Uli is not your traditional California Hot Rodder, he grew up in Switzerland and had his business there before he immigrated to America and settled down in Palm Springs CA. Back in Europe, he had a big shop in his new house and he picked up where he and his son had left of as they had a long history of customizing American cars. It started with a 51 F150 pickup they made into a 100% restored truck and of course, won every show they went to, it’s just the Swiss way of doing things. More American cars and trucks followed, one of them was a 47 Lincoln with a V12, it was a beauty like a Swiss watch, Uli loved it and picked up a spear eng for it a year later when he saw it on a show.

When he immigrated to the US his son took over the business back home, so he retired in Palm Springs, but not for long. He had the urge to build crazy cars and motorcycles, and he did!

Jim Ries, the owner of Classic Performance Products in Anaheim CA was an old friend, and Uli order a custom TCI chassis from him, and the spear V12 with an independent Jaguar rear end was shipped from Switzerland. Now that was a good start for a power plant, but not for Uli. He bought a Holley Supercharger with carburetors! Ja, he knew, a very unusual setup, but it was more power to him and he had to pay for it!, No not so much in money, but in time building the whole intake manifold himself! By the sound of it all, he did a good job!

He also made the headers and exhaust, just like any hot rodder 40-50 years before he did.

The metal bed was shortened and flipped and his headlights a modified from a motorcycle. Seats are of course all leather and many of the instruments are from a Lincoln. Steering wheel by Impus Billet. And for a smooth ride, he installed the independent rear end from Jaguar that he bought in Switzerland.

The front and rear wheels are billets made from Ripple Custom with 225-40-ZR-18 Dunlop’s He has air ride all around built by TCI, which is why you see the wheels at a such an odd angle in some of the photos, the rod is resting,, on the ground!

No need to say, but Uli have a one of a kind rod, and it;;s not gathering dust in his desert garage, he drives it every week. And I love the deep and serious sound from his hot rod passing by, and also upfront. Often you hear an obnoxious air compressor running the air rides, it kills the whole romance with such cars, any car, but not with Uli’s wunderkind. He found one used in ambulances and it purrs like a happy kitten. Whether you are a tech guy or just love cars, your dopamine’s in a free flow for a long time walking around Uli’s car and talking with him.

And I am using it in this book as it has the pedigree of any new or old American Hot Rod, but it is so very different and again proof that this part of American culture is popular where ever you are or live in the world.