It makes sense that one of hot rodding’s most wacky, larger-than-life personalities would concoct one of hot rodding’s most iconic, larger-than-life cars. That’s right, we’re talking about Norm Grabowski’s ground-breaking, silver-screen-friendly roadster, the Kookie T. From the parking lot of Bob’s Big Boy to the boulevard
After World War II, hot rods and customs developed on parallel yet different tracks. Innovators like George Barris and Gene Winfield massaged metal in unique and shapely ways, creating stunning pieces of rolling art. At the same time, racers like Ed Iskenderian and Alex Xydias
There are plenty of famous hot rods – the Niekamp roadster, the Pierson coupe, the Buttera tall T. We could go on and on. But few hot rods have reached across the pages of automotive buff books into the imagination of the general public. One
Laying in a hospital bed, recovering from illness or injury, affords the mind a certain freedom to free-associate, to review life’s choices, map a new path forward. There is perhaps no greater example of this than the late Bill Simpson, the man who made safety
As curious as the world of beauty pageants can seem these days, many famous celebrities began their careers as Miss Whatevers. Journalist Diane Sawyer was America’s Junior Miss in 1963. Michelle Pfeiffer earned the 1978 Miss Orange Country title. Oprah Winfrey was crowned Miss Black
Some guys can build an engine. Others can fab up a chassis. Tuning is a skill in which others excel. And who doesn’t think he can drive? Finding someone who can do it all and do it with panache and performance, well, that as rare
Tommy Ivo once played opposite Boris Karloff (Frankenstein) and Margaret Hamilton (the Wicked Witch of the West). He could sing and tap dance at age three. His big break came at age seven when his two front teeth went missing. He bought a house at
The history of rods and customs is dotted with legendary pinstripers and custom painters – Von Dutch, Dean Jeffries, Art Himsl, Larry Watson, to name a handful – who garnered widespread fame and publicity. Add Rod Powell to the list. While he kept a lower
Every car guy older than 30 knows (or should know) the name Offy. It’s shorthand for Offenhauser, the last name of Fred H. Offenhauser, and the moniker of the all-conquering four-cylinder engine that dominated the Indianapolis 500 during the mid-20th Century. Among the many legendary
The story of hot rodding in America cannot be told without telling the story of George Barris, the most well-known kustom kar kraftsman of his, or any other, era. Author Tom Wolfe, astute chronicler of art and culture, chose Barris as the focus of his
