The Builders, Racers and rebels Who Revolutionized Hot Rodding by Tony Thacker
A Blacktop Book Review by Tony Colombini
I have known Tony Thacker for many years. Since his days at the NHRA Museum. I would run into him at the usual big events like the Grand National Roadster Show, or at shops like So Cal Speed Shop. His subtle British accent sets him apart in the crowd at places like the Mooneyes X-Mas Party Show and Drags. Always with a fascination of cars, he has since retired a bit from directing museums, and marketing top traditional shops. His wit and depth of knowledge is incomparable. So when I heard of his new book, I had to get a copy and anxious to share it here. Oh! and of course. With a name like Tony, you know he’s cool too.
I like books like this. In this time of shortened attention spans, books like this that dedicate 2, 4 and maybe 6 pages to one person is fun to read. You don’t have to commit to a whole afternoon to get some reading.
Until you pick it up, that is.
Each vignette of one free-thinking and tinkering genius leads you right into the next. And yes, it is hard to put down. But you can pick it back up again and not feel like you have to re-read a chapter. It doesn’t hurt either to actually grab a chapter in the middle to learn about a chosen character. Such as, in the middle of Chapter 3 HeyDay there is 6 pages about the Chrismans, The First Family of Hot Rodders is full of family stories of the two brothers Art and Lloyd and their uncle Jack growing up in Sulphur Springs, Arkansas until the great depression moved them to Compton, California, in South LA the virtual hot bed of hot rodding. As Tony writes, Lloyd got the bug first and was a member of the Saints Car Club after a WWII stint in the Army Air Corps. Art was challenged by his date to make a pass at the Santa Ana Drags in 1950 and from then on they went to build a horsepower empire.
This book has all kinds of stories like that. Timing, Luck, Hard Work, Friends, Family and more Hard Work. These guys, mostly from the Greatest Generation were just farm boys that knew how to fix, build and modify things. All kinds of things. From tractors to buggy wheels. They were visionaries who liked to go faster, go farther and go better. They were the beginning. The big bang into a multi-trillion dollar industry that the U.S. alone makes up nearly a third.
The book features 5 chapters:
- The Pioneers, without whom there would be no hot rods.
- Postwar Boom, the dry lakes and the founding of an industry.
- HEYDAY, the rise of drag racing and kustom kulture.
- Hot Rods Go Mainstream, speed and style.
- Modern Rodding, everything old is new again.
So, yes. A big YES for this book. From early hot rodders to 60’s era kustomizers and modern builders this book covers the timeline of Hot Rod History! Not only a great read but looks wonderful too. As a professional Graphic Designer, I have to give credit to designer, Cindy Samargia Laun who did a great job with bold graphics, appropriate typography and respectful use of vintage photography.
Get your copy from Motorbooks or online here.
