Carpenter, Custom Autosound celebrate 20 years of partnership
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<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3190/2780728051_04de20c6fb_o.jpg"
<br><font color="Navy">"We've been in the finals of every race we have entered since we put the decal on the car for 2008, and we couldn’t be more proud to represent the company. Hopefully we can continue this deal for another twenty years."</font>
<P> (8-20-08) CHARLOTTE, NC - In 1987, Charles Carpenter was little more than the kid from east coast with the big ’55 Chevy. When he hit the west coast the following year with a radical all-new ’55, it sparked a nationwide phenomenon and people everywhere took notice.
One of those people was Carl Sprague, the owner and founder of a growing automotive audio business based in Fullerton, CA. Specializing in custom audio solutions designed to replace the factory systems in ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s cars while maintaining the stock appearance, Custom Autosound Mfg. was looking for a new outlet to market its line of products. What better way to do that than on the side of one of the most recognizable hot rods in the country?
“It was a natural fit right from the start,” recalls Carpenter. “A chance meeting at the snack bar at the SEMA show led to a lasting partnership. The sponsorship grew and grew until they were eventually my primary sponsor for several seasons in the mid ‘90s.”
“We did a lot of neat things to market Custom Autosound’s products other than just put a decal on the side of the car,” Carpenter said. “We ran product giveaways at the track, where fans that entered while purchasing t-shirts or hats from our souvenir trailer could win a complete audio system for their classic hot rod. One of the most popular things we did was put a radio in the race car. People really got a kick out of that, and I would joke with them that I would listen to it while going down the track.”
In a day and age when sponsorships are tough to come by and ones that last more than a single season are even more rare, Carpenter’s twenty-year partnership with Custom Autosound is especially noteworthy. Continuing with a major associate role in 2008, Carpenter is excited to have the company on-board once again.
“I can’t thank Carl and everyone involved at Custom Autosound enough,” said the Pro Mod pioneer. “I think my car would just look incomplete without the Custom Autosound logo on it. We have been in the finals of every race we have entered since we put the decal on the car for 2008, and we couldn’t be more proud to represent the company. Hopefully we can continue this deal for another twenty years."
Photo courtesy of Van Abernethy
<p style="width:300px;float:left;font-weight:bold;padding-right:10px;">
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3190/2780728051_04de20c6fb_o.jpg"
<br><font color="Navy">"We've been in the finals of every race we have entered since we put the decal on the car for 2008, and we couldn’t be more proud to represent the company. Hopefully we can continue this deal for another twenty years."</font>
<P> (8-20-08) CHARLOTTE, NC - In 1987, Charles Carpenter was little more than the kid from east coast with the big ’55 Chevy. When he hit the west coast the following year with a radical all-new ’55, it sparked a nationwide phenomenon and people everywhere took notice.
One of those people was Carl Sprague, the owner and founder of a growing automotive audio business based in Fullerton, CA. Specializing in custom audio solutions designed to replace the factory systems in ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s cars while maintaining the stock appearance, Custom Autosound Mfg. was looking for a new outlet to market its line of products. What better way to do that than on the side of one of the most recognizable hot rods in the country?
“It was a natural fit right from the start,” recalls Carpenter. “A chance meeting at the snack bar at the SEMA show led to a lasting partnership. The sponsorship grew and grew until they were eventually my primary sponsor for several seasons in the mid ‘90s.”
“We did a lot of neat things to market Custom Autosound’s products other than just put a decal on the side of the car,” Carpenter said. “We ran product giveaways at the track, where fans that entered while purchasing t-shirts or hats from our souvenir trailer could win a complete audio system for their classic hot rod. One of the most popular things we did was put a radio in the race car. People really got a kick out of that, and I would joke with them that I would listen to it while going down the track.”
In a day and age when sponsorships are tough to come by and ones that last more than a single season are even more rare, Carpenter’s twenty-year partnership with Custom Autosound is especially noteworthy. Continuing with a major associate role in 2008, Carpenter is excited to have the company on-board once again.
“I can’t thank Carl and everyone involved at Custom Autosound enough,” said the Pro Mod pioneer. “I think my car would just look incomplete without the Custom Autosound logo on it. We have been in the finals of every race we have entered since we put the decal on the car for 2008, and we couldn’t be more proud to represent the company. Hopefully we can continue this deal for another twenty years."
Photo courtesy of Van Abernethy
