YOU'VE COME A LONG WAY BABY

75 YEARS OF HOT ROD DESIGN

- MARKAS PLATT

From a small, but intrepid beginning in 1948, HOT ROD magazine has developed into arguably the most recognizable rodding brand on the planet. Along the way there have been a cornucopia of creative people whose input, style and talent have all helped shape the brand. The goal, of course, has always been to incorporate the perfect mix of graphic design, style, photography, edit, and the ever-present advertising. Flipping through a July 1949 issue, barely one year into life, it was easy to see Art Director Al Isaacs was working hard to find the formula of how best to achieve that. One thing was certain, the cars and people must always be the stars. The trick has always been how best to marry the whole shebang to create an editorially and visually stimulating product. That's where the art directors get to shine.

Early issues were rarely over 30 pages, with covers consisting of three elements: the logo, an image, and the month/year. No bells, no whistles, not even a headline. Funny how that style would make an appearance decades later-but I digress. All were printed in black and white including photography, artwork, and illustrations, with limited use of spot color-usually red-on plain, porous paper. Not so flashy right? But it was a solid beginning. That classic red would go on to be a very important part of the HOT ROD identity and was incorporated into the branding going forward, right up to what we use today. Inside those 30 pages, more than 65 ads had to be accommodated, and so the grand jigsaw puzzle began.

The Tools To Produce