The legendary hot-rod builder Boyd Coddington has fallen, as he died today after a lengthy hospital stay at the age of 63. He passed away at Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in Whittier of undisclosed causes.
It's unknown if the reasons for two hospital stays last month, along with emergency surgery, were connected to his death.
Most of the nation learned of Coddington from the populur show on TLC Channel's "American Hot Rod," which showed Coddington, his family, and workers producing the customized hot rods, which were built for between $50,000 to $500,000.
Over his career, Coddington has won numerous awards, including twice winning the Daimler-Chrysler Design Excellence Award, and was also inducted into several hall of fames: the Route 66 Wall of Fame, the Grand National Roadster Show Hall of Fame, Street Rod Marketing Alliance Hall of Fame and the National Rod & Customer Museum Hall of Fame.
What others are saying on Coddington:
Coddington knew how to put together a team
One of his best qualities, realized at the height of his creative passion in the mid-1990s, was his ability to gather a talented team to produce the creations he envisioned.
In the early '90s, he had assembled one of the best teams ever, including builder Lil' John Buttera and designer Chip Foose, to produce some of the best hot rods the hobby had ever seen, raising the level of what could be expected from such a craft.
Boyd Coddington is Legend in Hot-rod building
Boyd Coddington is a household name in the custom car world. The SEMA Hall of Famer won the Grand National Roadster Show's coveted "America's Most Beautiful Roadster" award a record seven times and the DaimlerChrysler Design Excellence Award twice. Originally from Idaho, Coddington moved to southern California at a young age to begin working on cars, notably the '32 Ford Roadster, his favorite
Celebrity Hot-Rod Builder Boyd Coddington Dies At 63
Coddington has built vehicles for celebrities such as Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Michael Anthony of Van Halen and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Brad Penny.
One of his vehicles was also the only hot rod ever displayed on the cover of Smithsonian magazine.
Coddington and American Hot Rod "1957 Plymouth Belvedere Tulsarama" Part I
Coddington and American Hot Rod "1957 Plymouth Belvedere Tulsarama" Part II
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