MQQNeyes Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show ’24

Dec 16

Dec 2024 • By Tony Thacker
Presented by HandhFlatheads.com, MicksPaint.com & USAutomotive.co.uk

What is 32 years old, has 300 show cars, 500 custom motorcycles, 200 vendors, 23,000 spectators but only lasts one day? The MQQNeyes Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show, of course.

Held at Pacifico Yokohama, and organized by MQQNeyes, it is the largest indoor custom car and motorcycle show in Japan. Attracting fans from all over the world, we met people from Australia, Indonesia, Mexico, Malaysia, New Zealand and Taiwan. It’s a truly international event show casing not only the best of the Pacific Rim but also top custom motorcycles from US builders such as Luke Morris, Gary Royal, Anthony Robinson, Andy Carter and Shinya Kimura.

Also over from the US was designer Coby Gewertz with his polarizing ‘Saint Christopher’ coupe built by Bill Ganahl’s South City Rod and Custom. Powered by an Enderle stack injected, 331 ci Chrysler Hemi built by Rob McKray, the radical ’34 5-window coupe with paint by Joe Compani always elicits comment.

Talking of paint, one of the craziest flame jobs on the floor and ultimately picked as Best of Show was Jason Kennedy’s stunning 1950 Ford Custom that he brought all the way from New South Wales, Australia. The amazing flame paint was handled by Kyle Smith at Smith Concepts. What was really cool was bumping into Jason at MQQNeyes Area 1 driving his show winner to the docks to be shipped home.

Besides all the vehicles imported specially for the show, there was a very strong contingent of local vehicles that ranged from custom cars, hot rods, lowriders, muscle cars, pickups, to vans and VWs. Basically, there was something for everybody and the quality was top notch.

MQQNeyes Yokohama is also known for its art and there was imaginative art everywhere from some of the inventive displays and signage to the pinstriping show that hosted dozens of paint slingers exercising their squirrel hairs.

What also makes Yokohama special is the vast array of vendors, including MQQNeyes, selling everything from limited edition Vans shoes and Hot Wheels (though not this year), to really unusual clothing and hand-made accessories. What is interesting is the unusual appropriation of words when translated to Japanese Kustom Kulture wherein you get names such as ‘Feels Good Exhaust,’ ‘Hard On Custom,’ ‘Oily Boys,’ and ‘Mondo Erostika’ by Rockin Jelly Bean—Totally Shameless, Dirty and Obscene.” However, my favorite was ‘Mary Poppins Kustoms,’ and the club ‘Worst Buddies.’

Kustom Kulture events would not be the same without bands and burlesque and Yokohama had both, including the Oh! Sharels, the El Caminos, the Minnesota Voodoo Men, and Jackie and the Cedrics. Between bands there was the Miss MQQNeyes pin-up contest organized by Mitzi Valenzuela of Mitzi & Co.