Washington, DC (June 10, 2015) – Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Rep. Gene Green (D-TX) have introduced bipartisan legislation that would enable low volume car manufacturers to produce turn-key replica vehicles. Supported by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), the “Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act of 2015″ (H.R. 2675) would allow companies to construct up to 500 such cars a year subject to federal regulatory oversight.

The U.S. has one system for regulating automobiles that was established in the 1960s and designed for companies mass-producing millions of vehicles. H.R. 2675 creates a separate regulatory framework for small businesses producing modest numbers of cars. This program will create skilled-labor jobs in the auto industry and help meet consumer demand for these classics of the past,” said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting. ”

H.R. 2675 directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a separate regulatory structure to facilitate the production of replica cars. Manufacturers would be required to register with NHTSA and EPA and submit annual reports on the vehicles they produce. The vehicles would meet current model year emissions standards and manufacturers would be permitted to install clean engines from other EPA-certified vehicles to help achieve that requirement.

My question and I think the bill accomplishes this is: Does this mean that replica manufactures such as Factory Five Racing and Kirkham Motorsports can now produce complete cars and not just kits or rolling  chassis?

SEMA will be working with Congressional leaders to promote this important bill. For more information on H.R. 2675, please contact Stuart Gosswein or Eric Snyder at 202.783.6007 or stuartg@sema.org, erics@sema.org.

With the 2012 SEMA show in my rear view mirrors I thought I would share some of my favorite images from previous shows.

Automobiles come in many different sizes, colors, and shapes making them ideal photographic subjects and on almost any weekend day, you’ll find a car show in your area. Museums, indoor shows, and private collections are available whatever the weather but produce their own set of unique challenges for making photographs.

How I Made this shot: Jay Leno’s jet powered Cadillac (above) was photographed at the SEMA auto show in Las Vegas. Shot with a Canon EOS 5D with an available light exposure of 1/160 sec at f/8.0 and

ISO 800.

The Kirkham Motorsports 427 KMS/SC ( at right) is different than most Cobra replicas because its body is made from hand-formed aluminum instead of fiberglass. It was displayed here at one of the anniversaries of the Shelby Cobra with no paint, just its polished aluminum skin and if you look close enough you’ll see that a racing stripe has been etched into the metal—all of which only made getting the exposure a little trickier than normal.

I shot the image of the Kirkham Motorsports roadster using a Canon EOS 50D bracketing in one-third stop increments. The best shot (at least the one you see here) was made at 1/50 sec at f/6.3 and ISO 800, which was one-third stop less than a “normal” exposure.

If you enjoyed today’s blog post and would like to treat Joe to a cup of Earl Grey tea ($2.50), click here.

Along with photographer Barry Staver, Joe is co-author of Better Available Light Digital Photograph that’s available from Amazon for $21.50 with used copies starting around six bucks. For some reason, the Kindle price can be really high, not Barry or me.

A total of 39 vehicle models have been named as SEMA Award contenders. While the actual SEMA Award winners will be selected by exhibitors based on the vehicles that exhibitors choose to display in their booths at the SEMA Show, the contenders are vehicle models that are most likely to have a significant presence at the 2011 SEMA Show. Contenders were determined based on several key factors, including support from the automakers, interest from the media and enthusiasts and SEMA-member program participation.

Owners of any of the contender vehicles are invited to submit a 60–90-second video showcasing the vehicle and explaining why their registered, street-legal vehicle deserves to be on display at the SEMA Show. Winning videos will include a walk around pointing out and describing the type, brand and benefits of products installed.

Select vehicle featured in the videos will receive a featured vehicle spot at the 2011 SEMA Show, along with two credentials to attend the event, two-nights hotel accommodations and allowance for food and gas. Vehicles will be selected by October 1, 2011. Complete details are available at www.sema.org/semaaward.