THE AMAZING HISTORY OF HOT RODS!

 

This is the most unusual issue of HOT ROD you've ever seen, as it only has one story outside of the monthly editorial departments, and we've pushed aside several of those to save as many pages as possible for this singular tale. It's the story of hot rodding itself. It's far from the complete story, we admit, but is a remarkable living history as told by 144 surviving cars featured in HOT ROD magazine from 1948 through the '90s. These special cars and about 130 newer ones gathered at the HOT ROD Homecoming in March 2013 at the Fairplex in Pomona, California, to celebrate the 65th anniversary of HRM. It was the world's largest collection of historic feature vehicles, and many were not the hero cars that have been vaunted over the past half-dozen decades—instead, the show was thick with small-town rides, hot rods that haven't been in public in many years, cars that have been used regularly, some that had been freshly restored, and others that were barn finds or survivors.

The genius was in the remarkable mix that had attendees proclaiming the Homecoming to be the best show they'd ever attended. The not-genius of it is that, as we disclaimed, some facets of rodding history went unrepresented at the Homecoming, leaving blank chapters in this issue's chronicle. Filling the voids, we've authored a few timelines as a primer for the new generation and a refresher for the graybeards. It's all one story, but with multiple characters, plotlines, sidebars, and tangents. It's the basics of hot rodding history as you've never seen it.

HOT ROD thanks presenting sponsor Chevrolet Performance and co-sponsor Edelbrock (celebrating 75 years in 2013) for helping make it happen.

This 1932 Ford roadster was not featured in HOT ROD until the 65th anniversary edition (January 2013), but we lead with it here because it's among the earliest hot roadsters still in existence and one of the most important. Vic Edelbrock, Sr. founded his speed-equipment company in 1938 and used this car as a daily driver and testbed for the development of his merchandise. This included the famed Edelbrock Slingshot intake manifold for flathead Ford V8s. Vic would keep the fenders on the car for the street and then remove them for dry-lakes racing. The high stance, using stock suspension, is a signature of prewar rods; guys learned later that lower cars went faster. After Vic sold the car to Eddie Bosio in 1947 for $1,500, it was totally revamped into a show car that won the America's Most Beautiful Roadster aware in 1956. It remained in that trim until a decade ago when Vic Edelbrock, Jr. bought the car and had it restored to dry-lakes trim by Roy Brizio.