Boydster 1

Boyd Coddington built this 1932 Ford highboy The Boydster for himself and it was the first hot rod he built for himself since the 29 Model A Roadster the Silver Bullet. Going back to the uncluttered lines of the classic rods built when Deuce roadsters were the car of choice for builders on a short budget yet sculpted with an attention to detail and a clean-lined sophistication that are the hallmarks of Coddington products-this first in a series of three Boydsters was crafted of aluminum, by Marcel DeLay and sons. The doors open suicide style, and operate via a solenoid system. The sweep of the doors leading edge was designed to continue in the windshield frame, which wraps seamlessly-and in the same DuPont Boyd Red as the rest of the car- around a custom shield by California Glass Bending. 

Carrying the monochromatic color scheme throughout the vehicle is no small part of the Boydster minimalist appeal. The leather used by Gabe Lopez to fashion the seating areas was specially dyed to match the paint, and even the wool carpets and Boyd’s Ultra Classic steering wheel are Boyd Red. The D.F. Metal works grille, set in a sectioned ‘32 shell, and the three-spoke custom Coddington aluminum wheels, 15 inch in front and 17 in the rear to help promote the aggressive stance of a fenderless Deuce roadster strike the only other color note. Almost- though those clean arcs of sheet metal above the rear wheels are really no more than subtle hints of the fenders that might have been. For the drivetrain, Boyd chose a 1996 Corvette LTl engine matched to a General Motors 700R4 automatic overdrive transmission and Vette differential. Independent suspension, front and rear, rack-and-pinion steering, and Carrera coilover shocks provide road manners. Introduced at the 1996 Oakland Roadster Show, the Boydster 1 won that year’s America’s Most Beautiful Roadster Award, the sixth of nine AMBR titles Boyd won. The success of the Boydster prompted Boyd to introduce a fiberglass version that sold for a more typical highboy price.