The Last Build, Bob Bauder, 1944-2017

A ’32 Ford Pickup for a Hot Rod Pioneer

- Eric Geisert

There are those who have blazed the trail, carving a niche for themselves in automotive history, whose aura transcends the use of a complete first and last name so that by uttering just a last name is more than sufficient for everyone to understand who you’re is talking about.

Though most of the following names could certainly fall into that category, see if you can pick out the common thread in this list of hot rodding luminaries: Boyd Coddington, Don Thelen, Pete Chapouris, Chuck Lombardo, Vern Luce, Jerry Moreland, Steve Davis, Barry Lobeck, Gary Meadors, Steve Coonan, Alex Xydias, Lil’ John Buttera, Thom Taylor, and Bruce Meyer.

Can’t put your finger on it? How about Bob Bauder? Don’t know the name? Well don’t feel bad—Bob is the most famous guy you probably haven’t heard of. But all those other folks certainly know his name, and many of them would not have ever known about each other if it weren’t for Bob. And if you do happen to know Bauder’s name, it’s a safe bet it’s for maybe one car he owned or maybe two, but Bob’s legacy goes far deeper than that.

Born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, in 1944 (the same town California Street Rods’ Chuck Lombardo was from), Bob decided he’d drive his ’55 Chevy to the West Coast after graduating high school in 1962 and live the hot rod lifestyle. Now, this is the 1962 version of hot rodding, which centered on drag racing and building cars at home without a local shop or parts catalog to help. He ran his car out of gas in the middle of California and, at different times, lived in both his car and inside the gas station where he worked, but was still able to find the money to race a ’63 Corvette he’d built for himself.