Our industry is filled with people who have left their mark, influenced our hobby, and contributed more than we can ever thank them. Angelo Giampetroni was one such friend. Having died this past June, we are all now down one friend, one hot rodder, and one individual who truly made a difference. Angelo will forever be remembered for dedicating his full effort to the “Ford in a Ford” movement that dominated hot rodding throughout the 1990s and into the new century.
Angelo’s wide range of experience covered all aspects of our hobby; he was a promoter, a builder, and a passionate enthusiast of drag racing and street rods. As a young kid, he developed his love for hot rods by working at Gratiot Auto Supply in Detroit. While there, he ended up with a Deuce five-window that served as both his daily driver and a 120-mph drag racer. He went on to build and sponsor vehicles like “Lil Billy,” a rear-engine 1920 T roadster that ran in the low 9 seconds at 168 mph. Next were “Aggravation,” a Hemi-powered dragster, and “Chevoom,” created with Maynard Rupp, both of which earned a Don Ridler Memorial Award.
In the 1980s, he took on a role for which many of us knew Angelo—he became the marketing director of Ford Motor Company’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO). This division was known for its work with drag racers and street rodders. Besides building and sponsoring various hot rods and drag cars, his efforts earned him recognition within our industry. In 1971, he was voted onto the Car Craft magazine All-Star Drag Racing Team, and he enthusiastically participated in the Detroit Autorama Show for 50 years. He was heavily involved in SEMA, serving as an early member and on the SEMA Board of Directors from 1978-80. In 1993, he was inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame.
In remembrance of Angelo, I thought it would be a nice gesture to have two of his hot rod buddies tell us some personal stories.
Bobby Alloway
Years ago, before I truly met Angelo, he would often come up and talk to us. Being part of Ford Racing, he was keen on convincing us to put a Ford engine in a Ford vehicle, but we weren’t interested. I appreciated his enthusiasm but I explained that I had so much Chevrolet equipment that using a Ford engine just wasn’t feasible for me at that time. This back-and-forth went on for three years.
Then, in 1998, my building burned down. About two weeks later, Angelo called to check on me after hearing about the loss. He asked if I had lost everything and I confirmed that I had. Then he asked, “Well, you don’t have any Chevrolet engines now, do you?” I replied that I didn’t. In a light-hearted tone, he said, “Well, what’s your excuse for not using a Ford engine then?” I admitted I didn’t have one, and that’s how our conversation began. That led to the idea of a Ford engine in a Ford, and he connected me with Roy Brizio to work on the whole project. It turned out to be a fantastic experience.
Another time, during the Street Rodder Builder’s Party at the NSRA Nats, many of us builders attended the pizza party together. I was quite a bit younger then, and Gai Wilson and I were “racing” pretty hard. Angelo would always go over with us, and we all loved being surrounded by all the builders; it was a really cool atmosphere. When Gai and I would leave, we’d take off “hard” in those cars with their big engines. There was a small underpass where we’d rev those engines and slide through sideways. I still remember Angelo lying on the floor of the coupe, looking up and exclaiming, “Unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable.” He was a fantastic guy and a good friend. I will miss him greatly.
Roy Brizio
I first met Angelo in 1988. I was working on a project with Jim Davis, who was then president of B&M Superchargers. Angelo asked Jim if he wanted to put a Ford in his roadster, which I was building, and include the supercharger. I agreed, and the rest is history–the “Ford in a Ford” program was born.
I built a 1932 Ford roadster for myself, which I still own today with 60,000 miles on it. We drove that car 20,000 miles during the summer of 1988 to all 10 NSRA events. I knew Angelo because he owned Gratiot Auto Supply, and I had a lot of respect for him. After that project, Angelo and I became quick friends. He believed that Ford engines should be used in hot rods (Ford-in-a-Ford), and he wanted to make that happen. Over the next 30 years, we did our best to put as many Fords in Fords as possible.
My friendship with Angelo was truly special; it extended far beyond our hot rod projects. Maybe it was because we were both Italians. Anyone in the industry who knew him loved him. He was definitely one of the greatest guys I’ve met in my 48 years in the industry. I will truly miss him.
In Passing
All of us will miss Angelo. Good friends are always hard to find, and the loss of one can never be replaced. We live with the “hole” in our hearts and keep the memories. MR
