The first car that I ever covered on the sound-off circuit was Todd Matsubara's Thunderbird. This was in the early to mid-'90s when we still had some decent sound competitions in Southern California. Todd, being the meticulous and thorough guy he is, had a meticulous and thorough audio system, one of the best-sounding cars at the time. Today, he runs TM Engineering, which specializes in automotive aftermarket parts. Mark Fukuda had one of the most extraordinary vehicles in the history of car audio. Actually, he still has his SQ/SPL championship-winning Blazer. Part of the time he spends running his rep firm but for the most part, he's not engaged with the industry on a day-to-day basis. Of course, plenty of people started competing as enthusiasts and then moved on to positions with top mobile audio companies. Steve Brown is an excellent example of that. He's now a big marketing guy at Alpine. And there's Dave Rivera, who had a great run with Metra and today has his own custom shop in Fresno, Calif. Bryan Schmitt started Mobile Solutions and has been doing quite well with his products and trainings. Gary Biggs has had a very nice career, being with JBL for some time now. Chris Yato started at a shop in San Diego, built amazing cars at Alpine and currently runs Elite Creations in Corona, Calif. The list goes on.
This magazine has gone through significant changes since 1988. The late Bill Burton was the first editor when mobile phones were still a novelty and cassette decks were commonplace. Going back and looking at the old stories and car features, you can see how as things change they also remain the same. Many of the articles are as pertinent today as they were when all those great contributors submitted their work about two decades ago. Products change but the fundamentals of sound are unchanged. As we continue to celebrate the 20th anniversary of CA&E, we'll reprint some of the classic articles that helped establish this magazine as the premiere title in the genre. We'll select stories based on their relevance to current enthusiasts of course; and for many readers who haven't collected every issue since 1988 (it's only around 250), it will be a good way to get a sense of the history of the magazine and see what they've been missing.
As I was going through the list of various figures in the industry mentioned above and many more who aren't listed, I started to think of the builders today who are on the path to great prominence. Some of those guys are building their reputations with each vehicle they create. Jason Syner has worked on some stellar projects and has been a regular contributor with his how-tos. If not for a quirk of fate, he probably would be working for a manufacturer today and would be better known inside the industry. As it is, he's doing just fine. We're glad to have him contribute to the magazine. Another person who's bound to be better known in the world of car audio is Jeremy Katz. His Mercedes-Benz SL600 featured at length in this month's issue is an amazing work of high-level craftsmanship and creativity/ingenuity. Talent like that is ultimately what keeps the industry moving. In car audio you can have the greatest products in the world and be without customers. Given the increasing difficulties (or should we merely say, the constant hurdles-see Derek Lee's column this month) you need designers/builders who know how to integrate a system, elevating the quality of the overall interior, not just slam something in a predetermined slot. Adding aftermarket audio products to your car qualifies as customizing your ride, by definition, but it's not really an upgrade unless it's done with the right design in mind. The only way car audio will grow will be on the creative backs of automotive guys with vision. That as much as anything, including product engineering and the pursuit of sound quality, is what this magazine has been celebrating for 20 years and counting. Thanks for reading.