Hot Rod Car Enthusiasts

What will future hold for the hot rod and all those who love them so dearly?

The car has been long an emblem or icon of freedom. With the invention of automobile and later the mass production of the car, the lifestyle for the average American definitely changed. No longer was anyone tethered to the location in which they were raised. People were now free to explore, in comfort, the world at large. It didn't take long at all for the car to become integrated with all facets of popular culture. However, various subcultures also developed right along with the automobile. One of these subcultures also found another form of freedom -- freedom of expression.

After WWII, the United States developed a strong middle class. In fact, this was arguably the strongest middle class in all of history. As a result of this development there were literally millions of Americans with a significant amount of disposable income available to them. One trend that developed among a certain subculture was to customize, tweak, and reengineer their cars. Some did it to personalize their automobiles while others were seeking to increase performance; mainly speed. Members of this subculture ranged from the hobbyist to the full-blown fanatic and everything in between.

This trend has continued and most likely even expanded in the present day. The custom car parts and service industry have exploded and contribute...

economy. Car customization has grown into a $31 billion-a-year industry, according to the California-based Specialty Equipment Marketing Association (Zaragoza). Though the Auto Customization Shops industry suffered as a result of the recession, consumers have increased their discretionary spending, and the industry is regaining traction (IBIS World). There are amateur racing organizations spread out all around the country where people race their modified production cars. Others hold rallies where they show off their personalized and customized cars which many consider as much of an art as it is a science. However, as with most subcultures, these individuals are often misunderstood. An image has developed which stereotypes this subculture as somehow ill-intentioned or criminal in nature.
One consequence of being negatively stereotyped is that the group is facing increased regulations from local, state, and national governments. Although many members of these groups may not care to admit it, but hot rodding has a long history of running afoul of the law; making a car go faster or radically altering its appearance is generally at odds with law enforcement officials as well as many other public officials (Hardin). Therefore in many areas of the U.S. one might find a set of local regulations that prohibit or regulate such things as muffler noise, engine noise, window tinting, stereo noise, or any other of a number…