Chip Foose: Master Car Designer

Cool [kool] – adjective, adverb, noun, verb 1. (n.) Chip Foose

Chip Foose was born on October 13, 1963, and since that very day, has been a car designing genius. He lives with his wife and children in Southern California. He is the star of the TV show Overhaulin’, automotive designer, and hot rod shop owner. At age 7, Chip began working on cars in his dad’s company. The company was Project Design, located in Santa Barbra, California. Encouraged by Ford and Preston Trucker Alex Tremulis, Chip attended the Art Center College of Design for two years in 1982. He dropped out due to financial issues. Chip worked for ASHA Corp for four years and then went back to Art Center College of Design and graduated in 1990. After graduation, Chip worked full-time for Sterenberger Design and part-time for Boyd Coddington. In 1993, Chip went from Sterenberger to J Mays at Ford, but Boyd Coddington convinced Chip to work for him. Chip Foose became the the president of Hot Rods by Boyd eventually. Chip designed the Boydster I and II.

Chip and his wife began Foose design after Boyds company was going bankrupt and Chip resigned. Foose Design is based out of Huntington Beach, California. TLC aired the show Overhaulin’ staring Chip in 2004. Chip started making die cast cars of his most popular designs in 2006 with Johnny Lightning. In 2007, Chip helped start the company Ridemakerz, which makes customizable toy cars. Also in 2007, Chip designed a Foose Coupe and there would only be 50 made. The first Foose Coupe sold for $330,000 to Roger Burgess, a vintage car dealer and car collector from Atlanta. Chip Foose was the youngest person to ever be inducted into the Hot Rod Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the Darryl Starbird Rod & Custom Car Museum Hall of Fame in 2002, the Grand National Roadster Show Hall of Fame in 2003, and the San Francisco Rod and Custom Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2005. He won the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster Award in 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2006, and the Good Guys Street Rod of the Year Award in the years 1990, 1991, 1995, 1997, 1999, and 2001.

Chip Foose is also an AMAZING artist. Whenever he designs a car, he draws it using colored pencils, sharpies, airbrushes, anything you can imagine! All of his artwork is phenomenal!

Here are a few examples of Chip’s designing genius: