You may remember Sue, the witty and entertaining Upholstery Queen, from Gas Monkey Garage fame in the Fast N' Loud reality TV series starring Richard Rawlings. Sue was Rawlings go-to for any high-end upholstery work for his builds in the early seasons of the show, right from 2012, but was curiously absent from later seasons.
She wasn't an employee of the Gas Monkey Garage though, and that could explain why Rawlings chose to take his business elsewhere. Though as we now know, Rawlings could be hard to work around, with several of the original cast and crew leaving the show citing differences of opinion. Till date, neither Rawlings nor the Upholstery Queen has opened up about the real reason Sue left the Fast N' Loud show, which was cancelled in 2020.
Yu-Lan Haiso Martin, or Sue as she's popularly known, got her start in the trade by reupholstering her husband's 1968 Ford Gran Torino in the garage. Later, a friend and her started a little business that grew into ASM Auto Upholstery, now an exclusive upholsterer in Dallas, Texas that only takes clients by appointment! So if you're wondering where Sue from Fast N' Loud is now, that's exactly what she's doing - what she's best at.
UPDATED NOVEMBER 2022: Article updated with the latest developments from Upholstery Queen Sue Martin on her life after the Gas Monkey Garage, and the Fast N' Loud series.
Sue Was The Upholstery Queen On Fast N' Loud
The ensemble of characters on Discovery Channel's Fast N' Loud is a little out of the ordinary. The incredible car modifications at Gas Monkey Garage are occasionally overshadowed by the eccentric group that includes owners Richard Rawlings and Aaron Kaufman, as well as the numerous Monkeys they employ, many of whom have impressive beards. Yu-Lan Haiso Martin, nicknamed Sue, was one of the show's most engaging characters.
Viewers certainly noticed her absence, which some fan sites attribute to Sue being upset Rawlings only came to her with rush-builds. On the other hand, some say Sue's upholstery work wasn't as cutting edge as it needed to be to feature on the show. That said, a Gas Monkey Garage episode was always fantastic when Sue was involved. Who else could get away with calling Rawlings "an a** monkey" have him laugh it off?
While we don't know for sure why it ended, this is how it all came together. According to Sue, "Richard observed our work and chose to utilize us as he passed our business on his way to his shop down the street. Since then, we've maintained a commercial connection". In the years after they initially met, Richard and Sue's professional partnership evolved into a genuine friendship, regardless of how they met.
Every week, viewers tuned in to enjoy her razor-sharp wit and unrelenting satire of co-stars Richard and Aaron from Gas Monkey Garage. She has a magnetic personality, but it's not the only reason people keep coming back for more. When consumers bring Sue their "junk" interiors, she always manages to give them a new lease of life.
After Leaving Fast N' Loud Sue Is Doing Well With Her Own Business
However, Sue's success cannot be credited just to a television program. The converse is true. She's worked hard to get where she is now. When Sue came to America from Taiwan 23 years ago, she decided to open her firm, ASM Auto Upholstery. Since then, she has worked tirelessly to create an excellent reputation for quality and reliability, sometimes even sleeping in her garage.
Her perseverance has obviously paid off big time. Today, she still runs a busy vehicle upholstery company in Dallas, TX, which employs nine people. She's also been featured on a popular reality TV program about the automotive restoration industry, and is well regarded by her colleagues and other car enthusiasts. "Sue is an instance of the genuine American dream," says her website.
Success Story of Sue After Her Fast N' Loud Days
She worked nonstop for an extended period, often 24 hours a day for three or four days. All these years later, she purchased the whole 8,800-square-foot complex, which is where ASM now resides.
Despite Richard and his Gas Monkeys' lack of assignments, a simple look at ASM Auto Upholstery's social media pages reveals that Sue's company hasn't slowed down. According to the ASM Auto Upholstery website, Sue and her team receive restoration shipments from all over the nation, so they're certainly busy.
ASM is the leading upholstery company in the D/FW Metroplex because of its reputation for high-quality work. As a company owner, Sue isn't the kind to point the blame at her employees as some others do. Sue intends to work side-by-side with her staff at the store.
When it's hot in Texas, you'll see Sue fixing a back seat or removing seat coverings. Sue and her colleagues get restoration shipments from across the United States, so they're pretty busy. Business is doing well even though we miss Sue on Fast N' Loud (and her wonderful sense of humor).
Sources: Fast N' Loud, ASM Auto Upholstery Via Instagram