Goodguys

What Goodguys does

Goodguys Rod & Custom Association, founded in 1983, is a private U.S.-based association that organizes and operates a national circuit of 15 annual car show and automotive enthusiast events, entering its 43rd season in 2026. The association serves classic car, muscle car, hot rod, and custom truck enthusiasts by providing destination venues where builders can display vehicles, compete for industry-recognized awards, and engage with a multi-generational community. Its core "product" is the event portfolio itself, anchored by named flagship events such as the Griot's Garage Pacific Northwest Nationals, BASF Legends of Hot Rodding, Meguiar's Del Mar Nationals, and Speedway Motors Heartland Nationals, hosted at fairgrounds and event centers across nine or more U.S. states (Texas, California, Arizona, Tennessee, Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, Washington, Colorado). There is no proprietary technology platform; the association operates as an event management and community entity rather than a software or digital product business.

The association monetizes through two primary revenue streams: vehicle registration and event admission fees paid by participating builders and spectators, and corporate sponsorships from a concentrated set of marquee aftermarket and automotive care brands (Griot's Garage, BASF, TANKS Inc., Meguiar's, Wicked Fabrication) that anchor named events and award programs such as the BASF Top 12 of the Year, TANKS Inc. Hot Rod of the Year, and Meguiar's West Coast d'Elegance. The go-to-market motion is event-driven and community-led, with marketing primarily conducted through earned media in automotive publications, press wire distribution, and the events themselves. The association is headquartered in the Pleasanton, California area with operational hubs in Fort Worth, Texas (season opener) and Scottsdale, Arizona (season finale), and it carries no disclosed parent company, subsidiaries, or external funding.

Name

Goodguys

Legal name

Goodguys Rod & Custom Association

Website

https://good-guys.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Goodguys Rod & Custom Association, founded in 1983, operates a national circuit of 15 annual car show and automotive enthusiast events across 9+ U.S. states, serving hot rod, muscle car, and custom truck builders and spectators through event registrations, corporate sponsorships, and industry award programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Car Show Events

akta.pro primary industry

Motorsports & Racing Experiences (THAJAFAF)

Keywords

• Automotive car shows
• Hot rod events
• Classic car events
• Custom car shows
• Muscle car events

Headquarters

HQ city

Pleasanton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Admissions and Registrations: Goodguys generates revenue through vehicle registration fees for participants at their car shows, with events welcoming thousands of vehicles per weekend (e.g., 5,000+ vehicles at Heartland Nationals, 2,500+ at Pacific Northwest Nationals).
2. Sponsorships and Event Partnerships: Corporate sponsors including Griot's Garage, Meguiar's, TANKS Inc., BASF, and Wicked Fabrication sponsor specific events and award programs, providing sponsorship revenue in exchange for brand visibility at events.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Goodguys Rod & Custom Association operates a national circuit of 15 annual car show events across the United States, featuring muscle cars, hot rods, and custom trucks from 1999 and older. The organization also runs prestigious award programs, including the BASF Top 12 of the Year, the TANKS Inc. Hot Rod of the Year, and the Meguiar's West Coast d'Elegance, recognizing exceptional custom automotive builds.

Product overview

Goodguys Rod & Custom Association is a single-service offering focused on organizing and hosting automotive car show events and award programs for hot rod and custom car enthusiasts. The organization runs 15 annual events across multiple U.S. states and administers award programs including the Custom of the Year, Hot Rod of the Year, and Meguiar's West Coast d'Elegance awards. There is no platform-plus-modules architecture; the organization operates as an event management and community association entity rather than a technology product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Goodguys National Car Show Event Circuit
• Goodguys Top 12 of the Year Award Program

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Griot's GarageflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 July 2026Griot's Garage is the title sponsor of the 38th Pacific Northwest Nationals presented by Wicked Fabrication, held in Puyallup, Washington. This is a premier sponsorship naming rights arrangement for one of Goodguys' major regional events.
• Wicked FabricationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-presenter of the Griot's Garage Pacific Northwest Nationals alongside Griot's Garage, contributing to event presentation and branding.
• TANKS Inc.flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerTANKS Inc. sponsors the Hot Rod of the Year award, one of Goodguys' most prestigious recognitions. The award celebrates exceptional hot rod craftsmanship and innovation.
• BASFflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerBASF partners with Goodguys for the Legends of Hot Rodding event and sponsors the Top 12 of the Year program, the most prestigious recognition in Goodguys' award hierarchy.
• Meguiar'sflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerMeguiar's sponsors the West Coast d'Elegance Award at the Meguiar's Del Mar Nationals. The award is part of the BASF Top 12 of the Year program and represents a major prestige sponsorship.
• Gray's GarageminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCustom car builder that constructed Todd Samson's award-winning 1932 Ford Roadster, recipient of the 2026 TANKS Inc. Hot Rod of the Year award.
• South City Rod and CustomminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCustom rod shop that built Dave Kroona's 1933 Willys, winner of the 2025 Tanks Inc. Hot Rod of the Year award.
• Brooks CraftminorOthersSupplier of components for award-winning builds; contributed parts to Todd Samson's 1932 Ford Roadster.
• Don FergusonminorOthersSupplier of components for award-winning builds; contributed parts to Todd Samson's 1932 Ford Roadster.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auctions: Barrett-Jackson is the leading classic and collector car auction company running marquee events (Scottsdale, Palm Beach, Las Vegas) that directly compete with Goodguys for the same classic car enthusiast audience, builder participation, and automotive brand sponsorships.
• Mecum Auctions: Mecum Auctions runs a national calendar of collector car auctions targeting classic car and muscle car enthusiasts that overlap with Goodguys' audience, sponsors, and builder community.
• National Street Rod Association (NSRA): NSRA is a long-standing association (founded 1970) operating a national street rod event circuit that directly competes with Goodguys for street rod and custom car builders, sponsorships, and event registrations.
• Detroit Autorama: Detroit Autorama is one of the most prestigious indoor custom car and hot rod shows in the US, featuring Ridler Award-style recognition programs that compete directly with Goodguys' BASF Top 12 / Hot Rod of the Year awards for top builders.
• Grand National Roadster Show: The Grand National Roadster Show is a long-running custom car and rod show with a heritage award (America's Most Beautiful Roadster) that directly parallels Goodguys' prestige recognition ladder and competes for the same builder talent.
• Carlisle Events: Carlisle Events operates a multi-event automotive enthusiast circuit (Carlisle Ford Nationals, Carlisle Imports, spring/fall car shows) that competes for the same muscle car, classic car, and truck enthusiast audience across the Eastern US.

Others

• SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association): SEMA is the leading aftermarket automotive industry trade group that overlaps with Goodguys through shared sponsors (BASF, Meguiar's), shared manufacturer relationships, and the SEMA Show—an adjacent B2B event ecosystem rather than a direct car-show competitor.

Broad incumbents

• MotorTrend Group (Hot Rod, HOT ROD): MotorTrend Group operates enthusiast media brands (Hot Rod Magazine) that share the hot rod/custom car content audience with Goodguys and frequently cross-promote award winners, though it is media rather than an event organizer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/goodguys
• Facebookfacebook.com/goodguysrodandcustom

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Goodguys