“Hot Rod Magazine: 75 Years” book review

For some reason, my grade school library had a subscription to “Hot Rod” magazine. My suspicion has always been that it was one of the few magazine subscriptions for boys my age that was acceptable to have in the school library. Nevertheless, I spent a lot of time in that library paging through those magazines and looking at the rad cars. Back then, all I knew about hot rods was that they were the cars in the ZZ Top music videos. But it was the beginning of my early fascination with classic, antique, and hot rod automobiles.

And I’m not the only one. In fact, some of today’s mechanics first had their automotive interests piqued by paging through “Hod Rod” magazine in their salad days. For example, Michael Gotzon, owner and CEO at Reasonable Auto Services LLC (an automotive repair shop), says it played a part in getting him interested in working on cars. “Everyone makes fun of me for spelling “kool” with a “k,” when in reality it’s because of Kustom Kar Kulture. Before going into the production end of the business, all I ever wanted to do was build Kustom old school hot rods. I always had an interest in mechanics and going fast. Growing older, reading the magazine, seeing what could be done, and starting to appreciate the artistic side of it, I always wanted to open an old school hot rod shop.” Ultimately, though, Michael realized that small custom shops often struggle to make money, “so I went down the production side, but I became a painter and would do as much Kustom stuff as I could, a lot of times using the magazine for ideas or references.”

Before the internet, “Hot Rod” had “Hot Rod Mart” classifieds in the back of the magazine advertising everything from parts to full cars available to buy from other readers. If you were inspired to try your hand at building a rod, you had an invitation right there at the back of magazine to make an attempt at it. What’s more, trying to soup up an old car for performance may even prepare one to become a better repair tech down the line. Modding an older car, trying to figure out how to boost its speed, while removing anything unnecessary from it, certainly helps mechanics understand what all those parts do and how they work together.

Despite the long, slow death of print media, “Hot Rod” magazine somehow continues to survive. It scaled back from a monthly magazine to a quarterly magazine in 2024, but it’s still kicking. In 2023 it celebrated its 75th anniversary, and Quarto published a book celebrating the anniversary, “Hot Rod Magazine: 75 Years.”

As the book describes, “Hot Rod” started in 1948 as a magazine “that was launched to capture advertising around the Southern California Timing Association’s first Hot Rod Exposition in Los Angeles.” It was founded by Robert E. Petersen and Robert Lindsay, with Petersen soon buying out Lindsay and eventually founding Petersen Publishing Company. Each chapter of the book covers a different decade of the magazine’s existence, beginning with “The 1940s: Where It All Began” and ending with “The 2020s: Where It’s Going,” featuring magazine covers and photos from the magazine that represent every decade.

The book is a captivating journey through the decades of automotive innovation and culture. Author Drew Hardin, a former Editor and Editorial Director of the magazine, expertly curates a visual feast of iconic cars, groundbreaking builds, and the passionate individuals who have shaped the hot rod scene. The book isn’t strictly a coffee table book, nor a text-heavy history of the magazine. Instead, it’s somewhere in between, offering some beautiful photos as well as a solid history of the publication.

The book is a treasure trove for car enthusiasts, offering a nostalgic trip down memory lane. From the early days of backyard tinkering to the high-stakes world of drag racing, each era is meticulously documented with stunning photography and insightful commentary.

However, the book’s true strength lies in its ability to capture the spirit of the hot rod culture. It’s not just about the cars; it’s about the camaraderie, the DIY ethos, and the endless pursuit of speed and style. Hardin skillfully weaves together the stories of ordinary enthusiasts and professional builders, highlighting the shared passion that unites them.

Divided by decades as the book is, you can see the changing trends in hot rodding over the years, from racing stripped down Model Ts and Studebakers in the Mojave Desert, through the boom of the 1950s and 1960s, the challenges of tightening emissions restrictions and the oil embargo in the 1970s, and the ongoing fascination with hot rodding that continues today. In addition, the book covers many of “Hot Rod’s” other endeavors, including magazine spinoffs (“Hot Rod Deluxe,” “Hot Rod Junior,” etc.), Hot Rod Magazine TV, and the events they held, including Championship Drags and Power Festivals.

“Hot Rod Magazine: 75 Years” is a must-have for any car enthusiast’s library. It’s a tribute to American inventiveness, evidence of the hot rod’s timeless appeal, and a reminder of the power of human creativity. Here’s to hoping that “Hot Rod” magazine rides on for another 75 years of inspiring future hot rodders, amateur mechanics, and repair techs.