The history of Hot Rods dates back to the 1920s.

The teenagers picked up Ford Model T cars for a small price or even for free as many were discarded by the roadsides across America.

These cars were stripped of all unnecessary weight such as fenders, running boards, and anything which would interfere with the speed for racing on the streets. Needless to say, many kids in the 1930’s were killed in accidents and hot rodding developed a bad reputation.

At the start of the Second World War many young men were shipped overseas and their beloved hot rods were laid up for the war years.

After the war ended, those lucky enough to return, many with new engineering and mechanical skills picked up from working on planes, ships, tanks and vehicles applied these skills to their hot rods.

The Model A and the 1932 Ford being the mainstay of cars for hot rodding, received much bigger engines, better brakes, new gearing in the axles and most of all multiple carburettors.

Santa Barbara in California is recognised as the 1st home of hot rodding in the late 1940s. Goleta and old WW2 Marine air bases became the official home for off road racing. The bases perimeter road known as Firestone Avenue was the race track, and many races were held there throughout the 40s and 50s.

Velocity Vintage Drags pays homage to those early hot rodding days, bringing back the nostalgia and atmosphere of a bygone era.