MotorTrend’s Iconic HOT ROD Brand Celebrates 75 Years By Giving Fans Over Seven Decades of Free Digital Magazine Content
For the First Time Ever, Classic Car Fans Who Sign-Up for a Free MotorTrend+ Account Will Receive Exclusive Access to the HOT ROD Digital Archives With Over 128,000 Pages Going Back to 1948
MOTORTREND’s iconic HOT ROD brand, the most recognized brand in the world of high-performance cars since the magazine was founded in 1948, announced today HOT ROD will celebrate its 75th anniversary by providing free access to over seven decades of its prized archival content for the first time ever, which includes a digital version of every HOT ROD issue published prior to 2022. Coinciding with the start of SEMA on November 1st, classic car fans around the world can access the HOT ROD Digital Archives by registering for a free account at MotorTrend+.
“There is nothing better than celebrating HOT ROD’s 75th anniversary by giving back to so many of our fans who have helped influence and contribute to car culture over the years,” said editor-in-chief John McGann. “Over seven and a half decades, we recorded history as it happened, and our digital archives let you see that history firsthand. You can relive major milestones at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Pikes Peak, and the Indy 500. There are also tens of thousands of technical articles showing you how to build engines, paint a car and how to go racing. HOT ROD founder Robert Petersen would be proud that every article published prior to this year has been made available to all through the HOT ROD Digital Archives.”
The HOT ROD Digital Archive will contain more than 900 magazine issues published from 1948 through 2021, with every single article and photo digitally converted over the last 18 months by HOT ROD into PDFs as well as easy-to-read, digital-friendly stories, totaling more than 128,000 pages of content. The Digital Archive takes readers from the early days of organized racing on the dry lake beds through the horsepower wars of the ‘60s to present day, with features on new cars, new engines, and new trends just as they were covered by the leading authority on high-performance vehicles at the time.
HOT ROD’s celebration continues in 2023 with two of MOTORTREND’s premier annual events returning in late summer to commemorate HOT ROD’s 75th anniversary: the world’s largest traveling car show, HOT ROD Power Tour, and the fastest streetcar competition in America, HOT ROD Drag Week. Together these events are expected to bring together more than 6,000 vehicles and 100,000-plus fans next year.
“In celebration of HOT ROD’s 75th anniversary, we are more excited than ever to experience two signature annual events in HOT ROD Power Tour and HOT ROD Drag Week in 2023,” said former editor-in-chief and current ROADKILL show co-host David Freiburger. “Both events exemplify the core of what HOT ROD is and reflect the brand’s indelible influence on American car culture.”
To commemorate HOT ROD’s 75th anniversary, a ‘HOT ROD 75’ collection will also be unveiled today that features a branded, limited edition zip-up sweatshirt, T-shirt, hat, sticker, poster, and mug, for sale exclusively in the MotorTrend Store.
About HOT ROD
HOT ROD has been the most recognized brand in the world of high-performance cars since the iconic American magazine was founded in 1948. Today, the authoritative HOT ROD media footprint includes the HOT ROD Network on MotorTrend.com; the two largest events of their kind, HOT ROD Power Tour and HOT ROD Drag Week; plus Roadkill, Roadkill Garage, and HOT ROD Garage shows on MotorTrend+, the only subscription streaming service dedicated entirely to the motoring world.
About MotorTrend Group
MotorTrend Group, a Warner Bros. Discovery company, is the world’s largest automotive media group dedicated to introducing, inspiring and intensifying people’s passions for the motoring world. Comprised of more than 50 iconic brands including MOTORTREND, HOT ROD, ROADKILL, TOP GEAR AMERICA and more, MotorTrend Group is the ultimate source of entertainment and information for both auto enthusiasts and car shoppers, with a monthly audience of more than 26 million and over 110 million social followers. Featuring world-class automotive entertainment across the #1 television network for automotive fans, digital streaming channels including MotorTrend FAST TV, iconic events, the largest automotive social network, over seven decades of print and digital editorial content and cutting-edge resources for new car shoppers, MotorTrend embodies every corner of car culture. From electric vehicles to timeless classic customs, MotorTrend Group brings the latest motoring trends to fans of all generations.
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