Wolverine’s Wednesday Whips: The Hot Rod

Wolverine is a modified, amped up mutant so why would he not be able to be compared to the modified classic American cars with modified engines and bodies. The term “hot rod” became a commonplace term by the 1940s. Most of the camshafts were replaced with new ‘hotter’ versions for increased performance and came to be known as a ‘hot rod’.  The first cars to be modified were the early 20s and 30s Model Ts and Model As which were modified by returning soldiers or the bootleggers that were modifying their cars to flee from revenue agents during prohibition. These cars were modified to reduce weight and modifiers would remove tops, hoods, bumpers, windshields, and fenders.

After WWII, many military airports were left abandoned and allowed hot rodders the opportunity to utilize these tracks of asphalt to race. Hot rodding became more popular and with the rise of street rodding, caused the scene to change. Movies, like American Graffiti kept the Hot Rod culture alive, while the Rockabilly culture is keeping the old school alive today. Now-a-days, there is a movement to bring back the tradition of the old school hot rod and car clubs and builders are popping up all around the world. TV shows, magazines and car shows are continuing to keep the Hot Rod relevant in popular culture.