We Get a Look Inside SEMA's Secret Garage in California: Video

SEMA is a home base for the aftermarket, not just to show off new products, but to certify it for the road. We find out how it happens.

Photo by: Motor1.com

Brian Silvestro

By: Brian Silvestro

Jun 21, 2025 at 10:00am ET

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When you think SEMA, you think about the glitz and glamor of Las Vegas in November, where the organization hosts its yearly industry show for the aftermarket sector. While the show is important, it's only a small part of the SEMA operation.

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) is an organizing body that represents over 7,000 member companies, spanning all areas of the OEM and aftermarket parts industry, from wheel makers and parts suppliers to real-deal car manufacturers, and everything in between.

In addition to running the annual industry show, SEMA also offers market research, networking, and "legislative advocacy" for its members. The organization recently lobbied to help end California's 2035 EV mandate, for example.

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SEMA also offers emissions testing services for products developed by its members. This type of testing is prohibitively expensive to obtain externally; SEMA runs its two facilities—located in California and Detroit—at a loss so the aftermarket sector has a fighting chance at survival.

In our latest video, West Coast editor Chris Rosales gets an inside look at what goes on at the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, California, to see exactly what goes on there day-to-day. He gets a tour from none other than President and CEO Mike Spagnola, where we get to see the shop where SEMA's specialty builds are created. We also get a peek at the multi-million-dollar emissions testing rooms, as well as a look at Spagnola's tastefully modified Nissan Z.