Passion about Hot Rods, Muscle Cars, and all things automotive overflows at SEMA 2017 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Robert Riggs talks to Jim Ring of the Ringbrothers about the custom muscle cars they unveiled and how it sets social media on fire for their business.
Transcript
Robert Riggs: Hi, I’m Robert Riggs with Clarity and we’re here at SEMA 2017 with Mike Ring, the older half of The Ringbrothers.
Mike Ring: That’s correct.
Robert: Which I think I best describe as the Michelangelos of car customizing.
Mike: Thank you.
Robert: So let me talk to you about passion. What is the passion? You go through here, there’s tens of thousands of people in here. What is that passion?
Mike: I think you grew up with it or you’re influenced by something or someone at a very young age, and for us, it was just wanting to get out of a small town and trying to find a way to get out of there, and it was amazing.
Robert: So behind me is what I’d call an old school restoration truck customization and we baby boomers, we love that, so what was it in that car that you were doing it for yourself that knew you wanted to do it?
Mike: We’ve done so many cars and we really hadn’t been known for doing any trucks at all, and what’s nice about it is we didn’t have to get super crazy and it wasn’t to make a statement or anything, it’s just about making a cool little truck for the shop, so using the original chassis to start with was not normal for us and it was just fun, it was just fun.
Robert: So you got a new wave coming up of Millennials.
Mike: Yes.
Robert: What’s their passion and do you see them – do you see Millennials some day as older adults being your clients?
Mike: I think the Millennials are going to demand a whole different type of vehicle. I hope they do. I’m really nervous that they will just take Uber everywhere and not even want a vehicle anymore. I don’t know where it’s going but I hope they do, but I think the technology with these kids and what they’re going to want, I mean, we’re seeing it the young guys that are working for us to be able to model things like I say in CAD, and create a car maybe that’s not even been out there – it’s their dream, and really, with technology today, there’s shops like ours that can build anything.
Robert: So you see basically scratch customized cars?
Mike: Scratch-built cars, yes, I really do, I think people that have the money are going to – they have a dream and they’re going to want to be able to create a – and a lot of the young people today could probably design their own car in some way that could bring to somebody and pull it off.
Robert: So do you ever just pinch yourself and say, “Wow, how did this happen?”
Mike: Yes, I mean, I come from a town of 600 and just think that people know who you are around the world sometimes. It’s pretty crazy.
Robert: So did you ever tried to race it?
Mike: No, not yet. I’m just kind of the one that is to do the bodywork and paint. My brother loves to just tear them up and chip them up, and he doesn’t care. I get a little bit upset with that but after seeing it done, the pressure is off.
Robert: Okay, well, hey, I appreciate you talking to us and understanding passion and the Millennials.
Mike: Yes, thanks.
Robert: Thank you, I appreciate it. Thank you.
Mike: Very much.