Boyd Coddington, Hot-Rod King, Dead at Age 63

Jalopnik ^ | February 27, 2009

[RangerM]

World-renowned tuner and hot rod king Boyd Coddington died at 6:20 am this morning. The cause of death is still unknown.

[RangerM]

For those that love cars, it is a sad day.

[The Axis Effect]

The world of Hot Rods will never be the same. Indeed a sad day...

[SouthTexas]

Prayers up.

[Hatteras]

Awesome cars and tremendous appreciation for details. Judging by the show though, not too sure I’d want to have worked for the guy.

[umgud]

Damn... really sorry to hear it. RIP

[Professional Engineer]

Bummer

[Blood of Tyrants]

Those shows put too much stress on the employees for their own good. And Boyd was a difficult man to work for.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

I respect the cars his company created, but it was painful to watch his discovery channel show, American Hot Rod. Talk about a dysfunctional company, he would go through employees the way Paris Hilton goes through men, and the guy never actually worked on any of the cars he built on the show. He’d just come down from his ivory tower once and while, bark some orders, and disappear again.

[Revelation 911]

I never cared for his resdesigns of classics - just not my cup of tea - didnt he have legal trouble a few years back

[LibWhacker]

Aww, nuts. That was unexpected. He seemed so healthy on the show. RIP

[exit82]

Have to agree. I always wondered why people had to pay $ 150,000 for a hot rod that everybody rushed work on to meet a deadline.

Dumb way to create a car.

[reagan_fanatic]

As an owner of a classic car and a lover of hot rods, it’s a sad day to see Boyd go. RIP, sir.

[SENTINEL]

I wonder how many families he destroyed by forcing so much overtime down his employee’s throats.

[Tallguy]

Judging by the show though, not too sure I’d want to have worked for the guy.

I got the impression form his show that many of his competitors learned their craft in Boyd's shop. He may have been tough to work for, but the man created an industry -- at least from the skill side of things.

[Vaquero]

He was a nasty sob with his employees and treated them like dirt...

I hated his Discovery/Learning Channel show because of that.

[CommerceComet]

Judging by the show though, not too sure I’d want to have worked for the guy.

With all due respect to the deceased, the show was a seminar on how NOT to run a business.

[Doctor Raoul]

How many suspects?

[Osage Orange]

Funny.....I never saw any of those employee’s in chains, or shackles.

[org.whodat]

Self made millionaire, did it making after market car rims, not hot rods. But he had the money to play with the hot rods from his wheels. Over all he seemed ok!

[org.whodat]

You have a point!!!!