Synopsis
This anthology of hot rod writings and excerpts chronicles the joys of hot rodding, the historical circumstances of its creation, and the major events, people, cars, and builders who brought hot rods to the national stage. From popular writers of the era to those covering today’s cutting edge innovators, this collection explores various themes within hot rodding through news articles, essays, fiction, interviews, and more, with more than 60 color and black-and-white illustrations and photographs to illuminate each excerpt and story. Writers include Gray Baskerville, Ed Roth, Wally Parks, Dean Batchelor, Robert E. Petersen, Tom Wolfe, LeRoi "Tex" Smith, and many more.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Authors
Peter Schletty has been an editor in the Twin Cities area since 2002, formerly at Motorbooks and currently at Hazelden Publishing. He lives in St. Paul, MN.
Melinda Keefe is a former Motorbooks editor who has contributed to various titles, covering subjects from hot rodding to muscle cars to motorsports. In addition to Hot Rod Reader she edited the automotive anthology Life Is a Highway.
From the Back Cover
Since the beginning, man has tinkered with machine. From the caveman who chiseled a better wheel to the modern drag-strip engineer, creativity and invention have driven hot rodders to build cars that are more original, more beautiful, and quicker than ever before. Motivated by both craftsmanship and performance, hot rodders have encouraged us to push the limits of both mechanical objects and social acceptance, and in the process, they have redefined the driving experience.
Stories in The Hot Rod Reader reflect the passion that drives all hot rodders. You ll find inspiration from the words of great writers and rodders throughout the history of the hobby, including:
Tom Wolfe
Henry Gregor Felsen
Ed Roth
Dean Moon
Jay Leno
Robt. Williams
Robert E. Petersen
Gray Baskerville
Barney Navarro
Dean Batchelor
Wally Parks
Spencer Murray
Jim "Jake" Jacobs
Bob Hirohata
Mike LaVella
Peter Vincent
From the Inside Flap
What does building a hot rod mean to you? A skilled builder alone in his garage till the early hours of the morning working with old parts and hard-earned mechanical know-how to create a faster, sleeker, and more impressive machine? A young racer at the local drags tweaking his car to shave seconds off his quarter-mile time? The pleasure and freedom of a fast car and an open road?
Hot rods represent these things and more to those with that instinctive and gut-level drive to translate originality and resourcefulness into improved performance. The view through a chopped windshield as you speed through the traps at Bonneville; the beautiful excess of hundreds of louvers and pinstriped panels; the begging for, borrowing of, and bargaining for equipment to fuel your passion all of these make the difference between driving some family hauler and driving a cool, customized hot rod that, through your persistence and creativity, reflects who you are.
The stories in The Hot Rod Reader echo the passion of the hot rodder. You ll enjoy flying down a dry lakes course with Dean Batchelor, crossing the country in a hot AMBR winner with Gray Baskerville, building a Frankenstein machine of sorts with Jay Leno, and designing a surreal paint job with Ed Roth and Von Dutch. You ll also learn about the history of hot rodding, fueled by the rebellion, innovation, and freedom of great hot rodders like Wally Parks, Robert E. Petersen, and Dean Moon.
Hot rods, by their very nature, run against the establishment, and these stories highlight the unique qualities of the inventors, racers, and show-winners from both past and present who have made hot rodding the art that it is today.
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The Hot Rod Reader
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The Hot Rod Reader
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Motorbooks, 2011
ISBN 10: 0760339686
ISBN 13: 9780760339688
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