When it comes to incredibly cool cars and trucks, the SEMA Show is like a gigantic eye-popping candy store for motor vehicle enthusiasts. Almost every manufacturer display booth has a car, truck, Jeep, SUV, or some kind of special vehicle in it to garner the attention of showgoers and help display the company’s new products. For 2013, Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels went hog wild with four rigs on display in its SEMA booth.
First, there was Mickey Thompson’s Challenger 1 Streamliner. This car was built by the late Mickey Thompson, and in 1960, he drove it at the Bonneville Salt Flats to a speed of 406.60, becoming the first American to break the 400 MPH barrier and surpassing John Cobb’s one-way land-speed record of 402. The feat earned Thompson the nickname “The Speed King.”
Also on display in the company’s booth was Mickey Thompson’s 1969 Mach 1 Funny Car driven by Danny Ongias, one of the most popular vehicles of its day in drag racing, and a grand piece of motorsports history. It was very popular among show attendees this year.
Truck fans could not have missed the massive armor-plate and shark-jaw motif of the Ford F-150 Deegan 38 project truck that was also in the Mickey Thompson SEMA booth. It featured new 35-inch Deegan 38 tires, as well as a cornucopia of Metal Mulisha accessories for passers by to check out.
The 2014 M/T JK Wrangler project showcased the new front and rear bumpers that will be offered by Mickey Thompson to complement its line of off-road tires and wheels.
Standing tall on Mickey Thompson 37-inch Baja ATZP3 tires and just as prominent as the Challenger 1, Mach 1 and F-150, was a 2014 Jeep JK Wrangler on the opposite side of the show booth that was being used to show off the company’s newest venture into off-road products — the new M/T Metal Series front and rear bumpers.
We talked to Don Sneddon, Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels advertising manager about the new product series, “It just makes sense for us. When an off-road enthusiast comes to Mickey Thompson looking for a great set of tires and wheels, why should they go anywhere else for great hardware for their Jeep like bumpers for the front and rear. The bumpers are heavy duty, and easy to install; the front is capable of handling a winch and other accessories, the rear incorporates a tow hitch.”
Cool cars and trucks, and some new products, were on hand in the Mickey Thompson booth. Stay tuned to Off Road Xtreme for more great news and vehicles from the 2013 SEMA Show!