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Happy Birthday, Ed Iskenderian!

EIC_030_Studious-Ed
A studious young Ed Iskendarian hitting a math book in the late ’30s. Wonder if he knew where it would lead? ©AHRF/Ed Iskendarian Collection (EIC_030)

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.​ ​

Although​ ​much​ ​has​ ​been​ ​written​ ​and​ ​much​ ​is​ ​known​ ​about​ ​Ed,​ ​we​ ​want​ ​to​ ​make​ ​a​ ​point​ ​of​ ​outing​ ​him​ ​as​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​most​ ​dedicated​ ​keepers​ ​of​ ​hot​ ​rod​ ​history.​ ​Having​ ​Ed​ ​as​ ​one​ ​of​ ​our​ ​very​ ​first​ ​AHRF​ ​Advisory​ ​Board​ ​members​ ​has​ ​proven​ ​to​ ​be​ ​as​ ​much​ ​fun​ ​as​ ​it​ ​is​ ​invaluable.​ ​He​ ​is​ ​simply​ ​priceless.​ ​Of​ ​course,​ ​the​ ​fact​ ​that​ ​he,​ ​himself,​ ​is​ ​walking​ ​history​ ​is​ ​plenty.​ ​But,​ ​Ed​ ​is​ ​one​ ​of​ ​our​ ​favorite​ ​go-to’s​ ​for​ ​answering​ ​questions​ ​having​ ​to​ ​do​ ​with​ ​the​ ​“early​ ​days.”​ ​His​ ​incredible​ ​memory​ ​never​ ​lets​ ​us​ ​down​ ​, and​ ​any​ ​historic​ ​image​ ​or​ ​name​ ​that​ ​we​ ​send​ ​across​ ​his​ ​desk​ ​always​ ​has​ ​us​ ​pulling​ ​up​ ​a​ ​whole​ ​lot​ ​more​ ​in​ ​our​ ​net​ ​than​ ​we​ ​bargained​ ​for.​ ​One​ ​of​ ​our​ ​favorite​ ​little​ ​bonuses​ ​that​ ​we​ ​always​ ​seem​ ​to​ ​get​ ​from​ ​Ed​ ​is​ ​when​ ​we​ ​ask​ ​him​ ​if​ ​he​ ​remembers​ ​someone​ ​, and​ ​he​ ​lights​ ​up​ ​and​ ​not​ ​only​ ​begins​ ​reporting​ ​on​ ​the​ ​person​ ​but​ ​will​ ​oftentimes​ ​mention​ ​the​ ​person’s​ ​address​ ​at​ ​that​ ​time​ ​…​ ​along​ ​with​ ​what​ ​their​ ​parents​ ​did​ ​for​ ​a​ ​living.​ ​No​ ​joke!​ ​His​ ​ability​ ​to​ ​store​ ​away​ ​this​ ​kind​ ​of​ ​data​ ​and​ ​report​ ​it​ ​back​ ​with​ ​great​ ​excitement​ ​is​ ​one​ ​of​ ​our​ ​favorite​ ​things​ ​about​ ​the​ ​Camfather​ ​and​ ​should​ ​be​ ​a​ ​lesson​ ​to​ ​us​ ​all.​ ​At​ ​101​ ​years​ ​of​ ​age,​ ​he​ ​continues​ ​to​ ​be​ ​just​ ​as​ ​curious​ ​as​ ​he​ ​has​ ​always​ ​been​ ​, and​ ​we​ ​believe​ ​this​ ​to​ ​be​ ​his​ ​secret.​ ​He​ ​is​ ​curious​ ​about​ ​everything;​ ​mechanical​ ​creations,​ ​racing​ ​of​ ​all​ ​types,​ ​the​ ​never-ending​ ​development​ ​of​ ​the​ ​internal​ ​combustion​ ​engine,​ ​etc.​ ​etc.​ ​But,​ ​what​ ​he’s​ ​most​ ​curious​ ​about​ ​is​ ​other​ ​people.​ ​Who​ ​are​ ​they?​ ​How​ ​do​ ​they​ ​spell​ ​their​ ​name?​ ​What​ ​is​ ​their​ ​nationality?​ ​Where​ ​are​ ​they​ ​from?​ ​What​ ​do​ ​they​ ​do?​ ​He​ ​asks​ ​these​ ​questions​ ​and​ ​nods​ ​with​ ​great​ ​anticipation​ ​while​ ​waiting​ ​for​ ​the​ ​answers.​ ​He​ ​loves​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​and​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​about​ ​anyone​ ​he​ ​meets.​ ​Is​ ​this​ ​not​ ​the​ ​secret​ ​to​ ​a​ ​long​ ​and​ ​energized​ ​life?​ ​We​ ​sure​ ​think​ ​so.​ ​

Well,​ ​if​ ​you​ ​ask​ ​him,​ ​he’ll​ ​say​ ​that​ ​it’s​ ​really​ ​about​ ​“having​ ​as​ ​much​ ​hot​ ​sauce​ ​and​ ​spicy​ ​food​ ​as​ ​possible,”​ ​but​ ​we​ ​will​ ​go​ ​out​ ​on​ ​a​ ​limb​ ​and​ ​say​ ​that​ ​it’s​ ​probably​ ​a​ ​combination!​ ​

We​ ​wish​ ​our​ ​friend​ ​and​ ​hot​ ​rod​ ​hero​ ​the​ ​greatest​ ​of​ ​birthday​ ​months​ ​, and​ ​we​ ​see​ ​no​ ​reason​ ​not to​ ​believe​ ​that​ ​he’ll​ ​outlast​ ​every​ ​last​ ​one​ ​of​ ​us.​ ​After​ ​all,​ ​there​ ​is​ ​still​ ​so​ ​much​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​and​ ​discover​ ​…​ ​and​ ​with​ ​plenty​ ​of​ ​hot​ ​sauce​ ​on​ ​the​ ​side.​ ​

Happy​ ​Birthday,​ ​Ed​ ​Iskenderian!​ ​

If you’d like to learn more about Ed, you can also check out his story in our Gallery of Pioneers & Legends: https://ahrf.com/ed-iskenderian/

Isky Steve Memishian
Ed Iskenderian with AHRF founder Steve Memishian at the 2020 Grand National Roadster Show.
AHRF Advisory Board Meeting 2020
Ed “Isky” Iskenderian is seen front and center at our annual AHRF Advisory Board meeting in 2019. From L to R ~ AHRF Executive Director David Steele, AHRF Founder Steve Memishian, AHRF AB member Greg Sharp, Isky, AHRF AB member Alex Xydias, AHRF AB member Ken Gross, AHRF AB member ( the late ) Don Montgomery, AHRF AB member Steve Moal, AHRF archivist and historian Jim Miller.