Chip Foose's Impression Bespoke '36 Ford Hot Rod (Class Winner)
Chip Foose arriving at and leaving the 2025 San Marino Motor Classic at Lacy Park in the Impression, a reimagined 1936 Ford roadster designed and built by Foose for Ken Reister. Conceived in 1999 and completed in 2005, the bespoke hot rod, which won First in Class (Hot Rods - 1928-1941), features over 4,000 handmade components. It utilizes a custom frame with a 118" wheelbase and is powered by a 5.7-liter LS1 V8 engine with custom block cover. The car features bespoke bodywork with BASF "Chipewter” paint, a fully custom interior, Foose Design suspension with C4 Corvette geometry, Foose Design "Impression" 10-spoke 18"/20" wheels, and bespoke BFGoodrich tires with hand-cut tread pattern. It has received two of the most coveted awards for hot rods, the Don Ridler Memorial Award at the 2005 Detroit Autorama and the AMBR ("America's Most Beautiful Roadster") Award at the 2006 Grand National Roadster Show.
The subject of whether or not hot rods should be included in Concours events is a controversial one, and it can be difficult to agree on whether they belong on lists of cars generally considered "exotic". On one hand, just about anyone can pick up worthless antique car components from a junkyard, attach a working drivetrain and some custom bodywork (or have it done by someone more skilled), and call it a day. But as with just about every class of car, there are examples that clearly stand out above the norm and deserve to be recognized. And when it comes to hot rods, there are few capable of building such an outstanding car as Chip Foose, a regular attendee of the annual San Marino Motor Classic. And this year, he brought a car that outshone even his own previous entries.
This car is about as bespoke as it gets, beginning with the custom-made chassis. Sure, most logical individuals would have just gone with a chassis from an existing old car. But by going custom from the ground up, Foose was free to exercise his creativity without the limitations of existing components. The car's build quality is unbelievable, and the design is one that even those who aren't into hot rods can easily fall in love with. Like many multimillion-dollar exotics, this is a top notch, one-off, no detail spared, money-isn't-a-problem creation. And just in case you decide to actually test its performance limits, it's got a big muscular V8 under the hood that certainly won't leave you disappointed. From the moment I saw this car arrive at the event, I had no doubt it would take home the Class award. And for the poor owner of the hot rod that came in second place, at least he can still brag about beating out all except Chip Foose himself!
How much would you pay to have this bespoke hot rod in your garage? Leave a comment on YouTube and let me know!