How Neil Tjin’s Tjin Edition Roadshow Built Enduring Partnerships with UTI, Ford, and Shell Pennzoil

Imagine turning a passion for cars into a thriving business while collaborating with a dedicated team. Neil Tjin achieved exactly that with the Tjin Edition Roadshow.

Though it started as a modest passion project, the Roadshow has grown into a respected enterprise, built on strong partnerships that prioritize customer engagement.

To understand the journey, let’s rewind a few steps.

Neil began tinkering with cars in high school, becoming the first student at his school to outfit his vehicle with 17‑inch TSW wheels and a state‑of‑the‑art sound system—an ambitious project he completed after two years of dedication.

Tjin Gets Fast and Furious

After graduating in 1996, Neil built a 3.2‑liter Acura TL that caught the eye of Super Street Magazine and Craig Lieberman, famed for his role in Fast & Furious.

Together with his wife Mei and brother Gene, Neil founded All‑Star, a club that crafted high‑performance cars and toured the East Coast.

"Partners started taking notice of the five or six Asian kids building cars," Neil says.

Between 1996 and 2003, the team produced 30 to 40 show‑stopping builds.

Neil’s early career saw him launch Star Performance with Gene, before taking on the role of marketing director at Toucan Industries, an established aftermarket parts manufacturer.

Accelerating Tjin’s Career

In 2003, Hot, Compact, Import (HCI) hired Neil as editor, prompting his relocation from Oxnard, California, to the West Coast to helm the publication.

"This is when all the doors opened for me," Neil says. His career snowballed from the exposure (and some hard work, of course).

A collaboration with Turtle Wax evolved into the Tjin Edition Roadshow, which has been thriving for over a decade.

Today, Neil’s look is marked with thick‑framed Clark Kent glasses. He’s often accompanied by his wife of 17 years—yes, they met in high school—and his two kids, Colin (9) and Kylie (7).

The car thing is a family affair.

Partnering with Universal Technical Institute

In 2010, Neil’s team built a Chevrolet Camaro that outshone 1,500 other GM vehicles to earn "Best in Show" for General Motors at SEMA, the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association event in Las Vegas.

That victory caught the attention of Mark Harston and Terry Emig from Universal Technical Institute (UTI), who invited Neil to the Los Angeles Auto Show.

"I pitched an off‑the‑wall idea," Neil laughs. He asked if he could build a sweepstakes car for UTI, something they hadn’t really done before.

UTI’s response was encouraging: "If you can get a car, you can do it." What seemed like a pipe dream turned into reality thanks to Neil’s track record of partnership and quality craftsmanship.

Partnering with Ford Motor Company and Pennzoil

A partnership with Ford yielded a Fiesta that became Neil’s inaugural UTI build. In 2011, the Tjin Edition Roadshow joined forces with UTI, taking the car to over 30 events that year to inspire UTI students. Today, the two organizations have completed seven builds together.

In 2015, Terry Emig brought Shell Pennzoil into the fold, and the trio (Shell Pennzoil, Tjin Edition and UTI) built a 2015 Mustang GT.

"We never use the word ‘sponsor.’ We have always used the term ‘partner,’" Neil says. "For us, it’s more about the relationship and long‑term growth of the partnership." He adds that the point is to work together to accomplish a common goal with both parties’ best interests at heart. The Roadshow has about 40 various partnerships.

Neil says this venture was always about more than just the business. Terry, Mark and Neil were family. "We didn’t just talk cars. We talked about family and the future and God." Neil says they both kept up with his family and kids.

Custom Builds Through the Years

Neil gets nostalgic as he talks about some of his favorite builds over the years. Here are some of them:

In 1997, Neil’s team built a Nissan 240SX featuring Japan’s inaugural BOMEX body kit, Advan Model‑5 wheels, Advan tires, a carbon‑fiber chassis, and an SR20DET engine. The car later became a flagship showpiece for Turtle Wax’s "Get Waxed" tour and was awarded at SEMA 2005.

In the late 1990s, he built a Nissan Skyline R34 sedan, the only legal Skyline sedan in the United States. The car featured an RB26DET motor, URAS wide‑body kit, a custom roll cage by Unique Fabrication and One‑Lug wheels.

Then there was the green Camaro that won Best in Show at SEMA. It had a fully built motor, 757hp thanks to a Vortech supercharger, customer 24‑inch iForged wheels, Baer Brakes, and Air Lift suspension. It also had a custom paint job by Axalta.

In 2013, the team built an F‑150 for Ford for the SEMA show. It was lowered with an Air Lift suspension (Neil says the team at Unique Fabrication put in over 300 hours on just the suspension). The exterior was converted with all Ford Raptor parts, Rotiform 24‑inch wheels, Baer Brakes and a custom interior by Katzkin. This build put Tjin Edition on the map in the truck community because it was the first truck designed by the Tjin Edition crew.

Last year, Neil and his team built a Ford Focus RS for UTI and Shell Pennzoil. It was the last car Neil and his team got to do with Terry, who passed away in May 2018. Terry’s legacy, passion for cars, and devotion to UTI live on.