1. In the Beginning Part 1 - Pre-War, Street and Dry Lakes Racing

The introduction of the Ford Model T in 1908 and the seminal 1932 Ford V-8.

2. In the Beginning Part 2 - Post War Racing and So-Cal Speed Shop

Post war, young men applied their new mechanical skills toward making their home... More

3. The Appleseeds

As more and more people got into hot rods, entrepreneur Robert E Petersen launch... More

4. Quarter Mile to Glory

Drag racing became an easy way for people who weren't from Southern California t... More

5. To 400 MPH and Beyond

Led by Wally Parks, hot rodders began to trek to the salt flats of northwest Uta... More

6. Arsenal of Speed

The speed equipment industry started as an amateur pursuit, but is now a billion... More

7. Making the Scene

The emphasis on the look of the car gave rise to the cruising culture of the 1950s.

8. Through a Windshield Darkly

Hot rodding technological and cultural innovations like Tommy Ivo's four-engine ... More

9. A Link to the Past

Patron Bruce Meyer revived interest in old cars by hiring Pete Chapouris to rest... More

10. Barn-Find Belly Tank

The So-Cal Speed Shop closed in 1961, but reopened in the 90s with the revival o... More

11. Art with a New Frame

As hot rod enthusiasts grew older and more affluent, they began to ask for comfo... More

12. The Next Wave

Younger builders who revere the culture's past are looking to make their own mar... More

13. Ou Allons Nous

Nostalgia drag racing shows that hot rodding remains powerfully evocative.