I am doing my sophomore project on the origins of hot rodding and racing in America and thought this would be the absolute best source for knowledge and opinions on the matter. From the salt flats of southern California to rum runners of the prohibition, what do you have to add about this piece of American history?
Some say it really started when King Tut stripped the fenders off his chariot....http://www.ridelust.com/king-tuts-chariot-the-worlds-first-hot-rod/
My guess would be about the time the second model A rolled off the line, soon after somone tried to make it faster than it was. Hence the birth of hotrodding. Godspeed MrC.
The first American automobile race was held in 1895. I'm sure they were trying to make them run faster shortly after that, maybe before. I can remember several threads about this before, you might do a search. Larry T
Hot rods as we know them today can be traced back through the fifties to the dry lakes racers of the thirties to home made speedsters of the twenties. If there can be an origin to such things, speed equipment for humble cars like Fords, Dodges and Chevs originated in the twenties. They were part of an effort to cut the cost of racing. The top race cars of the time were all hand built specialist cars from companies like Duesenberg and Miller. For example, a Miller racing engine cost $5,000. A complete rear drive race car cost $10,000 and a front drive car cost $15,000. All suitable for competition anywhere including the Indy 500. To put this in perspective, at the time a new Model T cost $500, a brick 4 bedroom house in any city in the US cost $5000 and a working man's wages from $15 to $35 a week. Some people in the auto industry thought there would be a market for parts and accessories to turn an ordinary car into a race car. Of course the result would be no where near as fast as a real race car, but would cost a fraction as much to build and to keep in operation. And if the rules restricted them to racing against each other, the racing would be fair, close and exciting to watch. There were various makers of speed equipment like Frontenac, Roof, Rajo and Cragar. Bodies were made by Mercury and others. Some of these speed and performance parts made their way onto street driven cars. This is as good a place as any to call the origin of hot rodding.
Henry raced Winton about 1903, and won. The notoriety from that race attracted him to investors that started Ford Motor Co. He had two ventures that he walked away from and one of those became Cadillac Motor Co. I think OL 99 would qualify as a hot rod.
I am not really looking for one single event sparking all that is now hot rodding, but more of details on the progression and development of hot rods in their somewhat early stages
I realize the King Tut thing was a joke but if chariot racing was around then and with the Romans, you can bet people were dabbling in weight reduction and horse agility/speed training. Could make for an interesting intro to your project even if the focus is on more modern rodding.
Religion, politics, the orgins of hotrodding .... three discussion topics my cardiologist will not allow me to participate in.
Competition started "Hot Rodding"! Two guys that didn't have fists big enough to settle it but had the brains and know how to beat the other guy.
Yes Henry realized that racing his cars also promoted them right at the very start he even set a land speed record if you could call it that on ice right back at the start of his production of cars.
Another big breakthrough was when Ben Hur discovered the tail fin. On his ears. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJGxx2agjRA&feature=related
Here are two Vids about Bob Lil Axle Stewart he is 77 years and has been in to hot rods all is life http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7addhBQRRw&list=FL1o0oEieiLNpAZhNR694qKg&feature=mh_lolz http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGr3Lf0c9aI
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