Car O'Clock

My Guilty Secret – Hot Rods

Pssst, it’s not just me

It’s not something I’m willing to admit to some of my petrolhead pals – I love hot rods. I suspect the attitude to hot rods in the USA is completely different from the typical car nut in Australia and Europe, who can be a bit toffee-nosed about the hot rod genre. I think that hot rod appreciation is definitely on the rise though and there’s an increasingly large following for them in nations as diverse as Japan, Sweden and, of course, in Australia and New Zealand.

Even in the USA, hot rods were once perceived as a bit ‘working-class.’ That is until the hoity-toity Pebble Beach Concours’ D’Elegance crowd decided they had become historically significant and invited them to be displayed alongside the more usual Bugattis, Ferrari’s and other multi-million dollar classics.

Where do great hot rods come from?

Nowadays, amazing hot rods are still home-built in sheds, although there seems to be a whole new industry of specialists who will custom-build your dream hot rod in return for a few hundred thousand greenbacks. There’s no such thing as a typical hot rod, as ever there’s a wide appreciation of ingenious ideas and craftsmanship that can be seen on a basic ‘rat rod‘ or a six-figure beauty-queen built to win prestigious trophies.

Not two hot rods are alike

And, for me, that’s where the real beauty of the hot rod lies – they are all unique, Each and every hot rod is the product of someone’s imagination. The devil is in the detail, whether it’s the sight of a restored ‘Flathead’ Ford motor equipped with rare hop-up parts from the fifties, or a proportionally perfect machine built last week, hot rods are really rolling automotive sculpture. The fact that you can drive them too is just a bonus.

Personally, I don’t really have any specific favourites although, after observing them for many years, I tend to lean towards traditional-style hot rods, either preserved original’s or later build’s using old parts. The images featured here range from hot-rodded Ford’s from 1927 through to 1934 and they all have their own unique appeal.

Rich or poor, there’s a hot rod for everyone

Hot rod enthusiasts are a pretty wide-ranging lot, from legendary guitarist, Eric Clapton, to Lord March (of Goodwood fame). And, as might be expected, many wealthy enthusiasts the world over have exquisite hot rods sitting alongside their rare Ferraris and Porsches. Not that you have to be rich to own a hot rod; if you’re handy with the spanners you can still build one at home, and you’ll see many such examples at every hot rod gathering.

I don’t own a hot rod, but I’ve spent many a wistful hour dreaming up what parts and style ‘my’ car would be. What kind of hot rod would you choose? If you’ve never looked closely at the hot rod culture before, be warned, it’s easy to find yourself become thoroughly addicted.