Keith Ashley

In 1995 Keith started cloning a Larry Ernst's 1951 Chevrolet Bel Air. Keith saw the car while he was in high school. It was the first custom car he had ever seen, and he never forgot it. Keith knew Burns Berryman, and he watched the tedious restoration of the original car. Keith decided to clone the second version of the car with the tri-color paint job. "This car was introduced at the Sacramento Autorama and the GNRS in 1999, fulfilling another dream of exhibiting at these two shows." After a 20 year run of ownership, Keith sold the clone, and it disappeared to Oregon. Photo courtesy of Keith Ashley.

Keith Ashley of Northport, Michigan. "I am 82 and have loved kustoms since I was 16," Keith told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama in 2020. "I grew up in Southfield, just a couple of miles from the Alexander Bros first shop. My first driveable car was a 1949 Ford tudor. I frenched the headlights with 1952 Mercury rings and nosed and decked it, adding aluminum heads and Mallory ignition." Keith's next car was a 1953 Chevrolet convertible. Modification to that included frenched headlights and taillights, a custom molded grille surround, electric doors, and trunk. "1940 Ford tudor was next. Major work on this was a 4" channel, 4" top chop, 1960ish Renault one-piece windshield grafted in. Custom made dash and console. Ran out of skills to finish and sold the car, never to see again."

After selling the 1940 Ford tudor, Keith got into restoring cars, "mostly Model A's for a while. After marrying, things slowed down due to money. I started painting cars as a sideline and painted my personal 1961 Chevy Tudor with Pagan Gold Candy paint. Very pretty but lots of stripes by not having a good paint gun and technique!!" Lots of cars followed, none noteworthy until he restored a 1947 Ford woody. "Bought in 1968 and I still have it 52 years later."

In 1995 Keith started cloning a 1951 Chevrolet that had been his lifelong dream to own, "the Reverend Larry Ernst Barris built hardtop, 2nd version with the tri-color paint job. This car was introduced at the Sacramento Autorama and the GNRS in 1999, fulfilling another dream of exhibiting at these two shows." After a 20 year run of ownership, Keith sold the clone, and it disappeared to Oregon.

In 2020 Keith had a 1949 Cadillac restored with Air Ride, and leather interior being the changes from stock. He had also started cloning LeRoy Goulart's 1951 Ford, "the Lime Green version with canted headlights, wheel well flares, and 1952 Ford one piece windshield. I hope to bring it to California for the 2022 Sacramento Autorama and the GNRS shows."

Keith Ashley's Cars

Keith Ashley's 1951 Chevrolet - The Bel Air Royal Clone