Hot Rod Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 1, January 1948, Original Issue, Very Rare For Sale

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Hot Rod Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 1, January 1948, Original Issue, Very Rare:
$1948.00

This is a rare find for any Hot Rod enthusiast or magazine collector! A vintage example of the January 1948 Issue of Hot Rod Magazine is now available for purchase, that's Vol.1, No.1, the first issue. This will be a valuable addition to any hot rod collection as an Icon of the hot rod culture in Southern California in the late 1940s where the hot rod craze started. I found this magazine in the attic of an old farm house in about 1996. I was told that years earlier it had been in a box of personal property saleed off at a farm sale. Having been a life-long reader of Hot Rod Magazine I knew exactly what it was and it is not one of the reproductions printed in the 80's and 90's. The patina and condition of the paper are evidence that it is an original. It has a pre-printed mailing label affixed to the front cover that displays an address in Los Angeles, the format of the address predates ZIP codes which were introduced in 1963. My speculation is that this copy is from the original printing and was one of a number that were mailed to SCTA club members in advance of the First Annual Hot Rod Exposition in Los Angeles in January 1948. This first issue is largely a SCTA club newsletter but was sold to the public at the exposition and I think also at some other SCTA events but was not on newsstands as I understand the history. The condition is reasonably good for a 75 year old magazine but it is of course fragile. All pages and the front and rear covers are present The cover is torn at the spine but not completely separated. There is one small doodle on p.14 but no other major marks or stains. The doodle appears to be pencil and may be removable. The magazine measures 12-3/8 by 9-1/8 inches approximately and has two original staples. There is some controversy regarding the size of the originals and I attempted to authenticate originality with both Peterson Museum and Hot Rod/Motor Trend but best I could get is a "It's plausible" from the museum and disappointingly Hot Rod did not reply to my inquiry. I doubt if anyone knows how many original copies exist but it can't be many (at the time the SCTA had about 700 members) so there is not much with which to compare it. Included in this lot is p.148 from the September 2013 Issue of Hot Rod that carries a brief story about the first issue, and a mint metal medallion issued by Hot Rod to commemorate the original issue. Ships to USA lower 48 states only unless agreed to otherwise. Happy to answer any questions that I can. Thanks for your interest.