LAS VEGAS, NV – The annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show filled the Las Vegas Convention Center again this year as the automotive aftermarket and custom builders came together to show and discuss the latest new products, custom vehicle builds and marketing opportunities. Thousands of industry insiders and automotive enthusiasts came out to experience the freshest ideas that the automotive aftermarket has in the pipeline for the coming year. Although private builds and displays featured every sort of vehicle imaginable, our focus – as always – was to find the coolest and most notable Ford cars and trucks that we could spot among all the wild and colorful rides spread across the multitude of display areas at the show.
SEMA is a professional trade association whose mission is to support the needs and growth of the automotive aftermarket industry. Its huge convention in Las Vegas on the first weekend in November each fall is meant to showcase everything from high performance parts, wheels, tires, and go-fast goodies to replacement parts, body shop equipment and tools – even new offerings in the electrification world. One of the most popular attractions is “the “Battle of The Builders” where a judging process chooses a dozen of its favorite custom vehicle creations. For 2024, some 172 vehicles of all sorts were in the running. With SEMA research showing that exactly 50 percent of today’s vehicle accessory purchasers are young enthusiasts, it’s no wonder that attractions such as the Friday night SEMA Fest concert and the drifting motorsports activations were young fan favorites.
While Ford corporate and some of the other major auto manufacturers again sat out as major display participants at this year’s 57th annual show, some used the opportunity to showcase their 2025 specialty models. A multitude of private entities proudly displayed new custom builds of nearly every brand and nameplate imaginable, happily replacing some of the missing automaker footprint. Ford Performance Parts well-represented the Blue Oval with a strong display that was a magnet for Ford fans all weekend long.
As we had expected, Ford super-enthusiast and FordPerformance.com contributing photographer Mark Storm attended the SEMA show again this year to get a first-hand look at many of the builds on display there. While it’s impossible to capture each and every car at SEMA in a photo, Mark sent hundreds of shots to us for review. We’ve selected some of our favorite photos of Ford rides that he’d sent along to share with you in the gallery below:
FORD PERFORMANCE PHOTOS / COURTESY MARK STORM
