Who is David Freiburger? Meet the face behind Roadkill and his passion for cars
David Freiburger's passion for reviving rusty vintage and classic cars has made him one of America's top antique car restorers. He is also known for co-hosting the web series RoadKill, with Mike Finnegan. David enjoys restoring cars and selling them at a good value.
Source: Instagram
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- David Freiburger's profile summary
- Who is David Freiburger?
- How old is David Freiburger?
- Educational background
- Career history
- Has David Freiburger's Roadkill Garage been cancelled?
- What is David Freiburger's net worth?
- What is David Freiburger's salary?
- Where does David Freiburger live?
- Who is David Freiburger's wife?
- Who are David Freiburger's kids?
- What is David Freiburger's height?
- FAQs
Key takeaways
- David Freiburger hosted the car restoration show Roadkill Garage on Motor Trend.
- For over 50 years, Freiburger has been restoring stalled vintage cars to a functional state, using them for a while, and then selling them at a good value.
- His car ownership spans over 170, most of which have been restored.
- The vast collection in his garage is mostly the F-Bomb Camaro, Mopars, 942 Ford GPW Green, Dodge, Jeep, Pontiac, Chevrolet, Plymouth, and other classic cars dating back to the 1950s.
- He prefers to keep his marital and family life private.
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David Freiburger's profile summary
| Full name | David Freiburger |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of birth | August 21, 1968 |
| Zodiac sign | Leo |
| Age | 56 years (as of 2025) |
| Place of birth | USA |
| Residence | El Segundo, California, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Eye color | Hazel |
| Hair color | White |
| Height | 5'9" (174 cm) |
| Father | Jim Freiburger |
| Marital status | Married |
| Alma mater | California State University, Los Angeles, USA |
| Qualification | Automotive Production and Technology degree |
| Profession | Television show host, entrepreneur, and former magazine editor |
| Net worth | $1 million - $5 million |
| Salary | $110,000 (approximately) |
| @DavidFreiburger | |
| @davidfreiburger |
Who is David Freiburger?
David Freiburger became famous for hosting the Roadkill Garage show on MotorTrend alongside Mike Finnegan.
The American TV show host is also a YouTuber, entrepreneur, and former magazine editor. He is known for being the Chief Editor of Hot Rod magazine.
How old is David Freiburger?
David Freiburger's age is 56 as of 2025. The former Chief Editor of Hot Rod magazine was born on August 21, 1968, in the United States.
Source: Original
Educational background
According to his LinkedIn profile, Freiburger attended California State University, Los Angeles, between 1985 and 1987. He studied Automotive Production and Technology.
Career history
David Freiburger's father, Jim, influenced him growing up and sparked his love for restoring vintage cars. His passion for muscle cars started in his early teens when he owned a 1970 Super Bee before getting a driver's license.
As a result, he became a spare parts seller at a Dodge dealership in 1985, immediately after graduating high school. Freiburger worked there for two years, then landed the role of a machine shop assistant at Glendale Machine and Balance.
He served the position for five months and went to Jacobs Electronics in 1988, where he worked as a sales and marketing manager for three years. David encountered a big break into the print industry when he submitted a freelance piece to an off-roading magazine.
He later joined the Hot Rod network in 1991. He moved up to the editor's position in 2001 and later became Chief Editor.
Source: UGC
Freiburger was also a returning special guest on the Hot Rod Garage automobile show and co-hosted the 3K Hooptie Challenge.
What happened to David Freiburger?
In 2018, Freiburger announced his departure from Hot Rod magazine but only left for good after celebrating his 30th anniversary at the magazine in February 2022.
According to his X (Twitter) profile, other magazines he worked with as an editor are Hot Rod Deluxe, Car Craft, Rod & Custom, and 4-Wheel & Off-Road.
What does David Freiburger do for a living?
Freiburger hosted the Roadkill, Roadkill Garage, and Engine Masters series for Motor Trend, but the show was cancelled in November 2024.
Aside from car shows, he sells restored vintage and classic cars and created the Hot Rod Drag Week competition to market and manage automotive events.
David Freiburger's shop and the car restoration videos he shares on his YouTube channel have significantly contributed to his wealth. He sells hoodies, T-shirts, caps, and other types of merchandise in his online shop.
Has David Freiburger's Roadkill Garage been cancelled?
Yes, Roadkill Garage was cancelled by Motor Trend on 18 November 2024. David Freiburger and Mike Finnegan were hosts of the show.
Inception of Roadkill Garage
Speaking on YouTube while addressing the show's cancellation, Freiburger told the story of the inception of Roadkill Garage. He said that at the time YouTube was looking for content to compete with cable TV.
YouTube invited Motor Trend to have David Freiburger and Mike Finnegan create content for the platform. David and Mike were restoring cars for Hot Rod network at the time.
Source: Facebook
David says he was surprised Motor Trend wanted them to create Hot Rod content for them since Motor Trend meant new cars. He was also doubtful about creating the videos for YouTube.
He said,
At the time I thought this was nuts. I was like nobody watches anything more than 2 minutes on YouTube. I still thought it was cat videos and all of a sudden we were gonna make 44 minutes videos? I thought it was crazy.
David shared that Angus MacKenzie, the Motor Trend editor-in-chief was the one who nudged them into creating YouTube videos. David and Mike went on to create the biggest automotive show on YouTube.
Roadkill was eventually taken off YouTube and put on Motor Trend cable TV. David Freiburger stated that he had no part in removing the show on YouTube despite speculations. He said that he saw their audience change from teenagers to adult men after the show moved to cable.
He clarified that although there were concerns that the show became overproduced, the show was never scripted.
It was never scripted ever. Granted there was more people involved in the layers of it as we went. And the production value increased as we went.
Source: UGC
What next after Roadkill?
David says that it is not the end of Roadkill. He says that YouTube is the next step for both he and Finnegan and the rest of the Roadkill crew. David and Mike Finnegan had complete creative control of the show but were not the owners.
Mike Finnegan commented on David Freiburger's YouTube video saying,
This is not the end. This is see ya later. We got this, dude.
Fans are looking forward to more entertainment from the two hosts.
What is David Freiburger's net worth?
David Freiburger, who hosts Roadkill, is said to have a net worth range of $1 million to $5 million. He has accumulated wealth from his earnings and salaries from hosting car shows, doing magazine editorial work.
His wealth also comes from sharing car restoration content on his YouTube channel and selling restored vintage and classic cars.
What is David Freiburger's salary?
He earned around $110,000 annually, alongside other benefits, when he was the Chief Editor of the Hot Rod magazine.
Where does David Freiburger live?
The former Roadkill host resides in El Segundo, California, USA.
Who is David Freiburger's wife?
People know David Freiburger is married, but he has not publicly shared much about her. His friend used to call his wife "Petersen bride" because they met at the office when Freiburger was still working at the Hot Rod magazine.
Who are David Freiburger's kids?
He reportedly has children with his wife but they have not shared details about them. David keeps his family away from public scrutiny.
What is David Freiburger's height?
The Roadkill host is 5'9" (174 cm) tall.
Source: UGC
FAQs
- How old is David Freiburger from Roadkill? He is turning 56 years old in 2025. He was born on August 21, 1968.
- How much is David Freiburger worth? He is worth $1-5 million. He earned his income from being a magazine editor and hosting the show Roadkill Garage.
- What do the guys from Roadkill do for a living? David Freiburger and Mike Finnegan are TV personalities and automotive journalists. They worked for Motor Trend Group.
- How much money does David Freiburger make a year? He reportedly made over $110,000 as the Hot Rod editor.
- What happened to Roadkill Garage? Roadkill Garage was cancelled by Motor Trend on 18 November 2024.
Car enthusiast David Freiburger is invested in transforming old classic cars to make them look better and compete at high speeds. Having worked on over 170 vehicles proves he is highly knowledgeable in what he does.
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