One of the hottest customizers on the planet, Chip Foose, has accepted an invitation to judge at the 14th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance scheduled for March 13-15, 2009.  In a relatively short time, Foose has become one of the most recognized custom car builders around, and he will join several other established greats in a seminar on custom auto design. Foose is slated to join a panel of true legends in the customizing field for a seminar entitled, “The Great Customizers,” on Friday, March 13th, in The Ritz-Carlton’s grand ballroom.  Sharing the stage with Foose will be Amelia regular George Barris, Dean Jeffries, Darryl Starbird, and Steve Pasteiner.  These individuals represent several different eras and creative approaches in custom design, and just like past Amelia seminars, the audience will likely hear some stories and anecdotes never told before. Another standing-room-only crowd is expected for this seminar. 

Foose is a 1990 graduate of the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, and he quickly began placing his mark on the design world while partnered with the late hot rod guru Boyd Coddington in the early 90s.  He left Coddington in 1998 to start his own company, Foose Design, which is today an automotive and product design development company specializing in illustration, graphics, ideation model making, surfacing and construction of automobiles and automotive related products. A 2004 TLC (The Learning Channel) documentary on his work thrust him into the national hot rodding spotlight for good and led to the series Overhaulin’, which can be seen regularly on the channel. 

Foose has won the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster Award no less than seven times, and is a three-time recipient of the coveted “Ridler” Award given out at the annual Detroit Autorama.  His most recent work is the Hemisfear, a limited production vehicle also known as the Foose Coupe, which, in earlier iterations, served as the basis for the Plymouth Prowler design.  Other award-winning creations are the Shock Wave, Speedbird, Boydster, Grand Master, and Impression.  He is also the youngest person to be inducted into the Hot Rod Hall of Fame.

“This seminar should appeal to all ages because we’re going to have a fantastic gathering of some of today’s most popular customizers and designers,” says Bill Warner, founder & co-chairman of the Concours.  “They will be able to go into detail about some of the most famous custom autos out there today like the Mercury Hirohata, Batmobile, Monkeemobile, and Hemisfear.  As someone who always wanted to be a car designer, this one will be a lot of fun for me and the audience.”
The 2009 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance will be held March 13-15 on the 10th and 18th fairways of The Golf Club of Amelia Island at Summer Beach adjacent to The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island.  The show’s foundation has donated nearly $1.6 million to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, Inc. since 1996.

The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance is one of the nation’s most innovative vintage auto events featuring over 250 rare classics from seldom-seen private collections nationwide.  The show is scheduled for March 13-15, 2009, at The Golf Club of Amelia Island at Summer Beach adjacent to The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island.  For more information, visit http://www.ameliaconcours.org or contact them at 904-636-0027.