Claude Kern

Born June 6, 1941 // Claude Kern first got involved in hot rodding at the age of 13 when he and a friend decided to build a car using nothing more than a bed frame and two Whizzer motorbike engines. That adventure came to a quick end but lit a fire in Claude that continues on to this day. Growing up in Bedford, Indiana, Claude’s first experience with a real car of his own was when he purchased a stock ’31 model A Ford and proceeded to not only cut the roof off the car (officially making it a “roadster”) but to install a big Olds Rocket V8 between the frame rails. Claude had enough fun with that first roadster that he decided to pursue a real deal purpose built hot rod that would take on all comers…    just like the ones he spent hours staring at inside the pages of his Hot Rod Magazines. Claude’s passion for acquiring and personalizing a real hot rod led him on a wild goose chase through the rural backroads of southern Indiana all because of a “rumor” that somewhere out there someone had heard of a California built hot rod roadster sitting in a barn! Incredibly, Claude found the car. More incredible is the fact that he acquired it and still owns it today. Click on the story to listen in and hear all about this amazing piece of hot rodding’s history as well as many other colorful gems from hot rod pioneer, Claude Kern. 

Running time 16:45