It’s All About Performance
From the very first SEMA Show in 1967, hot rodding has remained a highly influential niche within the specialty-equipment marketplace. That heritage was again on display at the recent SEMA Show’s Hot Rod Alley, where attendees were able to examine first hand the amazing parts and craftsmanship that go into custom-built rods. These are vehicles that can trace their lineage from post-WWII dry-lake racing, through the street scenes of the ’50s and the ’70s musclecar era, to the restomod movement of today.
A Classic Segment, Still Growing Strong
Who isn’t thrilled by the look and performance roar of a classic hot rod? Virtually synonymous with the earliest days of the automotive specialty-equipment industry, hot rodding never seems to grow old. In fact, the market segment has remained incredibly resilient, even in the face of the recently bumpy economy.
Performance Is Premium
Hot rods are at the heart of the automotive specialty-equipment industry. From the dry-lakes racers that flourished after World War II to the modern musclecars rolling out today’s factories, improved performance has always been at a premium. The New Products Showcase at the 2013 SEMA Show featured dozens of innovative introductions as well as featured products from performance companies throughout the industry.
The hot-rod market—the granddaddy of the automotive specialty-equipment industry—has seen some significant changes over the last few years based on both demographic and economic factors. The desire for modern amenities and advanced technology has increased with the aging of the Baby Boom generation. Styles and equipment have evolved to match those desires. From air suspension to classic gauges fitted with modern movements, and from keyless ignition to drive-by-wire throttle controls, the hot-rod world is keeping pace with developments in the rest of the automotive universe.
When word got out that
SEMA News was looking to identify future industry trends, our friends at
Popular Hot Rodding
presented us with the opportunity to feature their "What's Next?"
hot-rod builder story. The forecast on the future of hot rodding
originally ran in the September issue of
Popular Hot Rodding and will
no doubt be of interest to
SEMA News readers. Special thanks to the
folks at P
opular Hot Rodding for allowing us to
reprint the article in its entirety.
Each of us may have different definitions of what constitutes a “hot rod,” but we all know one when we see it.
During the last SEMA Show, 14,879 buyers went into the Las Vegas Convention Center to see the latest innovations in the hot-rod market. More than 70 exhibitors set-up booths in the Hot Rod Alley section, registering 90 products in the New Products Showcase.
"The old familiar sight of several roadsters at a Southern California
drive-in is fast fading away," wrote Tex Smith in the July 1959 issue of Hot
Rod magazine. Even 50 years ago, rodders were
concerned about the changes in their hobby.
