Aero-Marine Proud to be Part of Award-Winning 2014 Mustang

aero ladd mustangAM Hot Rod Glass built the acrylic rear window that was part of a handmade lift-off roof on this award-winning 2014 Mustang GT from Hollywood Hot Rods.

In just one year, AM Hot Rod Glass, a division of Aero-Marine in Fontana, Calif., has developed a solid reputation in the custom automotive industry. That reputation was reinforced last week when the company’s latest project—an acrylic rear window that was part of a handmade lift-off roof on the 2014 Mustang GT Convertible by Hollywood Hot Rods—got an assist as the Mustang masterpiece earned Hollywood Hot Rods’ Troy Ladd the Ford Motor Company’s “Product Excellence Award.”

Collaborating with talented designer Eric Black, Ladd revealed the custom Mustang and its removable brushed aluminum hard top in the Ford booth during the 2013 Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) Show. The day after winning the award, Ladd had the car, which included upgrades such as a Ford Racing supercharger and intercooler kit, CorteX Racing front and rear suspension, Ford Sparco seats and Pirelli P Zero tires, at the OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational in Pahrump, Nev.

Troy Ladd (center) of Hollywood Hot Rods claims Ford's Product Excellence Award at the 2013 SEMA Show.
Details on the 2014 Mustang customized by Hollywood Hot Rods.
Featuring a removable hardtop with an acrylic rear window from AM Hot Rod Glass, the Mustang participated in the OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational.

According to Carmen Bélanger-Martin, president of AM Hot Rod Glass and Aero-Marine, Ladd approached AM Hot Rod Glass last March about working on the Mustang.

“It is a selection process with FORD Motor Company and they select only the best of the best fabricators to participate,” Bélanger-Martin said in a press release. “When Troy announced that we were a go with the secret project, AM Hot Rod Glass moved full steam ahead. We began our starting point in August with samples for fitment and we tried out our new acrylic roof panel and we were in the ballpark.”

“This was an opportunity to show Hollywood Hot Rods along with the Ford Motor Company ‘who’ AM Hot Rod Glass is and ‘what’ our fabrication abilities are,” she continued. “We depended on Hollywood Hot Rod’s expertise with its metal fabrication to make our acrylic roof panel integrate seamlessly into the build. The Hollywood Hot Rod team created the receiving channel out of aluminum and it fit to the exact contour of the roof panel.”

Bélanger-Martin, who had a booth at last week’s SEMA Show, was excited to be part of the award-winning build.

“I watched Troy’s ideas take form over a few months and we were able to capture these critical portions of the build on video,” she said. “We showed this video content during the SEMA Show and having the ability for other fabricators to see that build segment and head up to the Ford booth and view the actual car put all the pieces together.”

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