One of the most stunning cars to hit the McCormick Center showroom this weekend isn’t made in some off-site factory and it's definitely not a Hybrid.
The Blackhawks custom Camaro is all muscle.
“This thing is a beast,” said Jhan Dolphin, vice president of RealWheels. “When we were asked to create a Blackhawks Camaro, the idea was just too cool to say no.”
The vehicle magicians at RealWheels, a Gurnee company, created the attraction for this year’s Auto Show in just a matter of weeks.
But it wasn’t easy to pull off. RealWheels isn’t a custom shop. They’re a parts manufacturer, so when they make a custom car, they truly customize it.
For the Blackhawks Camaro, for instance, the shop machined the solid billet doorsill with the Blackhawks insignia inscribed in it, and they sewed the leather seats and made the custom tailpipe. The one-of-a-kind parts give RealWheels a distinct advantage when making show-piece rides.
It also takes them a while, which is why they don’t do too many of them.
“We got into the custom business more as a way to market our company, but we have a lot of fun when we do one,” Dolphin said.
Maybe they've been having too much fun, lately, because for a shop that only rarely does a custom job, they're well represented at this year's car extravaganza.
They already had two other cars slated for display at the auto show before the Blackhawks job came in: The “Cheap Trick: Dream Police” Chevy Avalanche and the “Maui Jim” cool shades Camaro.
But they finished and the results are stunning. What’s more, they’re giving it away.
Visitors to this years auto show can register for a chance to win the one-of-a-kind hockey-themed ride, which features a variety of custom enhancements and upgrades.
“The winner of this car will truly have something that can’t be purchased by anyone else,” Dolphin said.
