DIAMOND BAR, CA (2.6.26) – The automotive performance world mourns the loss of a titan. Ed “Isky” Iskenderian, the legendary engine builder known globally as “The Camfather” and the first President (a role equivalent to today’s Chairman) of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), has passed away at the age of 104.
Iskenderian was the last surviving founding member of the group that established SEMA in 1963. At its inception, SEMA was an all-volunteer organization; Iskenderian and his fellow founders took on the task of organizing the industry in addition to running their own burgeoning businesses. This selfless dedication transformed a hobby into a professional, $52 billion global industry.
Mike Spagnola, President and CEO of SEMA and PRI, issued the following statement:
“Today, the automotive world lost its North Star. Ed Iskenderian was not just a founder of SEMA; he was the soul of it. As our first President, he turned a hobby into an industry. He and the original founders were volunteers who recognized — at the height of their own careers — that our industry needed a unified voice to survive and grow.
“Long before there were data logs and computer modeling, there was Ed — a man with a slide rule, a cigar, and an uncanny ability to find power where others found limits. While we mourn the loss of ‘The Camfather,’ we celebrate a century of a life lived at full throttle. We are all driving in the tracks he laid down as a volunteer leader over 60 years ago.”
Under Iskenderian’s early leadership, SEMA was founded to provide a unified voice for manufacturers during a time of rapid growth and increasing regulatory scrutiny. His ability to unite competitors for the greater good of the industry remains the cornerstone of the Association’s mission today.
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