Hot rodding has been around for almost a century, and it has seen many changes over the years. From the Model A coupe to the T-Bucket hot rods, the scene has evolved and grown, with customizers like Boyd Coddington and Chip Foose pushing the boundaries of what is possible. The hot rod scene has also been influenced by iconic cars like The Outlaw and Beatnik Bandit, as well as movies like American Graffiti. But which years have been the most influential in hot rodding history?The exploits of racers have never been forgotten, and the hot rodding scene reached a new phase when boys who were teenagers in the early days reached a more affluent middle age, starting to buy or build high-quality hot rods.
The trend for 'T-Bucket' hot rods based on the Model T Ford began to grow in the 1960s, and a big boost was given when California enthusiast Pete Brizio opened Andy's Roadsters. It was built on a 1949 Oldsmobile chassis, and the bubble top was created in a pizza oven, using compressed air to force the heated plastic into a mold. Before the Pierson Brothers' 1934 Ford Coupe arrived in the late 1940s, hot rods were open, not coupes.Boyd Coddington is one of the most famous customizers of all, and his hot rod creations changed the scene in the 1990s. Other big-name customizers, such as Chip Foose, started with Boyd.
This car, built by Norm Grabowski, is credited with starting the T-Bucket fashion. Norm completed the car in 1955, calling it 'Lightnin' Bug'. It appeared on the cover of Hot Rod magazine in '55 and gained more publicity when it was repainted the following year by Dean Jeffries.It gained a second life when it was purchased in 1995 by renowned collector Bruce Meyer, who restored it by Pete Chapouris and the So-Cal Speed Shop. Subsequently, Meyer pushed for the Pebble Beach Concours to show a hot rod class, propelling hot rods into the world of high-end collector cars.
It's not the only hot rod to appear on an album cover, but the '33 Eliminator Coupe by ZZ Top lead vocalist and guitarist Billy Gibbons is undoubtedly the most famous to have done so.The funny thing about this hot rod, a 32-window five-window coupe, is that it wasn't particularly well built or innovative. But his appearance in the George Lucas film American Graffiti influenced a whole generation of aspiring hot rodders, and it's still so iconic now. We suspect that somewhere between the initial concept and production, things came down a bit, especially under the hood, which is a shame.Like The Outlaw, there have been several other iconic cars that have shaped hot rodding over the years. The Kookie T was built by Norm Grabowski in 1959 and featured on TV shows like 77 Sunset Strip.
Ivo's Model T made appearances in several hot rod movies of the time, including Dragstrip Girl. But by cutting the roof pillars and raking the front screen, pioneering Pierson Brothers created more aerodynamic flat shoes that inspired a generation of roof cut hot rods.Using these answers as a basis, we have compiled a list of 8 of the most influential years in hot rodding history:
- 1934: The Pierson Brothers' 1934 Ford Coupe arrives
- 1949: Pete Brizio opens Andy's Roadsters
- 1955: Norm Grabowski builds 'Lightnin' Bug'
- 1960s: The T-Bucket trend begins
- 1990s: Boyd Coddington changes the scene
- 1995: Bruce Meyer purchases 'Lightnin' Bug'
- 1997: Pebble Beach Concours shows a hot rod class
- 1973: George Lucas releases American Graffiti
