Few vehicles evoke the spirit of Southern California motoring like hot rods. In the 1930s and 1940s, racing on the dry lakebeds of the Mojave Desert brought together cars and drivers from throughout the area. News of cars that raced at these weekend meets was spread through publications such as Hot Rod magazine and many motorists with a mechanical aptitude were inspired to modify their own cars to improve their performance. The popularity of hot rodding spread rapidly as countless enthusiasts transformed their cars (preferably 1932 Fords) from workaday drivers to highway scorching street and racing machines in their own garages and sheds. Whether weekend tinkerer or expert, these aficionados used the wide variety of equipment available over the counter at local speed shops to create a near infinite variety of vehicles that, while top performers, also served to express their owners’ highly individualistic tastes. The Bruce Meyer Hot Rod Gallery brings together some of the most publicized and best remembered rods of all time in a celebration of their grace, power, and rugged beauty.