hot Rod Magazine

To those lucky enough to know “Isky” this couldn’t seem more impossible, as Ed is one of those “forever young” people who defy the laws of time and aging.

Although many in our community can lay claim to having had an eye for the more traditional style of hot rod or custom car for many years, it might be tough to beat Jon Fisher’s record …

We are featuring our late friend, David Fetherston, who supported us in so many ways.

Born in Clearwater, Nebraska on November 20th, 1928, Kay Kimes is yet another WWII-era hot rodder who got an early start and has an important story…

We are pleased to announce that our latest featured Member is Jennifer “Jenny” Sparks Crow. If some of you keen hot rod historians are thinking that her maiden name rings a bell, you would be correct…

Zach’s story is one that should give each and every one of us great hope in the future of this tradition that we love so much.

We are pleased to have Ray Evernham on board as a supporting member of the American Hot Rod Foundation. As anyone familiar with Ray knows, he is as serious a car guy as they come.

We are pleased to be able to feature AHRF Member Eli English and share his story with you.

Although it might seem like an overstatement, it is reasonable to say that John’s involvement in the old car world is nearly second to none.

As an independent art director and graphic designer, Coco’s artistic gifts spread across many disciplines …

Although each and every AHRF supporting Member is special to us, we think everyone and anyone reading this will appreciate just how extra-special Jon is for both his enthusiasm and contribution to the preservation of hot rodding.

Carsten may hail from Virum, Denmark, but don’t let that fool you into thinking he isn’t as serious a traditional hot rodder as you will find.

Some of you keen hot rod historians will know Richard as “The Kid” who joined up with the original So-Cal Speed Shop Team and stowed away on their first trip to Bonneville in 1949.

Mike grew up fully involved in the hobby via his father, the Western NY drag racer, Bob Williams.