Great Cars: Hot Rods

Hot rods were phenomenal cars created by backyard mechanics in postwar Southern California. These young automotive enthusiasts were eager to reinvent anything they touched, building machines that demanded to be raced.

The problem was that many early hot rodders used public streets as racetracks. Police, newspapers, politicians, and even their parents took a dim view of this behavior and labeled hot rodders as rebels. With their passion on the verge of being shut down, they banded together to create a safer alternative: drag racing.

The sport quickly blossomed, and today thousands of drag racing meets are held every year. This is the story of young people who created an entirely new sport while searching for ways to satisfy their need for speed.