The 20 Best Hot Rods Of all Time

August 10, 2017

Tom McMullen’s 1932 Roadster

Base car: 1932 Ford Deuce

Described by Mecum Auctions as “the world’s most iconic hot rod,” it’s almost certain that you’ve seen this car somehow. I don’t care if you live on the moon, somehow, someway, you’ve seen this car. The iconic black roadster, with flame paintwork by Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, is a living legend, and sold for $700,000 at auction. The car was already a rod when McMullen bought it in 1958, with it originally having been created by builder Don Hudson. In this form, powered by a small block V8, it sold for $650.

From 1958 to 1970 McMullen tinkered with it incessantly. A variety of engines found their way into the car, with one, a 352ci Chevy V8 driving the car to 167mph at the El Mirage dry lakebed. It eventually found its way into the hands of collector Jorge Zaragoza, with Roy Brizio charged with restoring it to match its appearance from the April 1963 cover of Hot Rod magazine. In this form, it came third in the Historic Hot Rods category at Pebble Beach’s Concours d’Elegance in 2007.

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