Name: American Icon - The Hot Rod
Released: 2010-10-26T00:00:00.000Z

TV Show · History

Chip Foose takes an in-depth history of the hot rod, a uniquely American automotive creation. The story goes from the birth of the Southern California craze in the 1950s to world of million-dollar customs and the current retro-style, minimalist design.

2010 · 22m

EPISODE 1

In the Beginning Part 1 - Pre-War, Street and Dry Lakes Racing

The introduction of the Ford Model T in 1908 and the seminal 1932 Ford V-8.
EPISODE 2

In the Beginning Part 2 - Post War Racing and So-Cal Speed Shop

After the war, thousands of young men applied the mechanical skills they'd learned in the military toward going ever faster in their home-built cars.
EPISODE 3

The Appleseeds

As more and more people got into hot rods, entrepreneur Robert E Petersen launched Hot Rod Magazine in 1948, creating in the process the keystone publication for the culture.
EPISODE 4

Quarter Mile to Glory

With hot rodding exploding in popularity across the country thanks to Hot Rod Magazine, drag racing became the easiest way for people without access to Southern California's unique geography and climate to run their cars.
EPISODE 5

To 400 MPH and Beyond

Led by Wally Parks, hot rodders began to trek to a remote corner of northwest Utah in 1949 to take advantage of the miles of salt flats that were an even better venue for high-speed runs than the dry lakebeds.
EPISODE 6

Arsenal of Speed

The speed equipment industry started off as an amateur pursuit, but today it's a multibillion-dollar business.