SONHC is pleased to introduce Ecklers , a national replacement and performance parts supplier as our latest Partnering Professionals addition. Eckler's traces its origins back to 1961 when founder Ralph Eckler fabricated a one-piece hood for a crash-damaged 1960 Chevrolet Corvette in his father's Moline, Illinois, gas station, and subsequently opened a one-man body shop in nearby Rock Island. At that time, he had no way of knowing that his fiberglass molding efforts would be the start of a business empire.
Throughout the 1960s, the company built a notable reputation by offering high-quality, hand-crafted fiberglass body panels for the repair and customization of Corvettes.
The customization craze of the mid-'70s added more customers and more requests, prompting Eckler's Corvette to produce everything from fender flares and spoilers to full body kits (in Can-Am wide-body and shooting brake configurations). Later, he negotiated a deal with GM allowing Eckler's to reproduce discontinued parts for Corvettes that were necessary for the restoration and preservation of the cars.
In 1972, the company published its first catalog and distributed it to approximately 2,000 Corvette enthusiasts.
We're excited that Ecklers is now part of our Partnering Professionals program for 2024