Countdown to SEMA: 2004 – 2013 Highlights

For the performance world, the one place to be each November is in Nevada, where the huge Las Vegas Convention Center opens up all its halls for the SEMA Show. SEMA stands for Specialty Equipment Market Association and the show is open to members of the industry. That includes aftermarket manufacturers, warehouse distributors, jobbers, speed shops, dealers, sales people, marketing people, advertising agencies, racers, track operators … you get it, car lovers of all kinds! Pure automotive excitement! Truly a Mecca of horsepower inside and outside the LVCC. This photo selection reflects the show coverage from 2004 to 2013.

Mopar® vehicles are scattered throughout the event – inside, outside, special exhibitor displays and, of course, the official Mopar Performance area. That floor display is where a great many of my photos were taken; however, I always cruise the entire grounds and all the exhibit halls in search of great photo opportunities … of which there was no shortage!  

“Authentic Mopar” was the theme for the 2004 exhibit, and with these three words: Muscle. Street. Speed. “SRT®” (Street – Racing – Technology) identification was seen throughout, as was “Mopar Speedshop.” 

Besides seeing all the latest Mopar parts and checking out the display cars, Mopar’s efforts also provide for autograph sessions of big names in motorsports at that timeframe. And every year, there was exciting new product developments and they were proudly launched at the SEMA Show. Case in point was this from Chris Cortez, Vice President, Global Service & Parts for Chrysler Group, during the 2006 running of the Mopar Press Conference that took place: “Well, when you have the new Dodge Challenger concept vehicle sitting there with a 392 crate motor inside it, what can you say? Our booth exuded what our Mopar brand is all about – authentic performance – for every class of enthusiast there is.”

For anyone who digs hot Dodge Brand vehicles, that Mopar floor display was most certainly the start of the show: plasma screens showing highlights of racing, Mopar Speedshop displays, DaimlerChrysler Skunk-Werks vehicles, Team Mopar championship-winning racecars, as well as on-site technical support. All in one area!

And throughout the show floor, as well as outside, there’s always a great selection of Mopar-related show vehicles, be it motorsports related (drag race, NASCAR, drifting, off-road, you name it!) or restored muscle cars, and everything in-between. Performance parts, replacement components, accessories, authentic restoration parts and pieces, SEMA has it all and this photo recap shows highlights as seen through my camera lenses.    

The 2004 show debuted the General Mills’ Wheaties car, a new 2005 Dodge Charger from Richard Petty Motorsports, driven by Jeff Green and with the famous “#43” identification.

Scale diecast models were often displayed at the Mopar booth, as seen at the 2004 event, this one a ’71 HEMI® Challenger SS/DA from the Rod Shop, which was based in Columbus, Ohio. The 1/8th scale car had the Shaker hood, detailed engine, interior and steerable front wheels.

Inside the Mopar Alley area, which connected the Central Hall with the South Hall, was this 426 Street HEMI display engine that showed all the internal moving parts.

At Cragar’s 2005 booth display, they had displayed some historical advertising and it featured “Dandy” Dick Landy’s big block ’68 Dart, which promoted their line of “S/S” custom wheels.

The famous Dodge “440 Six Pack” and Plymouth “440+6” intakes provided some great eye candy inside the 2005 Mopar exhibit area, three Holley 2300-series two-barrel carbs, 350 cfm center, two outboard 500 cfm carbs, a total of 1350 cfm when all the butterflies are wide open! 

The marketing and advertising artwork from 1971 was a wall display inside the 2005 booth, “Dodge Scat Pack Club”, in all its glory! Showing a Charger, Challenger and 426 HEMI engine-powered vehicle all in the colorful and period artistic fashion!  

Inside the Mopar Alley, there was always fantastic examples of Mopar muscle machines, here’s a 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T, complete with Red Stripe rubber and the optional code 584 “sport” wheel covers. 

The huge Las Vegas Convention Center used the front parking lot on Paradise Road for overflow exhibit space. Many manufacturers had two exhibits during the 2006 show, one inside and another out in the parking lot. Everywhere you looked, there were cool cars on display.  

A “what if” car was there at the 2007 show from Performance West, a 1968 Plymouth Satellite that was done up as a “phantom GTX” model, and with numerous aftermarket items added. Under the 1969 1/2 era scooped lift-off hood was a replica of the A12 package car 440+6 powerplant that was released mid-model year 1969.

Covered in Lamborghini Pearl Orange paint and built essentially using a carbon fiber body over a modified Dodge SRT Charger, the “‘Cuda Concept” was a huge hit during the 2007 running of SEMA! Rolling on 22-inch Venetti wheels and Pirelli P Zero tires, it was a wild idea to actually bring back the Barracuda series. Metalcrafters in Fountain Valley, California, did the project and they included a 6.1L Gen III HEMI engine, plus functional 1970-71 Shaker hood scoop on it for realism. 

“House of Kolor” featured the Gary Scelzi-driven Don Schumacher Racing Dodge Charger Funny Car in their booth, and with a full wrap promoting the HOK product line from parent company Valspar. This was during the era that Jim Jannard sponsored the car with his Oakley Sunglasses company.

Mopar’s involvement in off-road racing was intense for the 2008 SCORE racing season, with the release of this Trophy Truck at the 2007 show. The race truck came out of Collins Motorsports, with Larry Ragland and Chuck Hovey as the drivers.

For the 2008 BASF booth, Chip Foose did his magic on this 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda, which he named “Terracuda” and in the build it was converted from a unibody car to a full-frame, body-on-chassis machine. A 392 Gen III HEMI crate engine was sourced and one of the changes made was the moving of the front wheels three inches forward. The brown color is a custom BASF blend that came off of a Brietling watch! 

“The Funny Car Farm” Factory, based in Monrovia, California, a “Mopars by Mosher” fun car was shown at the 2008 SEMA Show. This 1964 Dodge Dart “Factory Experimental” altered wheelbase car that was a street-legal cruiser.  

SEMA has a special “ARMA” (Automotive Restoration Market Association) exhibit section and part of their 2008 display included this flawless 1958 Chrysler New Yorker Convertible, era-correct in every way! Under the hood, the Gen I 392 HEMI engine, which was rated at 345 horsepower at 4,600 rpm. These big beauties tipped the scales at 4,350 pounds and just 666 were produced.

Shawn Carlson was an extremely talented fabricator and innovator and here’s the Dodge Challenger he built for drift competition, as seen at the stage of the 2008 Mopar exhibit. Sam Hübinette drove it and it pushed the envelope in design!

Aluminum Max Wedge with cross-ram aluminum intake, a pair of Edelbrock carburetors. This was an “RB” (raised block) application and a cross-bolted aluminum Mopar block was its foundation. This powerplant was on the show floor of the 2008 exhibit space.

Hurst had absorbed B&M and McLeod as viewed here in the Central Hall at the 2008 SEMA Show, with the Hurst HEMI Challenger front and center of their booth.

The HPP (Heide Performance Products) Daytona was seen at the 2009 show, a package that added a new nose cone and tall rear wing that visually replicated – celebrated – the general flavor of the 1969 Dodge Daytona. 20-inch rolling stock was used and it even had pop-up headlights incorporated into the revised front end. 

The “Hot Wheels” 1967 Dodge D700 crewcab transporter and restored 1970 Plymouth Barracuda Snake Funny Car was seen at the 2009 event, a real “rolling time capsule” from the 1979 drag racing season. All the work was done by Don Prudhomme inside his Vista, California, shop and this was one half of the Wildlife Racing Team, on which he partnered with Tom “Mongoose” McEwen. Pure nostalgia right there! 

2009’s show saw this “Billboard”-themed Dodge Challenger convertible, done up by the Mr. Norm folks as a retro throwback to the 1971 Plymouth ‘Cuda.

Norm also had a ’71 HEMI ‘Cuda theme car, based on the current Dodge Challenger, inside the show. It featured their interpretation of the original vertical sectioned grille, Shaker scoop, plus added the fender gills and HEMI billboard graphics.

“Awesome” is the word that best described the debut of the “Challenger 1320” at the 2009 show, a serious car from the underground Mopar Design Team. Based on an SRT8 Challenger that was de-contented (deleted back seat, radio removed, grille brightwork removed, etc.) added an all-aluminum 426 Gen III HEMI engine, Dynatrac Dana 60 rear axle with ARB air-locker, Charger Police Car wheels (with rear Mickey Thompson drag radials) and electric exhaust dumps. Non-metallic “Acidic-hue” Yellow with Flat Black markings.

Kenda Tires featured in their 2009 display area this Viper Competition Coupe SCCA racer, which was driven by Jeff Courtney and campaigned by the Woodhouse Performance group. The car competed in the SPEED World Challenge Championship Series.

An informative and accurate accounting of the famous Ramchargers came in the SAE book released in 2009, done by Dave Rockwell and featuring the full story of the team. This group of Chrysler engineers changed drag racing history.

Troy Brumbalow’s “Franken’Cuda” at the 2010 K&N Filter display booth, a real head-turning insane 1971 ‘Cuda that made its film debut in the fifth Fast & Furious franchise movie Fast Five. Equipped with a monster 636-cube HEMI engine with intercooled 14:71 supercharger, this E-body is a beast!   

2010 saw the Direct Connection “Test Car” displayed, created for the testing of drag race HEMI engine applications, with classic old-school logo graphics! 

Back in the day, talented artist Cliff Ghetti designed the “flag” graphics for the famed Rod Shop Dodge team. That livery added to this “Salt City” car out of the MR2Performance group, Les Norton A/SA, as seen here at the 2010 SEMA Show AEM booth. 

A period-correct 1964 Dodge 330 with fresh air hood scoop and classic Cragar wheels – with the Mr. Norm “tribute” ’65 car image largely displayed performing a fire burnout!

A display case from the 2010 Mopar booth featured Allen Johnson Pro Stock Stratus and assorted Mopar items and apparel.  

The Samuel Hübinette Dodge Challenger Formula Drift car from 2010, 1969-era hood scoop on the roof is for air into the cabin! 810 horsepower came from the 410-cid Mopar V8 sprint car race engine, on methanol fuel. Shown at the outside Magnaflow exhibit and built by ES Motorsports (Eric Stewart) in Riverside, California.

2011 saw this extremely radical 1969 Plymouth Road Runner, top shop and every panel of the body had been modified or massaged along the way! Jim and Scott Mitchell own it, known as the Road Rattler, and besides the aggressive top chop, it features selected carbon fiber body components (hood, decklid, front fenders, bumpers, interior pieces), a Spitzer Concepts round-tube custom chassis, C5 F&R suspension mods, giant Wilwood brakes F&R, 528-cid modern HEMI engine and Lenco 3-speed. Mopar loyalists scratched their heads as to if the one-of-a-kind Prairie Chicken was a true numbers-matching car or not.

Also displayed at the 2011 PPG Paint booth was this beautiful 1957 Imperial LeBaron, with a Gen I 392 HEMI engine under the hood that featured Retrotek Fuel Injection. A Weiand Drag Star intake manifold was incorporated with the FI flowing through Stromberg clones.  

Allen Johnson’s new factory-backed Dodge Avenger, based out of Greenville, Tennessee, with Mopar HEMI engine power with a Jerry Haas chassis. Allen’s father, Roy, served as crew chief and as the partner in their “Johnson & Johnson Racing” team.

Big news on the NHRA Pro Stock scene was the debut of the all-new “Mopar/JEGS” Dodge, shown here at the 2011 event, complete with a program where JEGS started selling Mopar performance parts through their website, catalog and stores. Jeg Coughlin, Jr. was the driver and the team was known as the Coughlin Bros. Racing Team, a Chrysler factory effort designed to enhance Mopar’s presence in the class along with the existing Allen Johnson/Mopar car.

Year after year, the show comes up with new “souvenir” apparel and these were the show’s theme shirts from 2011.

Pietro Gorlier President and CEO, Mopar Service, Parts and Customer Care, Chrysler Group LLS and comedian/ventriloquist Jeff Dunham showed off his Plum Crazy Challenger SRT8 on the 2012 Mopar stage. Fun times!

Richard Petty may have the most famous autograph in all of motorsports, and when the artist finished this Challenger convertible rendering at the 2012 Continental Tire booth, Richard gave it his signature of approval!

Jonathan Ward’s ICON D200 1965 Dodge Crew Cab now with reworked everything under the sheetmetal, including a Gale Banks’ build Cummins Turbo Diesel. Old school mixed with new technology in 2012!

One of the Chrysler-specific new products at the 2012 show was the line of 20-inch Rallye Wheels, done in billet by Circle Racing Wheels. These were designed for the Challenger and Chrysler 300 cars, plus any application where larger wheels and tires were desired with the original Mopar muscle car flavor!

The Goodguys organization gave away this “Motown Missile” themed 1971 Dodge Challenger, complete with a 426 HEMI engine under the hood, displayed at their 2012 booth.  

Tommy Ivo’s HEMI engine-powered dragster was front and center at the 2012 American Racing Wheels booth, a fabulous throwback to the “barnstorming” days of 1962. The car was an exact replica built by “Big Yohn” Johnson of Escondido, California.    

Years back, legendary car show promoter Bob Larivee introduced the “Art Show” to SEMA, and for the 2013 running, the famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada” street sign was done on canvas. 

Blended nose into the fenders, shaved door handles, full roll cage, shortened wing, a custom one-off rendition of a wild, dropped ’69 Dodge Daytona Charger! Cool car, shown for the first time at SEMA 2013, and cool enough in fact to be a star in the Fast & Furious 6 movie. 

2013 featured the Mopar-sponsored Don Schumacher Racing “NAPA Dodge Charger” which was driven by Ron Capps and co-sponsored by Valvoline Oil and Freightliner Trucks.   

One of the Dodge “Scat Pack” show floor booth representatives from 2013 … a fun retro throwback to the marketing theme from 1969. Some things never go out of style!

Highlighting the 2013 Stainless Steel Headers Mfg., Inc., booth was this potent twin-turbo Dodge Viper V-10 powerplant, a true mechanical work of art!   

SEMA is all about debuting project cars and one-off masterpieces from the nation’s top builders. At the 2013 gathering, this radical custom-fabricated 1968 Dodge Charger was still in process, a build that was brought to Las Vegas in part to show off its fantastic metal work, including tucked-in flush mount bumpers. It’s called “Maximus” and the name comes from the 9.4L Chrysler HEMI engine under the hood that delivers 2,000 horsepower on 116 octane race fuel! The car is being constructed by Nelson Super Cars and the Dodge Coke bottle shape never looked better.

Toolboxes are toolboxes in normal cases; however, in the case of when Mopar fine artist Michael Irvine does his magic on them, as he did for the 2013 SEMA Show, then they become surreal and incredible!

The restoration aspect of the Mopar booth was well represented in 2013 with this Shaker-equipped red 1970 Challenger R/T, including dog dish caps and bumblebee stripe as part of the car’s pedigree. 

At the 2013 show, “Big Daddy” Don Garlits was available for autographs and talking all about the Mopar scene! Even though he was 81 years old at the time, he was still active and tinkering with his latest Swamp Rat, an electric-powered dragster that his goal was to exceed 200 mph with in the 1/4-mile.

Released at SEMA from Dodge was this “Mopar ’14” Challenger that features the new Shaker hood scoop and 5.7L HEMI engine, and can be factory customized at the Mopar Custom Shop with special cat-back exhaust, short-throw shifter, lowered suspension, hood pins and more. Only 100 of them would be built, available in either Bright White or Gloss Black, complete in both cases with blue side striping and “Omega M” Mopar logo.

Displayed inside the Mopar booth was this 572-cid Gen II HEMI engine complete with aluminum cylinder heads and aluminum cross-ram intake manifold (P5007534), twin Holley carbs (P4452778, P4452779) atop.

This is the Richard Petty HPP (Heide Performance Products) Custom Superbird Package car at the Continental Tire booth, showing what the blending of a new Dodge Challenger is with the 1970 Plymouth Superbird! From Petty’s Garage.

Author: James Maxwell

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