Classic 50's Hot Rod and Open Road Film Collection DVD

$14.97     Qty:


SKU: A83

This DVD contains a variety of films that explore the 50's hot rod phenomenon as well as Mobilgas "Safety and Economy: competition. The hot rod films are wrapped in stories about how youthful energy can be converted to something constructive and controlled by joining hot rod groups and expending their energies in a more constructive manner. These films contain excellent footage of 50's style hot rod competitions and meets - a must see for any serious hot rod buff.

Product Details

This DVD contains a variety of films that explore the 50's hot rod phenomenon as well as Mobilgas "Safety and Economy" competition. The hot rod films are wrapped in stories about how youthful energy can be converted to something constructive and controlled by joining hot rod groups and expending their energies in a more constructive manner. These films contain excellent footage of 50's style hot rod competitions and meets - a must see for any serious hot rod buff. You will see a variety of classicly styled 50's hot rod cars, street rods and rat rods as well as vintage drag racing scenes.

As a bonus we are also including a film from the 1930's showing a classic Soap Box derby. While not really a hot rod film as there are no engines involved in these street rods, lots of folks who built these racers as children grew up to embrace the hot rod mentality in later years. As such, it makes an interesting backgroud piece to add to this fascinating collection.

Here are all the films that make up this two hour historical collection:

Ingenuity in Action (1958)

rat rod unloading from its trailerstreet rod competition
classic drag racing cardrag race in action

A hot rod movie that explains how to prepare a hot rod for entry into a car show and an example of how fanatical hot rodders travel across the country to participate in show and races all over the United States. Includes great scenes of drag racing, American hot rod cars and street rod people having a good time. The drag racing videos in this film are classic 50's hot rods events.

This film features the following people:

Chuck Jones, racer from Long Beach, California
Wally Parks, president of NHRA
Ed Cole, general manager of Chevrolet
Robert Petersen, publisher of Hot Rod Magazine
Mr. Tex Colbert, president of Chrysler Corporation

Producer: Sid Davis Productions
Audio/Visual: Sound, Color
Run time: 26:24

 

A Cool Hot Rod (1953)

classic 50's hot rodPoliceman guiding a young hot rodder
getting ready for the drag race

Uses narration by a teenager to show how a hot rod club contributes to safe driving through its strict membership rules and restriction of speed runs to 'DRAG STRIPS.'. The film was made in association with Hot Rod Magazine and also involved was Socony-Vacuum (Mobilgas). It was filmed in Inglewood, CA, with the help of the local police and two of the car clubs in that area. Includes great vintage hot rods, street rods, drag racing cars and rat rods.

Production Company: Sid Davis Productions
Audio/Visual: sound, Black & White
Run time: 26:10

 

Road Runners (ca. 1952)

checking the engine of his street rod

Outlaw hotrodders become law-abiding gearheads after a community organizes supervised racing clubs and timing associations. Offers good shots of hot rods and street rods of that era.

Producer: Unknown
Audio/Visual: Sound, Black & White
Run time: 11:46

 

On the Run (1956)

The story of a Mobilgas Safety Economy Run put on by the California AAA (supervised by Ray Burton in San Francisco).. This film shows how Mobilgas paired experienced racing drivers with interested teens to run a race in the San Francisco area - with the key emphasis being safety and fuel conservation during the race.

The film shows how several high schools got involved in the race and how it educated many teens on the importance of safe and courteous driving. It features many excellent period cars competing in the race as well as a variety of shots of the San Francisco area. This is a classic unmodified street rod compeition with the emphasis being safety and gas mileage rather than speed.

Producer: Sid Davis Productions
Audio/Visual: Sound, Color
Run time: (film is incomplete - this portion runs for 12:39)

 

Show 'Em the Road (1954)


This film is another Mobilgas Safety and Economy competition. The two day race goes from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to the Hoover dam and then back home. A key part of the race was fuel economy and they show the steps they took to ensure everyone started at the same point (i.e. known amounts of gas in the tanks) and how each car was weighted so they could calculate a ton mileage formula to help them determine the winner.

Producer: Sid Davis Productions
Audio/Visual: Sound, Color
Run time: 26:05

 

The All-American Soap Box Derby (1936)

Watch the 1936 All-American Soap Box Derby. This film, sponsored by General Motors, shows how American boys were using their talents and energy to build these racers and how this energy is actually building upstanding, productive future citizens. It follows the story of several depression era boys and their journey from home tinker to full fledged soap-box racers. The film has a variety of excellent scenes of the actual race and is quite exciting.

This film is included in this collection because many of these boys grew up to be the hot rodders of the 40's and 50's - with the soap-box derby giving them their first taste of speed and competition and taking away their fear of tinkering to squeeze every last ounce of performance out of whatever type of verhicle they were driving.

Producer: Jam Handy Organization
Audio/Visual: Sound, Black & White
Run time: 10:26