Forty years after beginning his extraordinary career as a helmet painter and graphic designer Troy Lee is still enjoying the art of making things look even cooler.

WORDS: STEVE MATTHES
PHOTOS: SIMON CUDBY

It all started with Mitch Payton’s Porsche 911 sportscar. You see, Payton had befriended a fast Southern California racer named Troy Lee and supported him through his Husqvarna aftermarket dealership in Anaheim. Lee had a talent for pin-striping and painting and wanted to take the leap from working at another shop named Bill’s Pipes to starting up his own thing. Payton was restoring a Porsche 911 and needed it painted, inside and out. With the money that came from that gig Troy Lee Designs was born.