LeRoi “Tex” Smith was one of hot rodding’s most influential and iconoclastic figures. He joined NHRA’s Safety Safari and the Hot Rod magaine staff in 1953, helped launch Rod Action and Street Rodder, and co-created the Street Rod Nationals with Tom Medley and Rod &
The Goodguys West Coast Nationals in Pleasanton, California has long been considered the “Crown Jewel” on the Goodguys national event calendar, so it seems appropriate that one of Goodguys’ exclusive Top 12 awards should be determined and bestowed at this storied event. As the oldest
It’s almost spring. When we all get vaccinated, road trips are going to happen soon. When doing Dave Schaub’s Miles for Smiles article a few months back I mentioned other famous road trips that litter the historic landscape of hot rodding. There was Andy Brizio’s
The cauldron of car-guy creativity that bubbled throughout Southern California post World War II spit out more legendary racers, hot rodders, and customizers than you can shake an acetylene torch at. And this Legends column has had the privilege of showcasing many of them. [caption id="attachment_71345"
In the 1970s, California was a breeding ground for standout hot rods, ground fertilized by a convergence of factors, most notably the popularity of the Street Rod Nationals, a resurgent Rod & Custom magazine, and an explosion of aftermarket parts suppliers. Out of
In the 1990s, three late model vehicles from Chrysler Corporation gave Hot Rodders worldwide a jolt of high-octane energy. While Mustangs and Camaros, as well as the turbo Buick Grand Nationals and the like, offered performance enthusiasts familiar platforms, Chrysler broke through the clutter with
The Goodguys Top 12 awards program came from singular, humble beginnings. During the first three years of national events for the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association, the biggies in terms of awards were basically confined to the West Coast Nationals in Pleasanton. The most coveted
Longtime hot rodders and fans of smart automotive journalism were saddened by the recent passing of Spencer "Spence" Murray, at age 93. Murray spent more than six decades as an influential writer for a host of hot-rod related magazines, including serving as the first editor
The Goodguys / March Performance Street Rod d’Elegance award celebrates the refined and elegant side of street rodding, those carefully crafted and coach-built rods that are more about style and grace than all-out performance. The award’s origins actually date back nearly 30 years, when the
Editor’s Note: No matter how you look at it, 2020 was a year that nobody expected, nor wished for. Event postponements, cancellations, social distancing, and more had old car enthusiasts out of sorts. Our scene revolves around gathering at events and showing off with others.
