Blackie Green was “the man to know” from 1950 on if you needed any specialty mechanical work for your hot rod or custom car. Many enthusiasts took their vehicles to Blackie to have exhaust systems built, manifolds split, cars lowered and any type of welding done. He worked out of a backyard gar-age, then the Texaco Service station at Victoria and Kingsway.

Blackie joined the British Columbia Custom Car Association (BCCCA) in 1952, and several mem-bers relied on Blackie for modifications to their cars. He assisted Ron Hackett in building a unique hot rod: Ron’s much modified 1927 T roadster with a GMC 292 ci engine that set a drag race record speed at Abbotsford.

Blackie moved Green’s Automotive business into a large shop in east Vancouver in the late 1950’s. Here he specialized in stamping louvers into the hoods of cars which was a

BLACKIE GREEN - Inducted 2001

Pioneer - Hot rod and Custom Car

By Larry Braine, 2004

The #22 Super Modified at Langley From left: Blackie’s son Ron, Blackie, driver Mel Keen  (Green family collection)

Blackie Green

popular custom touch at the time. Blackie also started building oval racing cars for sprint car and super-modified racing and the Canadian American Modified Racing Association

(CAMRA) series. One of these cars was driven by well known local racing champion Mel Keen.

Another unique accomplishment by Blackie was building the first automatic car wash in Vancouver. He designed and built all of the working parts and operated it in his garage in Marpole.

Blackie’s son, Bob, started work-ing in the business part-time when he was 12. After completing his schooling he joined his father in the business.

In the late sixties, Green’s Automotive shifted its focus to special-izing in the repair and widening of veh-icle wheels. Blackie moved the business to Richmond.

Blackie passed away in 1981. Bob has carried the business on with his wife Elaine and children Jamie and Brad. Green’s is a thriving enterprise.