Hot Rodding

An Advertising Feature

Hot rodding originated from America, as early as the 1920s. It is, in simple terms, the process of customising a vehicle to make it go faster, but it’s also much more than that. Classic hot rods are very popular nowadays to hire as transportation to and from weddings. People can easily compare car hire companies online and receive instant quotes for these altered, classic cars. However, the owners are generally just enthusiasts, looking to make a little bit of extra income – and of course bathe in the attention their handy work receives.

No one is quite sure where the actual term ‘hot rod’ heralds. There are a few speculations on the subject. It could be an abbreviation of the term ‘hot roadster’, or relate to the practice of replacing camshafts (rods) in these cars.

In 1908, Henry Ford revolutionised car manufacture by making available to the public the very first affordable automobile. This was achieved through assembly line production, instead of the previously preferred, hand crafting method. By 1927, fifteen million Ford Model T’s had been built in America – and it’s still one of the classic cars coveted by hot rodders for conversion.

Maybe it was because of the increasingly common sight of the Model T that young people began their modifications, an attempt to individualise their cars to stand out and above from the ordinary. This was a way of showing off their automotive status without having to fork out big bucks for expensive models.

Initially, these changes to the cars involved stripping them down to the bare essentials, removing fenders, sideboards and anything else in order to make it lighter and faster. Then better tyres were added, before heading to the dry lakes north of Los Angeles to test them at speed. As larger cars started becoming more popular and commonplace, so the modifications became more severe. Top-chops, engine changes and fender bending were all commonplace.

World War II put a temporary halt to the craze that was just beginning to get going in America – but only for the time being. After the war, however, young men armed with savings and the mechanical know-how gained through military service, returned to America and the community began to grow again. Organisations came together to monitor, regulate and try to dissolve the negative reputation that had grown around the scene.

Today, there are still a number of true dedicated hot rodders out there, and their love for what they do will continue. Customisations are more popular today, with the aesthetic appearance as important, if not more, than the mechanical. Some may argue the scene has changed for the worse, becoming too mainstream and money orientated. Organised drag racing is growing the world over, although it lacks the outlandish charm, which was so much of the appeal to the young hot rodders in the dried up lakes of America all those years ago.