Guest Speakers

Every year, Art Center Car Classic features an array of dynamic special guests who share their insights into classic cars, the future of transportation design and automotive culture. This year, we welcome the following emcees, speakers, panelists and award presenters. We’ll update this page as more special guests are announced.

PETE BROCK

Founder, Brock Racing Enterprises
In 1985, automotive designer Peter Brock left Shelby American to start his own company, Brock Racing Enterprises (BRE). Prior to this, Brock had already achieved considerable success in the automotive design field. While working at GM Styling in 1957 he penned the classic forms that would eventually become the famed ’63 "split window" Corvette Stingray. Later, after moving to California, he designed the body for the World Championship-winning Cobra Daytona Coupe for Shelby American. With BRE, he designed cars for companies like Hino, Toyota and Triumph, and created his own race team, the BRE Datsuns, which won two C Production National Championships with the 240Z and two 2.5 Trans-Am Championships with driver John Morton. Brock soon became entranced with hang gliding, and after building the largest hang gliding company in the world, Brock returned to automobiles. He taught automotive design for two years at Art Center, and then in 1990 began writing a best-selling book on the history of the Cobra Daytona Coupes. In 1997, Superperformance asked him to redesign the original Cobra Daytona Coupe. Today, Brock writes about races around the world with his wife Gayle, an acclaimed motorsports photographer, for a number of domestic and international magazines. He also enjoys designing and developing race quality parts and accessories for the small but constantly expanding group of Superperformance Coupe owners.

DAVE KUNZ

Automotive reporter, KABC-TV Los Angeles
Covering the automotive beat for Los Angeles-based KABC and its affiliates, Dave Kunz brings viewers the latest news on everything from practical family sedans to exotic sports cars. Kunz regularly serves as emcee at numerous annual automotive events including the Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance, Newport Concours d’Elegance and Art Center’s Car Classic.

CHIP FOOSE TRAN ’90

President and CEO, Foose Design
Santa Barbara native Chip Foose helped his father build street rods, customs and show cars for films such as Blade Runner and Robocop before majoring in Transportation Design at Art Center. Upon graduation he began working at Boyd Coddington of Hot Rods by Boyd, eventually becoming its president. In 1998 he founded his own company, Foose Design, which specializes in illustration, graphics and complete construction of automobiles and automotive-related products. Foose’s designs have won three consecutive Ridler awards and numerous America’s Most Beautiful Roadster awards. In 1997, at the age of 31, he became the youngest member to ever be inducted into the Hot Rod Hall of Fame. In 2005, Pixar asked Foose to create paint schemes and graphic treatments for the hit movie Cars, and more recently he served as a consultant on Cars 2. His television credits include producing TLC’s Overhaulin, serving as a judge on the Discovery Channel’s Ultimate Car Build-Off and hosting the Discovery Channel documentary American Icon: The Hot Rod.

BARRY MEGUIAR

President/CEO, Meguiar's, Inc.
A Pasadena native, Barry Meguiar is president and CEO of Meguiar's, Inc. His "car crazy" tendencies became apparent while a high schooler, cruising the streets of Pasadena in his '57 Chevy and hanging out at Blair's Speed Shop. Today, Meguiar hosts Car Crazy TV on SPEED Channel, and his Car Crazy radio program airs in 130 markets nationwide. Meguiar will again serving as emcee of the Car Classic awards program.