Ken Block, The Man Behind The Wheel

How Ken Block made his name in the automotive world

By now, you’ve heard the news about the late and great Ken Block having tragically passed away in a snowmobile accident on January 2, 2023. The man was a legend within the car community, especially amongst racing advocates. He started Hoonigan, a team that would go on to create one of the most iconic multimedia empires in the car industry. But most importantly he seem to be a good father and family man.

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We all know the rally car driver side of Ken Block, but until 2005, he was better known as being a shoe tycoon and maverick action sports marketing guru. His experience branding DC Shoes came in handy and he was even able to use his expertise in the world of action sports branding to build the imagery around Hoonigan. Then, there is the incredible video series that introduced most of us to Mr. Block. It’s funny to think about how so many custom made performance cars by Hoonigan were inspired by one 1965 Mustang, named the Hoonicorn.

Over the years, the Hoonicorn can be spotted in many videos carving up the streets of Los Angeles doing burnouts in dry lake bed, and showing off its all-wheel-drive capabilities while still managing to lose traction with perfect ease. That car made vehicles like the Hoonitruck possible and there was even a second version of the same Mustang. Overall, it was an incredibly special build that gave way to some of Hoonigan and Ken Blocks most interesting work within the animal field.

Of all the different videos and projects ever undertaken by Block, there is one that stands out the most. Being the father he was, a video showed him teaching his now 16 year old daughter, who was 14 at the time, how to drift in a white Foxbody Mustang made just for her. Watching the pair whip around the track as the aspiring driver followed in her fathers footsteps summed up Ken’s Internet personality perfectly. It’s hard to say exactly who he was in his personal life unless you were close to him but from what fans saw, he was an awesome Race Car driver, fashion maverick, and father with a passion for all things fun.