Auto Custom Mugs

Long before online colleges and distance learning were a thing, correspondence courses were the way people could get a degree or certification without having to ever set foot on a college campus. One such institution was Auto Upholstery Institute of Orange, California. In an attempt to ride the car and van customizing wave of the early '70s, A.U.I. set up several correspondence courses to teach auto upholstery and customization. Advertisements in automotive magazines and comic books advised readers to send in the included form for a free course catalog. Once registered, schools sent training materials, lesson worksheets, and the tools and supplies for the selected course. A.U.I. was even accredited by the California Department of Education.

Midwest Auto Specialties was an early mail-order speed shop that got its start back in 1955. Based in Cleveland, they had multiple retail stores throughout Ohio (and added one in Indianapolis in '67), but their big claim to fame was that they shipped nationwide and advertised for people to send away for their catalogs in every gear head and auto racing magazine in North America, making their cigar-smoking tiger mascot a familiar sight for hot rodders from coast to coast. They carried an unbelievable selection of speed equipment and custom car parts, making them a true hot rodders resource. The emphasis was on racing and street performance, but especially drag racing. Shifters, intake manifolds, exhaust headers, ignition systems, and more.

For the Car / Moto lover

For the car / moto lover in you

Aston Martin Vanquish Patent White

Best shirt for mechanics!

For those that love their custom car / moto

A fully restored 1970 Pontiac GTO "The Judge" in Orbit Orange with rare optional 455CID Ram Air engine, 4-speed, and hood tachometer.

Illustration of a 1958 Oldsmobiles rear end, #3 of 3

Venolia Pistons entered the speed equipment market back in 1946 and went on to play an integral part throughout decades of racing history. From countless speed records, both on land and at sea, to numerous national and international racing championships, Venolia Pistons has more than proven their mettle.

Busy Wahine Custom Auto Upholstery

As an avid dry lakes racer, Paul Schiefer developed his own clutches and flywheels that could take the abuse involved in propelling his racers to increasingly higher top speeds. He set up shop in 1947 and began manufacturing his clutches and flywheels for his fellow dry lakes enthusiasts and as word got out, his products became popular in other motorsports well. By 1956 Schiefer was mass-producing explosion-proof clutches which quickly became the clutch of choice for hardcore drag racers and by the mid-'60’s, the company had become the single largest manufacturer of specialty racing drive train components in the world.

Mean, low, jet black custom street rod cartoon with huge tires, black rims, and chrome engine.

Cartoon Motorbike Custom Harley

Old school lettering with pinstriping

Follow me on instagram @karo.cars for unique automotive illustrations!

Los Santos Customs

The Ride Build for speed custom

For the car / moto lover

If you're a petrol head you know. If you're modifying cars or just keep an old one on the road you've been plagued by this fun little guy at one time or another.

Detailed illustration of Camaro ss with an aggressive-looking body kit.

Bold orange paint with white stripes, big tires and lots of chrome.

Lowrider patterns and lettering

Follow me on instagram @karo.cars for unique automotive illustrations!

Follow me on instagram @karo.cars for unique automotive illustrations!

Follow me on instagram @karo.cars for unique automotive illustrations!

Follow me on instagram @karo.cars for unique automotive illustrations!

E. E. Lohn. Co., or EELCO, was founded in 1956 in Inglewood, California and started out specializing in hardware for hot rods and dry lake racers. They eventually had a whole line of speed parts, but many remember them for their fuel tanks and fuel delivery hardware among other things.

If you're a petrol head you know. If you're modifying cars or just keep an old one on the road you've been plagued by this fun little guy at one time or another.

The 1955-57 two-seat Ford Thunderbird is among the most recognized iconic American cars. It's been put in television shows, movies and print advertisements, not to mention being pictured on a U.S. postage stamp. The 1955-57 "T-Bird" was America's second mass-produced sports car from a large domestic automaker, right behind the Chevrolet Corvette.

Hot Rods Custom Garage

Classic American Black Muscle Car Cartoon, lots of chrome, aggressive stance, low profile, big tires and rims.

Wanderer was a German manufacturer of bicycles, motorcycles, automobiles, vans and other machinery. Established as Winklhofer & Jaenicke in 1896 by Johann Baptist Winklhofer und Richard Adolf Jaenicke, the company used the Wanderer brand name from 1911, making civilian automobiles until 1941 and military vehicles until 1945. The Wanderer Siegmar plant (now Chemnitz) of Auto Union were destroyed in early 1945, closing this chapter in the history of automobiles. Post-war efforts to restore East German auto industry concentrated on Auto Union facilities in Zwickau and Zschopau: Wanderer car production never recovered, with Auto Union relocating to Ingolstadt,

Follow me on instagram @karo.cars for unique automotive illustrations!

Follow me on instagram @karo.cars for unique automotive illustrations!