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43-549: A hot rodder since his youth, Thompson increasingly pursued land speed records in his late 20s and early 30s. He achieved international fame in 1960, when he became the first American to break the 400-mph barrier, driving his Challenger 1 to a one-way top speed of 406.60 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats and surpassing John Cobb's one-way world record mark of 402 mph. Thompson then turned to racing, winning many track and dragster championships. In

86-479: A Ford or Mercury flathead, with an Edelbrock intake manifold , Harman and Collins magneto , and Halibrand quick-change differential . Front suspension hairpins were adapted from sprint cars , such as the Kurtis Krafts . As hot rodding became more popular, magazines and associations catering to hot rodders were started, such as the magazine Hot Rod , founded in 1948. As automobiles offered by

129-467: A Pasadena Superior Court judge ordered Goodwin to stand trial. During the trial, several witnesses reported hearing Goodwin threaten to kill the Thompsons. "I’m going to kill that son of a bitch. I’m going to kill that motherfucker. I’m going to take out Mickey. I’m too smart to get caught. I’ll have him wasted. He’ll never see a nickel. I’ll kill him first. Mickey doesn’t know who he is fucking with. He

172-554: A best speed of 151.26 mph (243.43 km/h). A change so momentous would not happen again until Don Garlits introduced the rear-engined digger in 1971. Thompson also was noted for being the first manager of Lions Drag Strip in Wilmington, California , in 1955. Thompson collaborated with Fritz Voight on a 1958 twin-engined dragster . This car achieved a best speed of 294.117 mph (473.335 km/h). It provided lessons later applied to Challenger I . Determined to set

215-471: A hot rod as any motorized vehicle that has a replacement engine differing from the factory original. The forerunners to the hotrod were the modified cars used in the Prohibition era by bootleggers to evade revenue agents and other law enforcement. Hot rods first appeared in the late 1930s in southern California , where people raced modified cars on dry lake beds northeast of Los Angeles , under

258-509: A lightweight titanium chassis. Al Miller raced one of the modified 1962 cars to ninth place despite only qualifying in 31st position. Duane Carter qualified one of the roller skate cars 15th, but was only placed 23rd after an engine failure on the 100th lap. The small tire sizes and low car weights caused complaints among the old hands and owners, so for future races, cars were restricted to minimum tire sizes and minimum car weights. 1962 Formula One World Champion Graham Hill tested one of

301-535: A new land speed record , Thompson achieved fame when he drove his four-engined Challenger 1 at better than 400 mph (640 km/h) in 1960 at the Bonneville Salt Flats , becoming the first American to break that barrier. In 1962, Thompson entered three John Crosthwaite -designed cars in the Indianapolis 500 . They used a stock V8 Buick engine, and it was in the rear unlike the front-engined, race-tuned, Offenhauser-powered cars used by most competitors. It

344-403: A particular purpose, such as "hot-rodded amplifier ". There are various theories about the origin of the term "hot rod". The common theme is that "hot" related to "hotting up" a car, which means modifying it for greater performance. With regards to the word "rod", one theory is that it means roadster , a lightweight 2-door car which was often used as the basis for early hot rods. Another theory

387-481: A series of 500-mile and 24-hour courses. Together with John Buttera and Pat Foster, developed a Ford Mustang Mach 1 Funny Car with a dragster-like chassis. Driven by Ongais, the car won the 1969 NHRA Spring Nationals at Dallas and the NHRA U.S. Nationals . In his career, Thompson raced vehicles from stock cars to off-road, and engineered numerous competition engines. He went into the performance aftermarket business in

430-546: A unique all-wheel drive rear-engined design that steered both front and rear wheels, but Gary Congdon was unable to qualify any of the three cars. In 1965, Thompson published Challenger: Mickey Thompson's own story of his life of Speed . In 1968 Danny Ongais and he took three Ford Mustang Mach 1 to the Bonneville salt flats for a feature in Hot Rod magazine, in the process setting 295 speed and endurance records over

473-632: Is credited with designing and building the first slingshot dragster , in 1954, moving the seat behind the rear axle to improve traction when existing racing tires proved unable to handle the output of increasingly powerful custom engines. This car, the Panorama City Special , debuted at the first NHRA U.S. Nationals at the Great Bend Municipal Airport in Great Bend, Kansas , in 1955. The car ultimately ran

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516-406: Is fucking dead." On January 4, 2007, the jury found Goodwin guilty of two counts of murder in the death of Thompson and his wife. Goodwin was sentenced to two consecutive life-without-parole terms. A subsequent motion for a new trial was denied. In the 2015 California 2nd District Court of Appeal ruling, although no direct evidence connected Goodwin to the case, the array of circumstantial evidence

559-482: Is no definition of the term that is universally accepted and the term is attached to a wide range of vehicles. Most often they are individually designed and constructed using components from many makes of old or new cars, and are most prevalent in the United States and Canada. Many are intended for exhibition rather than for racing or everyday driving. The origin of the term "hot rod" is unclear. Some say that

602-569: Is that "rod" refers to camshaft , a part of the engine which was often upgraded in order to increase power output. In the early days, a car modified for increased performance was called a "gow job". This term morphed into the hot rod in the early to late 1940s. The term "hot rod" has had various uses in relation to performance cars. For example, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment in its vehicle emissions regulations refers to

645-515: Is very little "vintage tin", the hot rods in Sweden are generally made with a home-made chassis (usually a Model T or A replica), with a Jaguar (or Volvo 240 ) rear axle, a small-block V8 , and fiberglass tub, but some have been built using for instance a Volvo Duett chassis. Because Swedish regulations required a crash test even for custom-built passenger cars between 1969 and 1982, the Duett option

688-672: The Brighton Speed Trials . It was then displayed at the Racing Car Show in London in January 1964. Thompson brought three modified 12-inch-tired cars to the 1964 Indianapolis 500 , but new rules required him to use 15-in tires. The Allstate sponsored team used Allstate tires and Ford engines. The chassis had to be altered to accommodate the larger Ford engines. Two of them qualified for the race. The car No. 84 began

731-661: The Ford flathead V8 engine (known as the "flatty") into a different car, for example, the common practice in the 1940s of installing the "60 horse" version into a Jeep chassis. Typical modifications were removal of convertible tops , hoods , bumpers , windshields , and/or fenders ; channeling the body; and modifying the engine by tuning and/or replacing with a more powerful type. Wheels and tires were changed for improved traction and handling. Hot rods built before 1945 commonly used '35 Ford wire-spoke wheels . After World War II , many small military airports throughout

774-449: The greaser lifestyle. Magazines like Ol' Skool Rodz , Gears and Gals , and Rat-Rods and Rust Queens cover events and people. There are magazines that feature traditional hot rods, including Hot Rod , Car Craft , Rod and Custom , and Popular Hot Rodding . There are also television shows such as My Classic Car , Horsepower TV , American Hot Rod , Fast and Loud , and Chop Cut Rebuild . Particularly during

817-468: The 1960s, he also entered cars at the Indianapolis 500 . Later, he formed off-road racing sanctioning bodies SCORE International and Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group (MTEG). In 1988, Thompson and his wife Trudy were gunned down at their home in Bradbury, California . The crime remained unsolved until 2007, when a former business partner was convicted of the murders. On December 7, 1928, Thompson

860-628: The Thompsons' bodies, eliminating robbery as a likely motive. A police investigation initially failed to identify the gunmen or a motive for the crime. Police were interested in Thompson's former business partner, Michael Frank Goodwin, who repeatedly refused to pay a more than $ 768,000 settlement he owed Thompson. Goodwin and his wife bought $ 275,000 worth of gold coins two months before the Thompsons were murdered and wired $ 400,000 to banks in Grand Turk Island . Goodwin and his wife then left

903-752: The US five months after the murder on their yacht and did not return for more than two years. The case remained unsolved until 2001, when Goodwin was charged in Orange County, California with the murders. Before the trial could be completed, it was ended on jurisdictional grounds by the California District Court of Appeal. On June 8, 2004, Goodwin was charged with the murders in Pasadena , in Los Angeles County . In October 2006,

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946-424: The country were either abandoned or rarely used, allowing hot rodders across the country to race on marked courses. Originally, drag racing had tracks as long as 1 mi (1.6 km) or more, and included up to four lanes of racing simultaneously. As some hot rodders also raced on the street, a need arose for an organization to promote safety, and to provide venues for safe racing. The National Hot Rod Association

989-628: The decade passed. Hot rods were used as the theme of Lightning Rod , a Rocky Mountain Construction roller coaster at Dollywood . Locals in Sweden and Finland , influenced by American culture, have created a vibrant local hot rod culture where enthusiasts gather at meetings such as Power Big Meet in Linköping and clubs like Wheels and Wings in Varberg , both located in Sweden. Since there

1032-548: The early 1960s and then, in 1963, he created "Mickey Thompson Performance Tires" that developed special tires for racing including for Indianapolis 500 competitors. Thompson founded SCORE International in 1973, a sanctioning body to oversee off-road racing across North America. With his wife Trudy he formed the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group (MTEG), which ran an indoor motocross and off-road vehicle racing show and competition that brought

1075-465: The early 1960s, a genre of "hot rod music" rose to mainstream popularity. Hot rod music was largely a product of a number of surf music groups running out of ideas for new surfing songs and simultaneously shifting their lyrical focus toward hot rods. Hot rod music would prove to be the second phase in a progression known as the California Sound , which would mature into more complex topics as

1118-425: The gunmen attacked. He was shot and wounded then dragged out into the driveway while one of the attackers went after Trudy as she backed out. Killing her, the gunman then came back up the driveway, where the other gunman was watching over Thompson and shot him fatally in the head. The attackers then made their escape on bicycles they had ridden to the residence. Expensive jewelry and a large amount of cash were found on

1161-502: The innovative Harvey Aluminium Special "roller skate car" with the then-pioneering 12 in (300 mm) diameter wheels with smaller-profile racing tires, 7 in (180 mm) wide at the front and 9 in (230 mm) rear. Thompson took five cars to Indianapolis - two of the previous year's design with Chevrolet V8 engines and three roller skate cars. One of the new cars, the Harvey Titanium Special, featured

1204-406: The major automakers began increasing performance, the lure of hot rods began to wane. With the advent of the muscle car , it was now possible to purchase a high-performance car straight from the showroom. However, the 1973 Oil Crisis caused car manufacturers to focus on fuel efficiency over performance, which led to a resurgence of interest in hot rodding. As the focus shifted away from racing,

1247-593: The modified cars became known as "street rods". The National Street Rod Association (NSRA) was formed and began hosting events. By the 1970s, the 350 cu in (5.7 L) small-block Chevy V8 was the most common choice of engine for hot rods. Another popular engine choice is the Ford Windsor engine . During the 1980s, many car manufacturers were reducing the displacements of their engines, thus making it harder for hot rod builders to obtain large displacement engines. Instead, engine builders had to modify

1290-481: The month with Masten Gregory as the driver, but Eddie Johnson in car No. 84 qualified 24th and finished 26th. Dave MacDonald in car No. 83 qualified 14th and died in a fiery crash on the second lap. Thompson went back to Indy in 1965, but failed to qualify for the 1965 Indianapolis 500 in an attempt with a front-engined roadster. He skipped the 1966 Indianapolis 500 , but tried again in 1967 and 1968 , but failed to qualify either year. The 1967 attempt used

1333-503: The other cars, Dan Gurney qualified eighth and was in ninth place until a leaking oil seal seized the gearbox and ended his race on lap 94. He was placed 20th out of 33. The team won the Mechanical Achievement Award for original design, construction, and accomplishment. Thompson's promotional skills pleased the sponsors with the publicity generated that year. For the 1963 Indianapolis 500 , Crosthwaite designed

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1376-451: The roller skate cars at Indianapolis in 1963, but refused to race it, citing its poor handling. The recent ruling required 15-in wheels, but the chassis was designed around smaller wheels. Thompson commented: "The car wouldn't handle", adding, "There was too much body roll due to the high center of gravity." In 1963, Thompson traveled to England, where, along with Dante Duce, he demonstrated his Ford-powered Harvey Aluminum Special dragster at

1419-574: The rules of the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), among other groups. This gained popularity after World War II , particularly in California, because many returning soldiers had received technical training. The first hot rods were old cars (most often Fords , typically 1910s-1920s Model Ts , 1928–31 Model As , or 1932-34 Model Bs ), modified to reduce weight. Engine swaps often involved fitting

1462-459: The smaller engines (such as using non-standard crankshafts and pistons ) to obtain larger displacement. While current production V8s tended to be the most frequent candidates, this also applied to others. In the mid-1980s, as stock engine sizes diminished, rodders discovered the 215 cu in (3.5 L) aluminum-block Buick or Oldsmobile V8 could be modified for substantially greater displacement, with mainly wrecking yard parts. This trend

1505-441: The sport from the back-country to major metropolitan stadiums and arenas. On March 16, 1988, Thompson and his wife Trudy were murdered by two hooded gunmen outside their home in Bradbury, California . On the morning of the murder, a pair of unknown assailants waited outside the Thompson home for the couple to leave for the day. Thompson opened the garage door for his wife to pull out in her vehicle and as he headed for his own car,

1548-555: The term "hot" refers to the vehicle's being stolen. Other origin stories include replacing the engine's camshaft or "rod" with a higher performance version. According to the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA), the term changes in meaning over the years, but "hot rodding has less to do with the vehicle and more to do with an attitude and lifestyle". For example, hot rods were favorites for greasers . The term has broadened to apply to other items that are modified for

1591-620: Was an American race car driver. Born Albert Krulac in Detroit , Michigan , Miller died in Mount Clemens, Michigan . He drove in the USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1962, 1963, 1965–1967 and 1970 seasons, with 31 career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 races in 1963 (in a John Crosthwaite designed car) and 1965 to 1967. He finished in the top ten 5 times, with his best finish in 4th position in

1634-658: Was born in Alhambra, California . Thompson's father was Captain Marion L. Thompson, a former police officer with Alhambra Police Department. Thompson's sister is Collene Thompson Campbell. In his early 20s, Thompson worked as a pressman for the Los Angeles Times while pursuing hot rodding . He later became involved in the new sport of drag racing . Over the course of his career, Thompson set more speed and endurance records than any other man in automotive history. He

1677-605: Was found to be "overwhelming". The two men who murdered the Thompsons have not been located. TV coverage and its fictionalization through the television program CSI , were cited by the defense team during the murder trial as having created a "folklore" around the case, preventing a fair trial. Hot rod Hot rods are typically American cars that might be old, classic, or modern and that have been rebuilt or modified with large engines optimized for speed and acceleration. One definition is: "a car that's been stripped down, souped up and made to go much faster." However, there

1720-551: Was founded in 1951, to take drag racing off the streets and into controlled environments. In the '50s and '60s, the Ford flathead V8 was supplanted by the Chrysler FirePower engine (known as the "early hemi"). Many hot rods would upgrade the brakes from mechanical to hydraulic ("juice") and headlights from bulb to sealed-beam. A typical mid-1950s to early 1960s custom Deuce was fenderless and steeply chopped, powered by

1763-550: Was not limited to American cars; Volkswagen enthusiasts similarly stretched stock 1600cc engines to over two liters. The hot rod community has now been subdivided into two main groups: street rodders and hot rodders. There is a contemporary movement of traditional hot rod builders, car clubs and artists who have returned to the roots of hot rodding as a lifestyle. This includes a new breed of traditional hot rod builders, artists, and styles, as well as classic style car clubs. Events like GreaseOrama feature traditional hot rods and

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1806-400: Was preferred, since it was considered a rebodied Duett rather than a new vehicle. Some 1950s and 1960s cars are also hot rodded, like Morris Minor , Ford Anglia , Volvo Amazon , Ford Cortina , and '57 Chevy , to name but a few. These are known as custom cars (sometimes spelled Kustom). Al Miller (racing driver, born 1921) Al Miller (November 23, 1921 – July 28, 1978)

1849-448: Was the first stock engine to be raced at Indy since 1946. Thompson's crew, led by Fritz Voigt, was young, smart, and hard working. Working 12- to 14-hour days, the car was designed and built in 120 days. For the race, the engine (enlarged to 4.2-L capacity, the maximum allowed by the regulations for "stock block" engines) had to be detuned because they were concerned it would not last the distance. Despite being more than 70 bhp down on

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