Many know Chip Foose for his widely successful TV series “Overhaulin’”, while others know him for his automotive customization firm Foose Design. Whatever the reason you know Chip, it’s for sure that you’ve been awed by his top-notch ability to turn cars into real pieces of art, while keeping their engine power at its highest point.
That said, many expect Chip to maintain a quite luxurious and over-the-top lifestyle for a man as talented and recognized for his work, but is it true in his case, or has he adopted a less jaw-dropping manner of living?
Keep with us to learn more about Chip’s finances, business, real estate, and his rarely seen personal car collection!
Net Worth
Chip Foose’s net worth as of early 2025 is estimated at $18.5 million, the result of his decades-long career as an automotive customizer and designer, which has him leading his business Foose Design, and also being the host of MotorTrend’s “Overhaulin’” for ten seasons, and so also landing him many sponsorships These days, Chip also owns Foose Design Wheels, and an apparel brand adjacent to his main business.
Even if the word luxurious isn’t one to describe the images that Chip shows from his work garage, there’s no denying that he makes great money from his creations. As he once confessed in an interview with Petrolicious, he’s often commissioned for projects by high-profile clients, though he refrained from revealing names due to the confidentiality that some of these request.
Real Estate
Although Chip doesn’t shy away from showing his business headquarters through his social media or the show, not much has been seen of his lifestyle beyond his profession. When it comes to his real estate, in 2017 he and his now ex-wife Lynne showed elements of their California home when they landed a sponsorship from the science-leaning manufacturer 3M. In the campaign, the couple’s house looked gorgeous and ample, with them admitting that their property and belongings had a high degree of ‘detail and careful craftsmanship’, though not much was revealed about the house’s value.
Following the couple’s split and divorce in 2020, Chip was reportedly in the process of buying another California property. It was during his home hunting that he met his current girlfriend, who owned one of the houses he was eyeing at the time, but he apparently never purchased the property. It’s unclear where Chip is living now, or if his family property in California was ever sold, but it wouldn’t be far-fetched to think that he might own some real estate that he just keeps away from the public eye.
Car Collection
Though Chip Foose doesn’t keep his fans updated about everything in his garage, the “What’s in Chip’s Garage?” exhibition held at the Savoy Automobile Museum in Atlanta in early 2024, let everyone confirm that he has quite gorgeous, enviable collection.
All of the cars exhibited were a sight to behold. These include a 1932 Ford Model 18 Deluxe Roadster and another 18 5-Window Coupe from the same year. He also owns a 1934 Ford 3-Window Coupe, and a 1948 Ford Deluxe Custom.
Chip also owns a Ford Club Sedan and a Ford F-100 Pickup Custom, both from 1956. However, his collection isn’t limited to classic cars, as confirmed by his 1967 Chevrolet C-100 Truck and 1968 330 Ferrari GTC. The famous Hemisfear that Chip created during his time at the California-based Center College of Design was also exhibited there.
While the “What’s in Chip’s Garage?” exhibition included less than 15 cars, others in Chip’s private collection weren’t exhibited. One is the 1956 Ford Pickup which formerly belonged to his father Sam Foose, and which Chip now stores at his Foose Design headquarters in Huntington Beach.
Foose Design
The basis of Chip Foose’s success and fortune is his business Foose Design. The company was founded in 1998, after he’d spent the first half of the 1990s working on independent projects and automotive design departments at Ford, Volkswagen, Stehrenberger Clenet, and Boyd Coddington. After the latter company fell into bankruptcy, Chip took the reins of his career with only $700 in savings, but with the conviction that he could go somewhere.
Marcus Luttrell's '67 #fastback we built in season 9. #VeteransDay #Mustang #Overhaulin #FOOSE pic.twitter.com/Y3iRbjvwcD
— Chip Foose (@chipfoose) November 12, 2016
As Chip affirmed in an interview with Petrolicious, his company’s first project was designing speakers for a company on a royalty basis. Despite his then-jobless status and the increasing uncertainty about his family’s future, that project working independently got Chip his first $100,000 check. From then on, it didn’t take long for Foose Design to make a name for itself in the automotive industry, and capture media people’s attention, landing Foose his first job as a consultant on the fictional TV show “Titus” in 2000. Two years later, Foose had his first reality TV gig in “Rides” and was also offered a place in “Monster Garage” which he declined.
After sorting out the quality of the work he wanted out of a TV show, Discovery producers invited him to host “Overhaulin’”, ensuring Chip and his business rise to international fame.
Partnerships
Besides making it big through “Overhaulin’”, over the years Chip has also landed juicy sponsorships with several brands. While many such as American Muscle, 3M, MagnaFlow, and Lincoln Electric are related to Foose Design’s automotive mission, other companies have created important design partnerships with Chip too.
One of those is Disney, for which Chip has created illustrations used in merchandise and promotions. He was also involved in the art conceptualization of the 2006 animated movie “Cars”. On top of that, Chip has also worked alongside the die-cast manufacturer 2M Machines to create over 10 collectable pieces born from his original designs.
Another collectable figure manufacturer partnered with Chip is Revelle, with which he has launched several plastic kits designed from his real-life creations. Last but not least, Chip has worked with the apparel company Oakley for sunglass and shoe lines inspired by hot rods.
Although all of these partnerships helped Foose Design to become a household name for automotive design, he’s also had his fair share of negativity, when a partnership with the fabrication company Unique Performance was ruined after the latter got itself into a scamming scandal in 2007. According to Chip, the bad business led to a legal battle to protect Foose Design’s reputation which had him spending all his “Overhaulin’” money on it.
All in all, Chip Foose’s career has brought him positive and negative moments, but the great ones by far overshadow anything else in his successful career.
