I can hear the muffled sounds of Mannix on the old boob tube downstairs in the den. Dad would occasionally yell up the stairs: “Be quiet up there and go to sleep!” My little brother and I have been “in bed” for an hour, supposed to be sleeping and my two older brothers are passing Hot Rod magazine back and forth. It was the March 1972 issue with an overwhelming fan response of the “Far-Out Vehicles” and the Boogie Van craze began.
Soon after both of my older brothers would go off into the military and when they were on leave the first thing we would do together is sit on the davenport and flip through car magazines.
Today I am asked to give you my take on the new book: HOT ROD Magazine: 75 Years
There is no denying the fact that Hot Rod Magazine was/is the preeminent automotive rag out there. The purely passionate gaggle of top-knotch editors and photographers captured the real live scene from daring racers to backyard builders. All other car mags out there cannot say they are not inspired by Hot Rod. Either they imitate or they dare to be different.
This is the perfect time for this book. It wasn’t that long ago that Hot Rod publisher TEN Publishing shut down 19 car magazines. Hot Rod, Motor Trend and Four Wheeler were the lone print magazine survivors. This tome is about the hey days of magazines. Before streaming video, before social media, before the internet. It is about the magic that was expressed of an incredible sub-culture to passionate readers all over the world. Guys in the mid-west learn what is happening in California and enthusiasts in the North East can see the scene in the South.
What I really dig about the HOT ROD Magazine: 75 Years. Is the way they broke it out by decades. I can dig deep into the historical figures of the 1940’s. Or when the mood hits, get groovy over the crazy cars and dragsters of the 1960’s.
If you have a garage library like I do, then this is a MUST HAVE on your shelf. A timeless tome that you will share with your brothers over pizza after installing that new intake. See more at: MotorBooks.
