The Paxton name has been synonymous with automotive performance for nearly five decades. The company produced the original production centrifugal supercharger and has made its mark in every decade as a leader in high performance applications. Paxton Automotive continues to build on that legacy with the highest quality supercharger systems available on the market today.

The legend of the Paxton superchargers dates back to the inventor Robert Paxton McCulloch. The original McCulloch supercharger began production in 1937 for flat head Ford engines. Over 5,000 units were sold in the late 30s. The early 1940’s shifted production to wartime endeavors and supercharger production was discontinued. The idea for new supercharger capable of quiet operation, low-end boost and self contained lubrication emerged in the late 1940s. In 1953, McCulloch released an all new supercharger to the public.

The new McCulloch supercharger utilized a planetary ball drive that offered a 4.4:1 step up ratio from the input shaft to the impeller. It was lubricated with a mechanical oil pump and a self contained reservoir of transmission fluid. The supercharger offered a maximum of 5 psi and significant bottom end power with the aid of a variable rate input pulley. The V-belt system allowed the pulley diameter to essentially change based on engine RPM and power needs. The McCulloch ball drive supercharger was used on a wide variety of vehicles at the time including the Kaiser Manhattan, the Packard Panther (five show cars built), the Studebaker Golden Hawk, the 1957 Packard Clipper (4,809 produced and rebadged as Studebakers) and the 1958 Packard Hawk (588 produced).

In 1956, McCulloch set up a special automotive division, Paxton Superchargers (his middle name), to handle the supercharger division. The same year the company changed the name of the ball drive supercharger to the VS-57 and developed a new variable rate supercharger called the VR-57. The new supercharger incorporated a variable rate internal planetary drive ratio that could alter the step up ratio from 3.5:1 to 5.5:1. The variable rate was achieved by a spring pack that would change the distance between the ball races based on RPM. The supercharger experienced a one-year victory in NASCAR causing officials to ban superchargers in the sport. The supercharger was most notably used as the F-option on the 1957 Ford Thunderbird (211 produced).

In 1958, Paxton Superchargers was sold to the Granatelli brothers. The design of the dated VS-57 was updated to a new model that could withstand higher RPM and increased boost. The SN-60 required fewer components and eliminated the variable rate components found in the VS-57 and VR-57.

In 1965, Carroll Shelby contracted with Ford to build a high performance version of the fastback Mustang, the GT-350. Paxton Superchargers worked in conjunction with Shelby to design a limited production run of supercharged GT-350s. The vehicles were produced in limited quantity from 1966 to 1969. The systems were also available as a dealer option for Mustangs from 1965 to 1972.

Smog regulation had an adverse affect on the performance industry in the 1970s. The demand for performance parts began to increase in the early 1980s with the introduction of the 5.0 Mustangs. Paxton Superchargers reintroduced the SN60 for the 5.0 Mustang offering 5-6 psi and was the first company to introduce a "50 state legal" supercharger system.

By 1986, EFI became the standard on virtually all new vehicles including the Ford Mustang. A centrifugal supercharger became significantly more popular than traditional roots blowers. Several centrifugal supercharger companies started emerging as consumers were screaming for more boost and more power. Paxton Superchargers responded with three revisions to the SN-60: the SN 89, the SN 92 and the SN 93.

In 1993, Paxton Superchargers began designs on its new gear driven supercharger. The NOVI-2000 supercharger was officially released as Paxton’s "race" supercharger in 1995. The supercharger featured helical cut gears for quiet operation, a 3.50:1 internal step up ratio and an advanced scroll and impeller design capable of supporting nearly 1,000 hp.

In January 1998, a group of private investors purchased Paxton Superchargers. The last four years of operation have focused predominately on new supercharger system development using the NOVI supercharger. Paxton has developed several new superchargers based on the NOVI gear case, including the NOVI-1000, the NOVI-2000 R, the NOVI-2000 RR, the NOVI-1000 RR and the NOVI-1200. Additionally, Paxton Automotive has developed nearly 25 new supercharger systems based on the NOVI platform.

Paxton Automotive currently has the widest variety of superchargers for Ford vehicles including the 2001 Mustang GT, the 2001 Mustang Cobra, the 2001 Bullitt Mustang, the V-10 Superduty/Excursion, the 5.4/4.6 liter Expedition/F-150 and the 32-valve Lincoln Navigator. Our trend continues with exciting new supercharger systems for vehicles like the Plymouth Prowler.