Coolest T.V. - Movie Cars

[unionworks]

101. The meaning of "Hot Rod"

It used to mean something much different than it does today. I'm old enough to have seen the death of it, which happened during the "energy crisis" of Nixons administration, and gas prices made Detroit take away the horsepower of the common man. Hot Rod was about youth, rebellion, and being an outlaw. It was something that terrified the squares and parentss alike. Not just because you had a good chance of dying young. It was about the power and control of the "greatest generation" being chopped, channeled, and bored out by their chilren. Now theses cars are anachronisms you take to shows. I remember a time when driving one of these cars got you a lot of extra attention from officer friendly, and dirty looks from pretty girls fathers.