Roy Brizio to Receive Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award

The Petersen Automotive Museum will honor hot rod builder Roy Brizio with the Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award at the SEMA Show Industry Awards Banquet on Nov. 2, the museum announced. The award will be presented by the museum’s founding chairman and board member Bruce Meyer.

Brizio is the owner of Roy Brizio Street Rods in South San Francisco, California. The prolific and highly respected shop recently marked 46 years of business and is known for building hot rods for the likes of Eric Clapton, Vic Edelbrock Jr., Jim Ellis, Jeff Beck, Neil Young, Ross Myers and Reggie Jackson. Brizio and his team have been credited with revolutionizing custom car culture and helping to define modern hot rodding while consistently delivering fast and reliable cars that are built to be driven, according to museum officials. In addition to numerous awards, including two America’s Most Beautiful Roadster awards at the Grand National Roadster Show, his work is the subject of the book “Roy Brizio Street Rods: Modern Hot Rods Defined” by Bo Bertilsson.

“A common denominator among the recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award is that they are truly industry pioneers who have left a lasting legacy in the automotive world,” said Terry L. Karges, executive director of the Petersen Automotive Museum. “For nearly half a century, Roy’s custom creations have been synonymous with subtle elegance and his shop’s enduring popularity is the truest sign of his success.”

Named after the founder of the Petersen Automotive Museum, previous recipients of the award include Dan Gurney, Art Chrisman, Carroll Shelby, George Barris, Andy Granatelli, The Ford Family, Vic Edelbrock, Jack Roush, Ed Iskenderian, “Speedy” Bill Smith, So-Cal Speed Shop founder Alex Xydias, Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, William Clay Ford Jr., Richard Petty, Wally Parks and Ed Pink, the museum said.

“We take great pride in building timeless and unique hot rods, and our greatest joy comes from building cars that are both beautiful and well-loved,” said Brizio. “It is a great honor to receive this recognition, and I share it with my family and my wonderful staff.”

To help preserve the shop’s legacy, Brizio facilitated the donation of two Brizio street rods to the Petersen Automotive Museum, as well as the loan of one of many hot rods created for Eric Clapton. The Brizio-created 1932 Ford Victoria is currently on display in the Vault.