Most people see engines as machines. Ed Pink saw them as something alive — fire-breathing beasts just waiting to be unleashed.
Known as “The Old Master,” Pink didn’t just build engines. He crafted legends that roared down racetracks, shattered records, and left crowds in awe. He lived life one revolution at a time — right up until his final years.
Pink passed away at age 96 after 60 years of building engines.
A Lifetime Spent Chasing Speed
Ed Pink wasn’t born into speed. He built it for himself.
Growing up in postwar Los Angeles, he was just another kid pushing a broom at a hot rod shop. But it didn’t take long before he was tearing up the dry lake beds, racing alongside the pioneers of California’s car culture.
After serving in Korea, Pink came back ready to chase his real dream. He opened his own shop, started building dragsters, and soon created engines for others too. His slogan said it best: “Think Pink.”
And racers across the country did exactly that.
From Dusty Tracks to Global Fame
Pink’s engines weren’t just fast — they were flawless.
He tuned 426 Hemis and Ford V8s so precisely, they became unstoppable on the drag strip. Names like Don Prudhomme and Don Garlits, legends in their own right, trusted Pink to give them the edge they needed to win.
In the ‘70s, his monster 2500-hp Chrysler engines ruled Funny Car racing. Later, Pink’s work stretched far beyond drag racing. NASCAR, IndyCar, Can-Am, even Porsche flat-sixes — if it had wheels and a race to win, Pink knew how to make it fly.
Even the luxury builders at Singer, famous for their high-end Porsche 911s, came knocking on his door decades later.
Building Until the Very End
Some builders slow down with age. Ed Pink just kept firing on all cylinders.
He officially “retired” in 2008. But the truth? He never really stopped. At 92, he was still assembling engines by hand, piecing together Ford’s legendary 427 “Cammer” V8s — the same engines he first mastered in the 1960s.
His motors traveled the world, powering dreams from Los Angeles to Australia. His name became a stamp of quality wherever engines roared.
Quiet Hands, Loud Machines
Pink wasn’t loud. He didn’t need to be.
Soft-spoken and humble, he let his work do the talking. And his work talked in the language of nitromethane, screaming V8s, and shattering records.
Next time you hear the deep thunder of a vintage dragster lighting up the strip, think of the man who made it possible.
Think Pink.
