Synopses & Reviews
In its sixty-plus years of existence, Hot Rod magazine has featured hundreds of cars on its cover. To those in the muscle car, street machine, and hot rodding hobby, having their car selected for the cover is the ultimate coup, a near unsurpassable bragging right. Often, the cover car is a landmark vehicle that sets new standards for years to come. Hot Rod Magazine All the Covers showcases each cover in full color, along with images of the cover car from select issues.
Review
"This is a collection of six decades of magazine fronts from the granddaddy of customizer publication. Arranged in chronological order with colorful, appealing page designs, the book mixes cover sizes, inside spreads and text to provide readers with a good feel for eras - and vast industry changes - that Hot Rod reported on. Overwhelmingly, the Hot Rod sampler, requiring little commitment but presenting an open invitation for repeat visits, will be just the right serving of information and nostalgia trip." - NYTimes.com
"If you're a fan or collector of old car magazines, this is one that needs to hit your shelf in a hurry. If you have a Christmas wish list, put this title on it, and quick! Motorbooks has a homerun on their hands with this one!" - Bangshift.com
"Hardin was able to interview many of the magazine's past and present editors and publishers, but it is his personal experience that lends his comments credibility and provides insight into the compromise-laden decision-making process of how to make a cover that grabs attention and sells magazines." - SpeedReaders.Info
"While aimed at the automotive enthusiast, I can see this book having a much broader audience as it will appeal to anyone who likes to study American culture - a culture that has largely been shaped by the mobility and sense of individual freedom that has been afforded the average man and woman due to the relative accessibility of the automobile. In effect, this book is a time capsule for the period 1948 - 2009." - CanadianDriver.com
Review
"Even if you own every issue ever printed, the book is still must-have material." - HOT ROD Magazine
Review
"... easy-to-reference tome. In recapping the covers he (Hardin) tells the story of the magazine itself. How it came to pass and, more importantly, how it evolved to address the times is really the book's strong suit. By way of interviews with editors both past and present, Hardin channels what's essentially the spirit of the magazine. This in turn gathers what are otherwise seemingly random photos to create a bigger picture - a hot rodder's quilt, if you will. This book is a charmer in all respects. It'll make you remember what mad you fall in love with the magazine in the first place." - Street Rodder
Synopsis
In its sixty-plus years of existence, Hot Rod magazine has featured hundreds of cars on its cover. This book showcases each cover in full color, along with images of the cover car from select issues.
About the Author
Drew Hardin is a freelance writer/editor/photographer who specializes in automotive journalism of all kinds, from traditional hot rodding to the latest "green" vehicles. During his 30-year career he’s been the editor of several enthusiast magazines, including Hot Rod, Hop Up, Muscle Car Review, 4-Wheel and Off-Road and Sport Truck, and contributed to quite a few more. Drew Hardin is a freelance writer/editor/photographer who specializes in automotive journalism of all kinds, from traditional hot rodding to the latest "green" vehicles. During his 30-year career he's been the editor of several enthusiast magazines, including Hot Rod, Hop Up, Muscle Car Review, 4-Wheel and Off-Road and Sport Truck, and contributed to quite a few more.