Upon his return stateside he would find work in a machine shop at night, which proved beneficial as he became familiar with many of the tools that would become a big part of his trade. During the day he would hang around the shop of local legend Kenneth “Von Dutch” Howard, for whom he would learn to hone his artistic talents. This lead to a job at Barris Kustoms, where Jeffries would sub-lease space in an effort to further educate himself and collaborate with George on a number of significant projects. Eventually demand for Jeffries’ work required a need for more space, but it also signaled that he had outgrown his partnership with Barris, and needed to set up his own shop before the two found themselves competing for business under the same roof.

Dean would land in Hollywood, where a small shop on Sunset Boulevard would become his base of operations. Dean Jeffries Automotive Styling became the go-to shop for many of the big studios (and stars) when the script called for automobiles – or any type of vehicle for that matter – to play a role. This would fuel the four-decade long rivalry between Jeffries and old chum George Barris that has gotten so ugly in recent years that Barris takes credit for many of Jeffries cars!

Aside from his one-off custom work, we learn that Dean was very entrepreneurial. He utilized his knowledge of fiberglass to develop and produce a line of dune buggies that could be mated to the chassis of a Volkswagen Beetle. He named this slick little buggy the Kyote, and it proved a success for the better part of a decade. At its peak Jeffries’ shop was producing two Kyotes a day, while a licensing deal with an English firm delivered bodies to European customers looking for some California style.

The second half of the book focuses on some of Jeffries’ most notable creations, but I most enjoyed reading about the one that truly set him apart form his peers and rivals, that being the Mantaray. Instead of modifying an old Ford, Chevy or Chrysler, Dean chose to make this storied hotrod using a donated pair of pre-World War II Maserati Grand Prix cars (unbelievably, old race cars had no real value back then), a high-performance 289 Cobra engine delivered from the shops of his pal Carroll Shelby, and a fish-inspired aluminum body. The completed car helped Jeffries garner national attention when it was unveiled on the Steve Allen Show (another perk of locating in Hollywood), and shortly after it went on to win the Tournament of Fame prize at the Grand National Roadster Show in Oakland, California. Dean had arrived, and in a big way. The car was on tour for a period of almost five years, and its unique asymmetrical design garnered him awards everywhere it went.

This book brings together a collection of stories and photos that offer us a look at the unique life of a man who had the passion and drive to make his living turning his boyhood dreams into rolling realities. This book is a keeper.

Dean Jeffries – 50 fabulous years in hot rods, racing & film
Motorbooks Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-0-7603-3346-4
CAN$ 49.99

Related posts:

  1. Book Review: Roy Brizio Street Rods: Modern Hot Rods Defined
  2. Feature: Was James Dean’s Porsche 550 Spyder cursed?
  3. Book Review – The Chequered Past: Sports Car Racing and Rallying in Canada 1951-1991, by David A. Charters
  4. Book Review: Land Rover: 60 Years of the 4×4 Workhorse
  5. Book Review: Art of the Hot Rod
Pages: 1 2