In essays by the most respected journalists in hot rodding today, the history of hot rodding unfolds in all its gritty glory. Featured throughout are rare photographs drawn from the archives of the American Hot Rod Foundation. Authors such as Robert Genat, Greg Sharp, Ken Gross, and Pat Ganahl take up topics critical to the development of hot rodding from the 1920s to the early 60s, including connections between hot rodding and the U.S. military during World War II, the birth of the belly tank, circle-track racing, quarter-mile drag racing, and the East Coasts often overlooked influence on the sport.
Established to help preserve and promote the history of hot rodding, The American Hot Rod Foundation has amassed more than 20,000 photographs and thousands of hours of videotaped interviews with those pioneers of the lakes and drag strips who broke the records and through sheer ingenuity transformed discarded car bodies, flatheads, and four-bangers into something phenomenal.
In this anthology, the first book to draw on the AHRF’s vast archives, some of the most respected names in hot rod journalism explore the achievements and daring exploits of the sport’s founding figures in all their gritty glory. Robert Genat discusses the connections between World War II and hot rods; Pat Ganahl delves into the birth of the belly tank and its lasting importance; Greg Sharp, curator of the NHRA Wally Parks Motorsports Museum, explores how hot rodding spurred the development of roundy-round racing, while Gingerelli explains how quarter-mile drag racing grew out of the prewar dry lakes meets; Ken Gross, automotive journalist and former Petersen Museum curator, traces the development of enthusiast publishing and car shows; former Hot Rod and Motor Trend editor A. B. Shuman chronicles the East Coast’s often underappreciated influence; and Hop Up publisher Mark Morton, brings it all back home, explaining why the early days will always be critical to hot rodding.
These authoritative essays are accompanied by a wealth of rare photography sourced from the AHRF and private collections, and spanning the 1920s to the 1960s. Hot Rod Roots also features a foreword by So-Cal Speed Shop founder Alex Xydias, a man who helped define the speed equipment industry and whose aesthetic sensibilities are still evident on salt flats and streets today.
DETAILS:
- Produced by The American Hot Rod Foundation.
- Edited by Dain Gingerelli.
- Forward by Alex Xydias.
PAGES: 176 pages.
SIZE: 242mm x 283mm x 20mm.
WEIGHT: 1.17kg.
PRICE: AU$59, includes postage (AUSTRALIA ONLY).
Available since: 18th December, 2007.
