This YouTube video produced and posted by Big Daddy Slip contains almost a full 12 minutes of photos of hot rods, lakesters, jalopies, racers, hipsters and of course, some ladies. The photos in this video collage were taken from The H.A.M.B.. With the addition of an appropriate rock ‘n roll music soundtrack, it’s like many other hot rod videos found on the Internet… except these photos date from the late 1940s!

One of the special qualities of this video is that the “traditionalists” among us can get an accurate picture of how cars of that era were actually constructed and powered. It can be used as a historical resource for information and also a benchmark against which a newly constructed or restored hot rod can be compared. Including seeing that chopped, channeled and low is the way hot rods were both then and now.

Another notable point of interest is that we can also see what has NOT changed much over the years. Certainly the machinery and the products that we use in the practice of our favorite sport have changed. The same can be said for the style and fashion from the different eras. However, what has not changed is the passion that we as hot rodders bring with us to the sport. Compare the expressions and actions of the people in the vintage photos to participant behavior that you see at any event you may have attended. You will discover that the years have changed but the prevailing atmosphere is a constant.

As enthusiasts, we have a curious interest in how our sport developed in its infancy. We are fascinated by the early hot rodders’ ingenuity and astounded at their apparent disregard for personal safety. However the sport has survived, grown and is now in our hands, so let’s keep it alive for generations to come!