Coddington’s Legendary Roadster Returning to Bonneville for Second Record Attempt

Back in 2007, renowned hot-rod builder Boyd Coddington brought his custom-built 1927 Ford Model T Roadster to Bonneville Speed Week with one goal in mind: breaking a pre-1934 Roadster class-record run of 199 mph. Coddington’s original steel-bodied Roadster was purpose-built for the Bonneville Salt Flats as the first-and-only dedicated race car ever produced by Coddington’s shop, Hot Rods by Boyd. It featured a 1200+ horsepower GM intercooled, turbo-charged 2.0-liter Ecotec engine with a Liberty six-speed transmission. Coddington’s wife Jo Coddington would take the wheel after completing race certifications and undergoing countless practice runs. Things were looking good, and the team was ready to make history.

Despite several great runs in the leadup, Jo Coddington had to drive three qualifying runs to qualify for the main course. Within a span of 24 hours, one run needed to reach over 200-mph, and two runs had to reach over 199-mph. Jo Coddington impressively hit the 200-mph mark but, ultimately, the previous record remained intact. Boyd Coddington and his team vowed to return the following year for a second attempt after learning so much from the first.

Sadly, Boyd Coddington’s untimely passing in early 2008 cut that dream short and the future of the Roadster was uncertain. That is, until Boyd Coddington’s longtime friend and customer Mike Martin took ownership to keep it in safe hands. In the years that followed, Martin cultivated a vision for the Roadster that would see its return to Bonneville. As a dedicated automotive enthusiast himself, Martin wished to preserve Boyd Coddington’s legacy and have the Roadster find its place in the record books.

Today, that vision is coming to life. Martin and Grant Grosser, an experienced salt flat racer and fellow enthusiast, are in the process of preparing the Roadster for a return to Bonneville Speed Week 2025. The goal remains the same – to break the speed record and secure a spot in history with a legendary build that was made for this very purpose. This August, Martin and Grosser aim to make it a reality and are currently hard at work preparing for another Bonneville appearance with Boyd and Jo Coddington’s Roadster. Grant’s daughter Sherry Grosser will take the wheel for the record attempt just as Jo Coddington did back in 2007.

As it was the first time, AMSOIL lubricants will be installed to get the 1100+ horsepower engine ready for the challenge. This blog will follow the build’s progress over coming months, so stay tuned for updates. As Martin, Grosser and their teams embark on a mission in honor of Boyd Coddington that’s been years in the making, we’ll be cheering them on and celebrating the return of the one-and-only Coddington race build. Check out the specs below for a glimpse of what this Roadster is made of. We can’t wait to see how it performs at Bonneville Speed Week 2025.