The 20 Best Hot Rods Of all Time
Hot rods represent one of the pinnacles of the restomod scene. Fast, beautiful and highly modified, the scene takes classic cars that would be useless today and makes them into dream speedsters. In this list I’ve pulled together a collection of the best: some I’m sure you’ll recognise, others I think will come as more of a surprise. Rest assured, if you ever get a chance to drive—or even just see—one of these cars, you’ll be in for a real treat.
1954 Chrisman Bonneville Coupe
Base car: 1930 Ford Model A
The first thing that strikes you about the Chrisman Bonneville Coupe is its looks. The dramatically swept-back front end hits a bulging cabin before flowing back into a smoothed rear. The Chrisman brothers, Art and Lloyd, based out of their father’s Compton shop, modified this Model A all to hell. The 304 ci Mercury engine, 1940 Ford transmission and the rear-end assembly were mounted in the middle of the car as a single unit. The chopped body sat on a hand-formed frame, 1938 Ford suspension and Houdaille shocks.
Inside the cockpit the engine’s placement negated much space for the driver, with their nose practically scraping the windscreen. The emphasis here was on speed—and a lot of it. In 1955, on the brothers’ third trip to Bonneville, the car entered in Class D with a 331 ci Chrysler V8, setting a record of 196 mph. The car has changed hands numerous times since, including a long stint in the loving care of George Barris, who installed a chromed Oldsmobile engine. In 2001 it came into the possession of Joe MacPherson and was awarded third place at Pebble Beach’s Concours d’Elegance, before being sold in 2008 for $660,000.
