History How Lust Built Hot Rod Magazine

Cool story!

 

Thanks for taking the leap man!

 

Hot Rods & Girls,...... A natural for any young man,...

I'm glad that Wally gave you the spark to continue,... A true visionary.

 

I heard that she was "Bad Bob"s mom.......but,that was merely a rumor.

 

A pile of work, this stuff Ryan deals with every day. Thanks for spreading the joy, sir!

 

Naaaaaa !,... Shes really hot and beautiful ! And Bad Bobs really,.... ah,... Well,.... you know !

 

I'm really glad you took the leap of faith! This place is great
Happy Valentines day to you and yours.

 

Man that's a cool story and it totally makes sense. I've always looked at that picture and wondered who she was myself. She's hot! and kind of tough lookin too with her striped shirt, jeans, and boots! I guess the old saying "*** sells" was true even back then!

 

I believe with that smile and pose she captured the at***ude of a developing segement of the population. Amazing how it still speaks to so many after so much time has p***ed.

Thanks for bringing that back up.... as soon as the page loaded and I saw that grin I think I fell in love all over again.

 

It only takes the right suggestion to "dial in" a person's thinking. If HOT ROD Magazine and The Jalopy Journal aren't proof of that then I don't know what is. All great ideas, like great journeys (journals?) start with the 1st step, and well, look at you now. I'm betting there's hundreds of members here that had the very same experience in different venues.

Oh yeah, she's a relative of mine BTW. Dad's side of the family if I got it right. See a long time ago he and buddy ended up in Socal working for one of the aircraft companies shortly after the war. It seems that

 

Definitely somebody's dream....gotta follow your dreams man...life is no dress rehearsal....!

 

I remember her from the first time you brought her up.. I think I have a crush on that girl!

 

Actually, maybe she's not wearing boots, but that's what I picture in my head!

 

Thanks for the awesome story Ryan. The thing I like about Wally Parks from all the stories I've heard and read is how he affected the lives of so many in such a positive way.

 

There is nothing lustful or obscene about that girl in the car. That is the way they dressed back then. She reminds me of girls I knew.
I just came back home from the Grand National Roadster Show and while down there I noticed a typical Senior Citizen Van in Huntington Beach. Painted on the side was " Surf City Senior Citizen Transport. " Think about that for a while. Your day will come.

 

Funny! When I first saw her pic I thought she was pretty Hot too, I thought the caption under her shot said she was from Tulare.

 

She does look like she has the potential to be a little saucy. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

 

I think we ought to make it our mission to find this gal.It would probably perk her day up to know that so many of us have her on our minds.

 

There's a "hot one" in everybody's thoughts on Valentine's Day. I think the girl in the pic is both pert and saucy, Cat

 

Wow . . . Wally Parks, no less! What a great story, what a legacy trail you are blazing, Boss! If you're gonna leap, who better to push you than Wally Parks?

 

Anita Smith? Could it be the same Anita Smith who turned up in several of the pictures taken at the California Hot Rod Reunion in 2005?


Caption: "Anita Smith - if you don't know, don't ask. LOL"


Caption: "Don Trasin, Cindy Gibbs and Anita Smith at the In N Out mini cackle."


Caption: "Speaking of the ladies, here's Anita Smith and Pat "Ma" Green stocking up at Von's before heading out to the track. I think this one pretty much puts to rest any stories about what was in their cooler!"


Caption: "Pat Green - Anita Smith = TROUBLE"

Links to the pages that host those images (and a lot more):

California Hot Rod Reunion 2005, People and Pits Page 1

California Hot Rod Reunion 2005, People and Pits Page 2

She also turned up in 2008.


Caption: "Anita Smith and Pat "Ma" Green always set the tone early on."

And in 2004:


Caption: "Don Ewald and the dynamic duo - Anita Smith and Pat "Ma" Green."

And for all I know she turned up in some other years, too.

One thing for sure, if it is the same woman then the smile and the charisma are still there.

 

NAH!----Not same woman!--In 1948 I was a junior in hi school, we used to watch the jalopy's run at Culver City, (the old dog track). Hot Rod magazine was just an enlarged copy of sponsors, machine shops,muffler shops,speed shops,etc.
Some of the Peterson guys would wander around up & down in the stands "Hawking" the new magazine,----I think it was only 25 cents a copy--- And yes,ol' Stroker McGurk (Tom Medley) was selling the mags too,--Anyhow, before too much time went by, HRM started putting attractive gals in 1 piece bathing suits in the new magazine under the heading: " PARTS WITH APPEAL". Thats all it took for all the guys (including me), to anxiously await the next "Burning" issue of HRM to be for sale at the races!----Don't know if the girl pictured, was included or not, but she would have to be in her late 70's or early 80's at this point in time!---Ahh, the memories----Don

 

Yeah, well, I was thinking that if it was the same woman she's damn well preserved for a woman as old as she'd have to be, but then again why would there be that caption on that first image I linked?

I mean ... if that's not a hint that her age isn't what it appears to be and that asking who she is would force her to reveal her age, then what the heck is it?

Come on, somebody here has to know what's going on with this.

 

It occurred to me that Pat "Ma" Green, the woman she was hanging out with in a bunch of the pictures, might know more about this so I did a search on her name.

Found this:

...If anybody wants a race track.....

She apparently posts messages on drag racing forums.

Does anybody with the right kinds of connections in drag racing circles want to try to contact her to see if she can't throw some light on this?

 

First time I read the story, very good one by the way, thanks!
That's the kind of girl we all want to share our cars with.

 

July 1948 issue and it says she is 17, she'll be 80 this year.

 

While most of the focus of discussion has been on the lovely young lady, I'm more intrigued by Park's inspiration to press on with your business dream. Few people are able to step up to pursue their own gig in business, fewer still succeed. That's not a put down of those that don't it's just a recognition of reality. Those uncertainties, and risks are formidable foes. It took me a number of years to work myself up to taking the plunge, but once I did I enjoyed every minute of it, even the scary ones. Like Ryan, I learned from those who had done it before.

Occasionally on these boards we see someone ask if they should or shouldn't take on the challenge of a business, or self employment. Lots of folks give heart felt, and I'm sure well intentioned, advice. Generally it falls into one of three catagories (broadly stated for effect): 1)Don't do it man, I did and lost my ***, 2) Go for it man, chase your dream, 3) And then the money advice, words of encouragement and caution from folks who have done it and succeeded. No sugar, no salt, just reality.

The first is the reflection of negative thinking, understandable, but not very helpful to the person who may have the skills and determination necessary to make it happen. The second is the blind optimism of those who have no idea of the perils ahead. They see the romance, but not the heartbreak or monumental obstacles. While it may give the encouragement that helps, it's incomplete. The third helps disclose at least part of the roadmap that just might get the aspiring entrepreneur headed in the right direction, aiding in minimizing mistakes (can't ever be eliminated), and hope based on the experience of those that took the risk, overcame the hardships and learned enough to p*** it along.

That may be why Mr. Parks was so willing to encourage. He'd earned the vision to know something good when he saw it, and those of us that have done something similar and succeeded enjoy paying it forward to the next generation of gutsy folks who help build and improve our society. Though not every story has a pretty girl involved.

 

Ryan,

It's great to hear of your past challenges, and the great success you now have with the HAMB. it inspires me to move forward with some things I have been reluctant to move forward on.

Thanks.