OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (WLOX) — When classic cars start pulling in, it does wonders for businesses — especially for those in the car industry.
15 years ago, Cruisin’ the Coast launched Tony Giametta’s business. It’s still thriving.
“Here’s the thing among all car owners: they always like to have something that’s one-off from everybody else,” said Giametta.
Giametta’s “one-off from everybody else” is his specialty headlights. He first made a set of them for a vintage Mustang he and his son built together. When he took the car to a Cruisin’ the Coast event, his life changed.
“These guys came around my car saying, ‘Where’d you get that headlight?’ They said, ‘No, you didn’t. Where’d you get it?’ I said, ‘I did make it.’ He said, ‘Okay, if you made it, then make me a pair.’ Then I started making a few pairs for people.”
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In 2011, Giametta saw an opportunity.
“My brother says, ‘Why don’t we make a bunch and take them to Cruisin’?’ Then we made them and took them to Cruisin’, and we made $3,500. My brother said, ‘We might be onto something here.’”
What was a hobby turned into a business now called Red Line Lum Tronix. 15 years after his headlights were first discovered at Cruisin’, Giametta has manufactured thousands of them out of his Ocean Springs facility. He has sold and shipped halo headlights to every state and even around the world. His approach is old-fashioned, built for vintage vehicle owners looking for something different.
“I think people see other people’s cars and go, ‘Where’d you get that headlight?’”
Giametta holds a patent for his unique headlight design. Some of the lights do something you don’t expect: change colors.
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“You can’t go down the road with any other color than white or amber, but you can choose these other colors when it’s parked.”
On the 15th anniversary of launching Red Line Lum Tronix, Giametta is thinking about the legacy his headlights will leave.
“What if my kids or grandkids are going through Ancestry one day and they find out that I invented the halo headlight for vintage cars? Wouldn’t that be kind of cool?”
Classic cars are Giametta’s passion, and during Cruisin’ the Coast, that same love is on display everywhere you look.
“A new generation will come along and will inherit those cars, and I still believe some of that legacy is still going to be out there.”
To check out Giametta’s headlights, visit haloheadlights.co.
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