Lanzini Body Works was established in 1993 by Mitch and Tara Lanzini, an adventure fueled by a shared obsession with all things automotive.

Mitch showed signs of his auto future in early childhood while growing up in Whittier, California. Like most young boys, Mitch discovered the world of Matchbox and Hot Wheels toy cars. But unlike his friends who played with their cars until they practically fell apart, Mitch was usually found painstakingly cleaning and buffing his collection and displaying it on every open space he could find. By his teen years, Mitch graduated to bigger toys by hanging out and learning from other friends who worked at various auto shops around town. By 14, Mitch bought a repossessed basket case of a Yamaha 80cc which he rebuilt and had back on the road within three weeks, promptly earning him (the son of LA County Sheriff's Sergeant, Lee Lanzini) his first ticket - for driving without a license. Mitch then bought a Yamaha Mini-Enduro bike that he quickly turned into a custom flames creation that was so popular, it was stolen from his locked garage within six months. After various other custom projects along the way, he then embarked on converting his brand new stock Datsun pick-up truck into a customized "walk-through" that was so beautiful, it made the cover (his first) of Mini-Truck magazine in 1982. Mitch also picked up the guitar during these years, beginning a similar, life-long passion with music. When he wasn't found working on cars in various garages around town, he was usually found banging on guitars in various clubs throughout Hollywood. Mitch also found his way into the business world, working various jobs until he eventually found his way into a small skate wheel manufacturing company called “Hyper”, founded by a hyperactive, 7 time world record speed skating champion.  Within five years though, Mitch's tireless work ethic and creativity helped turn the small 14 person operation into a globally recognized corporation with over 200 employees and $100 million in sales.  But no matter what Mitch did, whether it was work on a project at the office, a song on his guitar, or a car in his garage, he earned his well deserved reputation as a guy who could, did, and loved to do it all.

Tara's auto interests began in childhood as well, but on the opposite side of the country - in Orlando, Florida. Known then as Tara Turner, daughter of Marsha Best and Dane Turner, owners of a semi-pro football team and die-hard sports and racing enthusiasts, Tara spent much of her early years either at the Daytona Speedway  or Tangerine Bowl , hanging with her family and the likes of Steve Spurrier and Richard Petty. By the time she was a teenager, Tara's own love of sports and racing often found her in the water either on a boat or a board, or cruising and racing up and down the famous Florida coastline in anything she and her friends could find, which helped earn her a few tickets of her own. Tara also developed a great love of writing and photography during these years and got her first works published in Sassy magazine at the age of 19. After leaving Florida (and her college years at LSU) behind, Tara then started traveling around the U.S, stopping for awhile in Boston, MA where she landed her first dream job as a writer and editor for The Exceptional Parent magazine. After several other stops and starts along the way, she eventually found her way to southern California and into another dream job at the Subaru Technical Center where she emersed herself in the company's racing and engineering programs. Two years to the day after arriving in California, she met Mitch and after several more years in their respective careers, they decided to create their own dream jobs through the creation of their company, Lanzini Body Works.

 

Today, Mitch and Tara continue to cultivate their mutual passion for all things automotive in every aspect of their company and their lives.  Lanzini Body Works has worked with everyone from Jimmie Johnson to Christopher Titus, been featured on all five seasons of the television show Overhaulin', been published in numerous magazines and books, and has even seen some of Mitch's paint work turned into collectible toys cars by Hot Wheels and Jada Toys, something Mitch, still a passionate collector, is most proud of.  And as a testament to how life so often comes full circle, the skate wheel company that Mitch worked at so long ago, now revamped and renamed, now also makes one of the most popular skate wheel lines in the world - the Lanzini Rocket.

 

Like all good things, the Lanzini's just keep on cruising.......