If you are an automotive enthusiast or gear head of any kind, you know the term Motown. That name has always represented Detroit, Michigan, the epicenter of car manufacturing. However, as time, technology and economic conditions have dictated, Detroit is not the auto making capital it once was.

When you look at car manufacturing today, the epicenter of auto making is muddled because of the rapid growth of auto plants outside of the Detroit region. For instance, when you look south, you see that car manufacturing has moved into the region in a big way. New car plants have sprung up in multiple states, including Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. These states have become home to auto companies such as Honda, Nissan, Toyota, BMW, Kia and Hyundai, which is evidence that the Southeast region is emerging as the center of auto production in the U.S.

A similar pattern has occurred with the high-performance aftermarket industry. In the early years, high-performance companies were largely centered in Southern California. However, as the industry matured, other companies sprouted up in virtually every state in the union.

As the industry continued to expand, a hub of companies began to cluster in the Mid-South, specifically in Memphis, TN, and the surrounding area. The trend was started by Racing Head Service (RHS) and Coleman Taylor Transmissions in the 1960s.

Both of these companies began supplying products for enthusiasts seeking solutions to the performance demands of racing and street rodding. In the case of RHS, cylinder heads were modified to provide better air flow and combustion characteristics for racers and hi-performance enthusiasts. And in the case of Coleman Taylor, their specialty was upgrading transmissions and torque converters for use in the race and street rodding world.

It was from these initial companies that many other businesses would find their origin. For instance, Coleman Taylor provided the foundation on which Torque Converters Incorporated (TCI) was founded. And RHS provided the basis from which Competition Cams (COMP) was formed. Other companies sprang up in the area as well, including Lunati Cams and Cam Dynamics.

Of the original core of Mid-South-based companies, Competition Cams quickly assumed the position as a leader in valve train innovation and production. And, as the company grew, several acquisitions and mergers lead to what is known today as the COMP Performance Group (CPG).

CPG serves as a hub for the group of companies that are the symbolic and the literal nucleus of the high-performance industry in the Mid-South. It is the home to several high-performance companies that produce a wide range of products and services to the industry. In addition to COMP Cams, CPG includes TCI, Fuel Air Spark Technology (FAST), ZEX, Inglese, Powerhouse Products, GoParts, V-Thunder and Quarter Master.

CPG is not the only company in the area that’s part of the high-performance industry. In fact, there are a number of other companies located in the Mid-South that provide additional strength to the notion that this region is the new industry Motown. For instance, Eagle Rods and Cranks, and Hypertech are two other well-known industry-leading companies that call Memphis home. There are also high-performance companies of note within shouting range of Memphis, such as J&J Chassis and Performance Distributors. And, just across the Mississippi River, in Arkansas, there are several more companies that can be considered part of the new Motown Hub. They are Street and Performance in Mena, AR; Brodix Cylinder Heads in Mena, AR; Larry Shaw Racecars in Batesville, AR; and Street and Performance Electronics in Little Rock, AR.

An additional offshoot of the “hub effect” was the development of two race series that were originally founded in Memphis. They are the National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) and the National Street Rod Association (NSRA). Both series have become household words for many drag racing, street rod and muscle car enthusiasts and competitors.

On the surface, the idea that the Mid-South in general and Memphis in particular have evolved into the center for high-performance aftermarket engineering and manufacturing may be hard to accept as true. That’s because for many, Memphis is best known as the home of Elvis Presley, Federal Express, the Blues and some of the best-barbecued ribs in the country. But when you look at all the high-performance aftermarket companies that have made their home there, it’s clear that that Memphis and the region really have become the center of the high-performance industry.

With the changing winds of American business, there is no assurance that Memphis and the region will remain the high-performance Motown; but for the foreseeable future, it will likely continue to be the place for all things high-performance. So, when you are searching for a high-performance company that has everything you’re looking for, perhaps you should look to Memphis and the Mid-South region.

Author: David Miller

Take a look at some of the other companies represented in Tennessee:

Nashville: RTM Productions

TV production company that creates content for the high performance audience

Nashville: P&E

High performance parts distributor

Knoxville: Masters Entertainment

TV production company with high-performance TV content

Chattanooga: Coker Tire

Specialty tire production company for vintage and drag race markets

Johnson City: Borla Performance

High performance exhaust systems

Kingsport: Nickels Performance

High performance parts distributor