Since the Legends column began alternating between famous hot rodders and famous hot rods, we have showcased the ZZ Top Eliminator Coupe and Norm Grabowski’s “Kookie” T, both lifted to prominence by the mainstream media. Thus, they were feted not only by car guys but
Credit Barry Lobeck as the father of hot rodding’s Ohio Look. What is the Ohio Look? Boiled down to its essentials, it’s an age-old recipe which includes an aggressive rake, bigs and littles, solid body colors, and a healthy motor. Sounds easy, right? Easy or not,
She's a drag racing pioneer, a winner, a champion, and her name is Shirley. Shirley Muldowney, right? No, try again. Shirley, ah…ah…ah… Geez, I don't know? Shirley who? Don't feel bad if the name Shirley Shahan doesn't leap to mind, for Shahan's gender-bending quarter-mile heroics came
Hot rods are the cornerstone of our hobby, yet the term is still one of the most actively debated titles around. Ask any dozen gearheads to define a hot rod you’ll likely get twelve different answers – maybe more. For most of us, we know
It makes sense that one of hot rodding’s most wacky, larger-than-life personalities would concoct one of hot rodding’s most iconic, larger-than-life cars. That’s right, we’re talking about Norm Grabowski’s ground-breaking, silver-screen-friendly roadster, the Kookie T. From the parking lot of Bob’s Big Boy to the boulevard
For the past quarter century, Marc Gewertz has had the enviable opportunity to stand on the starting line (and in the pits, and at the top end) at drag races nationwide as a photographer for the National Hot Rod Association. It has been a perfect
Promoting any kind of drag races in the 1980s and ’90s without names like Big Daddy, the Snake, Raymond Beadle, Shirley, and John Force was an exercise in futility. Undeterred, Goodguys founder Gary Meadors battled that dilemma for a half decade doing vintage drags, often
After World War II, hot rods and customs developed on parallel yet different tracks. Innovators like George Barris and Gene Winfield massaged metal in unique and shapely ways, creating stunning pieces of rolling art. At the same time, racers like Ed Iskenderian and Alex Xydias
When Gary Meadors launched Goodguys, he was very deliberate about calling it a Rod & Custom Association. The inclusion of customs and ’50s vehicles differentiated Goodguys in the early years and brought variety to those early events that was seldom seen at other national hot
There are plenty of famous hot rods – the Niekamp roadster, the Pierson coupe, the Buttera tall T. We could go on and on. But few hot rods have reached across the pages of automotive buff books into the imagination of the general public. One
