The Mickey Ellis Photo Collection

Shelby Cornett's 1947 Chevrolet Convertible. "This is another example of how low our cars sat, as this is how Shelby drove it every day." Shelby was a fellow member of the Stags of Ogden car club. Photo courtesy of Mickey Ellis.

How low can you go? A low angle shot of Shelby Cornett's 1947 Chevrolet Convertible. Photo courtesy of Mickey Ellis.

Good friend and Stags of Ogden car club member Ray McMullin's 1941 Cadillac Coupe. This photo was taken as it was put back together after just being painted Candy Red from its original dark Blue color. Mickey believed the event took place around 1959-1960. "Jack Harris may have been the painter," he told Kustomrama, adding that Jack painted a lot of the Stags cars back then. Photo courtesy of Mickey Ellis.

Another shot of Ray McMullin's 1941 Cadillac Coupe. This photo shows the custom interior Ray ran in his Candy Red beauty. Photo courtesy of Mickey Ellis.

A photo of the Carlson Pontiac Model T altered drag car taken at the 1960 Stags of Ogden Custom Autorama. Photo courtesy of Mickey Ellis.

Ron Maxwell's 1934 Ford 5-Window Coupe at the 1960 Stags of Ogden Custom Autorama. Rob's '34 was originally built in 1954. Photo courtesy of Mickey Ellis.

Dave Jorgenson's 1955 Mercury convertible at the 1960 Stags of Ogden Custom Autorama. Dave was a member of the Falcons of Salt Lake City car club, and his mildly restyled Mercury featured a shaved hood and molded headlights. The emblems were shaved from the front fenders, and the front end appearance was simplified by removing the bumper guards and the vertical teeth. When the car was shown at the 1960 Stags of Ogden Custom Autorama, it was painted in grey primer. It was lowered all around, and ran Oldsmobile Fiesta style hubcaps and lakes pipes. Photo courtesy of Mickey Ellis.

Karl Henderson's 1951 Mercury at the 1960 Stags of Ogden Custom Autorama. Karl's Mercury was originally restyled by Earl Mitchell for Stags of Ogden member Noal Johnston. Noal bought the car when he was 17 years old, in 1957. Karl bought the Merc from Noal. Photo courtesy of Mickey Ellis.

Kent Lee's 1954 Mercury four-door at the 1960 Stags of Ogden Custom Autorama. Kent was from Salt Lake City, Utah. He was a custom body and paint guy, and the Merc showcased his skills. Kent's green Mercury, named "One Step Beyond", was shaved for door handles, and it featured a gold panel paint job with a fogged effect. It was lowered all around, and it was dressed up with dual spot lights and lakes pipes. The lakes pipes lowered the appearance of the car additionally. Photo courtesy of Mickey Ellis.

Mickey Ellis' 1956 Mercury at the 1960 Stags of Ogden Custom Autorama. Mickey was a member of the Stags of Ogden car club, and he bought the Merc in 1959 so he had something to drive besides his hopped up fendereless Model A roadster. This version of the Merc featured distinct scallops by Mickey. Photo courtesy of Mickey Ellis.

Dick DeCarver's 1953 Ford hardtop at the at the 1960 Stags of Ogden Custom Autorama. Dick was a member of the Falcons of Salt Lake City car club, and his car was nosed, decked and shaved for door handles. The hood was louvered, the headlights were frenched and the stock grille had been replaced with a 1954 Chevrolet grille that Dick had fit with extra teeth. The wheels were dressed up featuring Oldsmobile Fiesta hubcaps. Photo courtesy of Mickey Ellis.

Mike Hemingway's 1948 Plymouth sedan at the 1960 Stags of Ogden Custom Autorama. Mike was a member of the Falcons of Salt Lake City car club, and his lowered four door sedan was fit with a custom upholstery, dual spotlights and later model hubcaps. Photo courtesy of Mickey Ellis.

Noal Johnston's 1956 Mercury at the 1960 Stags of Ogden Custom Autorama. Noal's Merc was nosed, decked, shaved for handles and lowered all around. Custom accessories included lakes pipes, dual spotlights, Fiesta style hubcaps and a custom upholstery. The car was painted dark green. Photo courtesy of Mickey Ellis.

A photo of Dennis Titensor's 1956 Chevrolet convertible taken at the 1960 Stags of Ogden Custom Autorama. Dennis' mildly customized Chevrolet was radically lowered all around, shaved for handles and fit with a custom grille, hubcaps and dual spotlights. At the time the car had also received a scallop paint job. Photo courtesy of Mickey Ellis.

A photo of fellow Stags of Ogden member Shelby Cornett's 1955 Chevrolet convertible taken at the 1960 Stags of Ogden Custom Autorama. Another mild custom with the Utah look according to Mickey. In the late 1950s and 1960s there were very few full or radical customs in Utah, but most cars were very low. Shelby's Chevrolet was nosed, decked and shaved for door handles and emblems. It also seems to be fit with 1955 or 1956 Oldsmobile headlight rings. In addition to crossbar hubcaps, Shelby's Chevrolet did also feature a tarp over the backseats and steering wheel cover. Photo courtesy of Mickey Ellis.

A photo of fellow Stags of Ogden member Lyle Mason's 1956 Chevrolet. Lyle's mildly customized Chevrolet was shaved for most of it's chrome. It was nosed, and most likely decked, and the door handles were shaved. Custom accessory included lakes pipes, dual spotlights, a tube grille and Dodge Lancer hubcaps. As you can see, the car was also lowered radically. This photo was taken at the 1960 Stags Custom Autorama at the Ogden Rodeo Arena. Photo courtesy of Mickey Ellis.

A photo of Mickey with his 1956 Mercury at a car show in Salt Lake City. Mickey bought the Merc in 1959 so he had something to drive beside his hopped-up Model A roadster. Photo courtesy of Mickey Ellis.

A photo of Stags of Ogden member Lyle Mason's 1956 Chevrolet taken at the 1962 Stags and Road Hawks Custom Autorama. This photo was taken after Lyle had un-chopped it, installed a smallblock engine, raised the suspension, installed racing slicks, and gone racing. Photo courtesy of Mickey Ellis.

By 1960 Shelby Cornett had sold his 1947 Chevrolet convertible and bought a 1955 Chevrolet convertible. Mickey recalled that he sold the '47 to fellow Stags member Ralph Wiggins. Ralph drove it for a year or so before he sold it to Junior Bright. Junior was going to make a show car out of it, "so he had a whole bunch of engine and undercarriage stuff chromed." Unfortunately, that was about all that ever got done to it, and it ended up sitting outside for years. Mickey recalled that Junior would not ever consider selling it, so it just sat. What happened to the car after Junior passed away is unknown. Hopefully, it is stashed away somewhere. In this photo, the old custom is sitting under a tarp behind Junior's ambulance company. Photo courtesy of Mickey Ellis.

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Step into the time machine of Mickey Ellis and cruise down memory lane to a place where the rumble of engines and the gleam of polished chrome were everyday symphonies on the streets of Ogden, Utah. It was a place where the pulse of Washington Blvd beat strongest after sundown and every night was a celebration of metal, muscle, and the freedom of the open road.

In the heart of this mechanical renaissance was a young Mickey Ellis, who, at the tender age of 16 in 1956, not only got his hands on a 1949 Chevrolet but also had the audacity to rip out its inline 6 for the growl of a Studebaker V-8. This was just the beginning. By 1958, with a little persuasion and a lot of dreams, Mickey's garage housed a channeled Model A Roadster, its engine a 296" Flathead V-8 masterpiece courtesy of local Bonneville legend George Imaizumi.

As a proud member of the Stags of Ogden, a car club that was the hub for the city's grease monkeys and speed chasers, Mickey was at the center of a community where loyalty was measured in miles per hour and friendship in shared oil stains. With about 10 to 15 clubs, Ogden was less of a city and more of a grand, asphalt-bound fellowship.

The year 1959 brought the elegance of a 1956 Mercury into Mickey's life, adding class to his high-octane escapades. Fast forward to 1977, and Mickey, ever the automotive maestro, breathed new life into a 1940 Mercury custom, a car with a lineage as rich as its curves, once gracing the pages of Hot Rod March 1957 under the stewardship of Don Telen.

Through the lens of his camera, Mickey captured more than images; he captured spirits, stories, and the very essence of an era where every drive could be an adventure. These photos, shared with the world through Kustomrama, offer an intimate glimpse into the heart of Ogden's car culture as it pulsed and thrived.