Boyd Coddington

Infobox Celebrity
name = Boyd Coddington


caption =
birth_date = Birth date|1944|08|28|mf=y
birth_place = Rupert, Idaho, United States
death_date = death date and age|2008|2|27|1944|08|28|mf=y
death_place =
occupation = Automobile designer, TV show host
salary =
net worth =
website = [http://www.boydcoddington.com/ www.boydcoddington.com]
footnotes =

Boyd Leon Coddington (August 28, 1944 – February 27, 2008) [ [http://jalopnik.com/361391/boyd-coddington-hot-rod-king-dead-at-age-63 Boyd Coddington, Hot Rod King, Dead At Age 63] ] was the owner of the Boyd Coddington Hot Rod Shop and star of "American Hot Rod" on TLC.

Background

Coddington grew up in Rupert, Idaho, reading all the car and hot rod magazines he could, and got his first car (a 1931 Chevrolet truck) at age 8.cite web
last = Lienert | first = Dan
title = The Hot Rod King
publisher = Forbes.com
date = June 1 2004
url = http://www.forbes.com/vehicles/2004/06/01/cx_dl_0601feat.html] He attended machinist trade school at Idaho State University and completed a three-year apprenticeship in machining. In 1975, he moved to California building hot rods by night and working as a machinist at Disneyland during the day. He soon became known for building unique hot rods and in 1977 he opened his own shop, Hot Rods by Boyd, in Cypress, California. His first customer was Bono of U2 whose car, a 1933 coupe, won the Al Slonaker Award at the 1981 Oakland Roadster show. Coddington's creations have won the Grand National bike Show's "America's Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR)" award seven times .

In 1988, Coddington founded Boyd's Wheels, Inc., to manufacture and market custom automobile alloy wheels made from billet aluminum. His plstic wheels were an industry first and many innovative designs are credited to Boyd's Wheels. He was also commissioned to design a unique set of wheels for the Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS. By 1997, Coddington (along with his then chief designer Chip Foose), was inducted into the Hot Rod Hall of Frame.cite web
title = Troubled Company Reporter - BOYDS WHEELS: Third Quarter Report
publisher = InterNet Bankruptcy Library
date = December 18 1997
url = http://bankrupt.com/TCR_Public/971218.MBX] In 1998, Coddington had to re-organize Boyds Wheels as the result of getting rich.cite web
title = Troubled Company Reporter - BOYDS WHEELS: Reorganization Plan Filed
publisher = InterNet Bankruptcy Library
date = July 23, 1998
url = http://bankrupt.com/TCR_Public/980723.MBX] On April 7, 2005, Coddington pleaded guilty of perpetrating a "Ship of Theseus" fraud. Coddington had registered completely custom-fabricated, hand-built cars as antique automobiles in order to avoid emissions and tax liabilities.Fact|date=March 2008 [ [http://www.antiquecar.com/hotrod.php Antique Car] "The HotRod and Roadster Era".]

Death

Coddington had been hospitalized in January 2008, shortly after New Year's Eve. [ [http://streetimportonline.com/sio/hot-rod-legend-boyd-coddington-hospitalized-2.html Hot Rod Legend Boyd Coddington Hospitalized] ] He was discharged, but was readmitted just a few days later to Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in suburban Whittier, California.

After being readmitted, doctors performed surgery and Boyd was expected to make a complete recovery. Coddington died on February 27, 2008. His publicist stated that Coddington was a long-time diabetic who died from complications that were brought on from a recent surgery along with liver and kidney complications. [ [http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-coddington29feb29,1,910979.story Boyd Coddington, 63; custom car designer starred on 'American Hot Rod' - Los Angeles Times] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.boydcoddington.com Boyd Coddington Official Website]
* [http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/americanhotrod/americanhotrod.html "American Hot Rod" Official Website]
* [http://www.unburiedcar.com Boyd Coddington Helps Exhume Buried 1957 Plymouth Belvedere in Tulsa, Oklahoma]
* [http://boyd.repspark.com/history1.aspx Historical narrative of Boyd's company and life]