Hot Rod Building Legend Boyd Coddington Dies at 63
Boyd Coddington, hot-rod culture icon and star of the TV show American Hot Rod, died this morning at Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in Whittier, California. At the time of this post, his cause of death had still not been disclosed. Coddington is best known for building one of a kind vehicles, mostly hot rods, that were unique and different every time. His machine shop never massed produced anything, mainly because he was always dreaming up new ideas for cars and wheels.
The hot rod innovations built by Coddington have won the "America's Most Beautiful Roadster" award seven times. Boyd was honored to have the only hot rod displayed at the Smithsonian Institute when his '33 coupe was part of a 1993 exhibit titled "Sculpture on Wheels." He is a member of the Grand National Roadster Hall of Fame, the National Rod & Custom Museum Hall of Fame, the Route 66 Wall of Fame and the Street Rod Marketing Alliance Hall of Fame.
Coddington was not only a man with vision; he was a man with a heart. In 2005, he and his wife started the Coddington Foundation after they the met a young man by the name of Max Cohen. Max had a passion for designing cars and motorcycles, and his favorite shows were American Hot Rod and American Chopper. Max also had a terminal illness, Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. It was his dream to design and build his own hot rod, and when Boyd learned about this dream, he, along with the Coddington Foundation, brought Max to California to work side by side with the craftsmen in the garage and design a hot rod.
On the Boyd Coddington website, he is summed up by one word “Big is a description for Boyd Coddington that describes his many aspects, from the physical to his talent, from his design eye to his altruism and the colorful, outsized personality.”
Our About.com Cars expert posted this blog entry after talking with BJ Killeen and her husband, photographer Scott Killeen, who knew Coddington personally.
Our heartfelt condolences to his family, his friends and his fans.
Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images.
Comments
Boyd Coddington was an excellent guy, though I didn’t know him personly. He also was a great hot rod builder. His designs were exceptional. His workers did excellent jobs. He inpired me growing up. I will surely miss him. I am sorry for his death. He will always be remembered in everyone’s hearts.
I,m very sorry to hear about the death of Mr Coddington. My friend and I watched him all the time. My deepest Sympathy to his family and friends
A Fan
Marie
boyd made awsome hot roads.