Features
Hot Rods History
They look weird, create an infernal amount of noise and are quite simply a cultural icon. Hot Rods are an important part of the American automobile scene – their drivers are über-cool daredevils surrounded by scantily-clad girls wearing little more than a slash of red lipstick. Everywhere, the radical roadsters are becoming more and more popular, captivating car fans all over the country.
However the unusual motors still cause ignorant bystanders to shake their heads in confusion. Their gaze travels in amazement over the strangely lowered roof, the crazy paintwork and remains fixated on the often free standing, enormous V8 engine that is responsible for all that noise. The question “What the hell is that?” is left unspoken on their lips. Admittedly, unlike other famous US cars such as the Cadillac Eldorado or the Ford Mustang, the Hot Rod does not win fans immediately.
In fact it is not so easy to precisely define what a Hot Rod is. It all starts with the name – nobody actually knows what Hot Rod really means. Some say that Rod is an abbreviation for Roadster; however it is also possible that the name comes from the term “connection rod”. Finally “rod” is also a slang term for the word “pistol”. Maybe Hot Rods are so called because they are as dangerous as the weapon? Nobody can say with absolute certainty. It is also impossible to find a description that fits all Hot Rod cars as the Hot Rod world is a colourful blend, full of different varieties and styles. However, a Hot Rod is always a classic car, not older than 1949, that has been modified according to the desires of the owner. Corresponding replicas also count. Preserving the original state of the car so that it is still deemed a classic car is not important – what counts are the unique modifications and souped-up motor performance. The original motor is often discarded in favour of a giant, American V8 engine which is often topped off with a compressor.
These eccentric vehicles originate from the first cars of the 1920s. Even then American boy racers were charging around the country in their modified automobiles. Everything that made a racing car heavier was removed – wings, bonnet, bumpers, who needs all that anyway? Long roof braces also fell victim to the first ever “pimp my ride” craze. They were basically sawn off and the entire roof was lowered considerably turning the formerly large windscreen and side windows into tiny arrow slits of glass. Popular cars amongst Hot Rodders were Ford models from 1929–1934. The birth of the Ford-V8 in 1932 was a highlight for the Hot Rod community.
Of course in those days money was scarce for many of those young men; therefore Hot Rods were often used as everyday vehicles. The weekend was the time for racing and this was when the Hot Rods and their eight cylinders could really show what they could do. Watched by their adoring girlfriends the Hot Rodders chased each other through the streets and made it clear who was the champion. A day of rest on a Sunday was out of the question for the police. A handsome sum of money was often up for grabs for the winner of these forbidden races; after all this was an expensive hobby. However it wasn’t all illegal. As early as the 1930s official acceleration and high speed races took place on dried up lake beds but of course legality was not something for the bad boys of the Hot Rod racing world.
After the Second World War, the returning GIs created a boom for the Hot Rod industry. The war heroes from overseas had money and were looking for action. At the end of the 1950s and the beginning of the 60s the show effect of Hot Rods started to became more important than their racing abilities. More and more new Hot Rods were losing status with regards to personal modifications. With the arrival of the “Muscle Car”, Hot Rods were even more out of fashion until the 1970s when the craze hit an all time low.
However films such as American Graffiti from 1973 reawakened the passion for Hot Rodders. Nowadays Hot Rods as we know them are back in full force. The drivers – whatever their age – are still seen as über-cool daredevils who are resurrecting the old days and paying tribute to Rock ‘n’ Roll, the American way of life and their crazy cars. Hot Rods are as fascinating today as they were back then. With their mixture of nostalgic charm, modern technology and creative design these powerful racers are still on course for success.
So what could be better than showing of these old V8 giants of yesteryear at modern drag races?! After all, the massively popular sport of drag racing has its roots in the forbidden Hot Rod traffic light races of days gone by. The aim is to be the fastest to cover a distance of either an eighth or a quarter of a mile – just 201 or 402 metres. It’s all about reaction time, courage and blind trust in the unrestrained power of the souped-up V8 engine. The races are usually started with traffic lights but of course it is much more exciting when the mean-looking drivers start on the command given by a scantily-clad young lady who jumps around waving a black and white checked flag or who drops a cloth to the ground. As soon as it hits the asphalt they are off. What happens then is probably the reason why the drag racing virus has become so virulent – the drivers abruptly release the clutch, floor the accelerator and, accompanied by the unfiltered roar of the souped-up V8 engines, head for the horizon. The coolest cars reach the quarter mile finish line in less than ten seconds while genuine drag racing cars, featuring more than 1000 HP, are of course significantly faster.