Henry George Bechtloff was an amazing innovator during the infancy of the aftermarket parts business. He grew up in Southern California in 1950s and the new craze was all about hot rods and race cars. Bechtloff was inspired by the scene and his interest in racing and speed ignited his passion. He first raced on the streets and then at such places as the Lions Drag Strip in Long Beach, California, and Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, California, the home of the March Meet.

Bechtloff and one of his friends built a shop at a local gas station where the two tuned and built engines. In 1957, Bechtloff went to work for the CrankShaft Company near downtown Los Angeles. The Petersen Publishing building, where Hot Rod, Car Craft and other magazines were created, was a 25-minute drive down the road. Because of the proximity, the magazine’s writers were constantly watching and writing about Bechtloff’s engines and tech advancements. One of the most popular stories surrounded modification of the new V8 265 Chevrolet engine. Bechtloff bored and stroked that engine out to 327 cu./in. long before Chevrolet had a their own 327. That exposure plus a growing clientele allowed Bechtloff opened his own company, in 1971, which was appropriately named Hank The Crank Inc. Bechtloff was on his way.

Bechtloff, who had recently turned 76, passed away Sunday, January 3, 2016.

Credit: SEMA News; Edits: Cam Benty