Every year, SEMA is like a homecoming to me. I get to spend time with colleagues and friends from the world of automotive design and performance—and I also get the chance to connect with the thousands of fans and supporters who have meant to so much to me during my career. Hearing their stories, learning about their projects, and just having the opportunity to speak with them in person is a privilege that never gets old.
Having been to SEMA so many years in a row, I’m in a pretty good position to notice the changes and trends at the Las Vegas event. Now that the 2015 edition of the show has wrapped up there are a few things in particular that caught my eye.
The first is how much the show keeps growing. Anyone who’s been to SEMA would be shocked to think that it could actually get bigger—but that’s exactly what’s happening. SEMA 2015 was absolutely enormous, the biggest version that I can remember. It was great to see the strength of the automotive segment of the economy. Hand in hand with that surge on the business side are the scores of international visitors that make sure the show is on their fall travel itinerary. Car culture is a universal language, and judging by the wide range of nationalities I encountered during my autograph sessions, it’s clear that the gearhead message has spread worldwide.
The technologies keep changing too. Custom cars aren’t just about hand-shaped metal and sweat equity anymore. The emergence of rapid prototyping (also known as 3D printing) has opened up a whole new realm of automotive design. I wrote about it in a previous blog post about technology, but now that scanning and prototyping has advanced to the point where they can be used on both the production and the design side, more builders are catching on to the opportunities opened up by this limitless digital landscape.
It’s been 31 years since I attended my first SEMA show. I have to admit that I have something like a love-hate relationship with this gargantuan event. With so much going on at shop, it’s hard to break away for a full week, but every time I arrive to the show floor, I remember exactly why I come back year after year. Even though Overhaulin’ put me in the limelight—and the sponsorship meetings and autograph sessions that come with it—there’s always the time when I’m able to cruise the exhibit halls after the crowds have gone home. That gives me a chance to see what’s on display and to speak to old friends—just like I used to when I was still new to SEMA.
This year, my manager Carson Lev and I took advantage of the empty halls to select the BASF Glasurit Paint Award winner (Andy Leach’s 1966 Ford Bronco) chosen from all of the vehicles at the show wearing my sponsor BASF’s paint. It was definitely a highlight, along with the SEMA Ignited after-party—on Friday after the show where huge crowds watch the cars drive to the Gold Lot outside on Paradise Road. A personal point of pride was when Imposter, the 1965 Chevrolet Impala I built, was selected as one of the top three finalists for the Battle of the Builders, alongside Alan Johnson and Bobby Alloway (who went on to win). It was a great way to end another outstanding seven days at SEMA.
eBay Motors’s Presence at SEMA 2015:
