Heroes of American Hot Rodding: The Coolest Hot Rods Of All Time

Year: 2007
Estimated Value: $340,000*
Designed by: Chip Foose

Chip Foose became a household name thanks to his design of the Hemisfear, a hot rod that he actually began developing back in 1990 when he was a college student. The owner of Foose Studios, a design center, Chip Foose wanted to design a supercar that was part hot rod and part custom.

Hemisfear @Tony Thacker/stateofspeed

This custom coupe went into production in 2007. The Hemisfear came with a 6.4L Mopar Hemi-V8 engine with a displacement of 392 cubic inches. The pre-production prototype came in bright green, though there were several made in other bright colors. Foose designed the exterior with pure carbon fiber.

Year: 1932
Estimated Value: $700,000*
Designed by: Tom McMullen

Tom McMullen was described by one publication as one of hot rodding’s most important figures. He based his 1932 Deuce Roadster on the flame designs by Big Daddy Roth. McMullen bought the Deuce Roadster in 1958, and it took him twelve years to modify it to his specifications and make it the hot rod he wanted it to be.

Deuce Roadster @pinimg/Pinterest

This hot rod won the World’s Most Iconic Hot Rod award, and it also ran races in Indy and Pomona, in addition to appearing on the covers of various magazines. It set a speed record at Bonneville and El Mirage Dry Lake.

Year: 1933
Estimated Value: $70,000
Designed by: Don Thelan

ZZ Top frontman Billy Gibbons is a well-known fan of hot rods, and his ZZ Top Eliminator was one of his most famous vehicles, as it made appearances in several of the band’s music videos. This hot rod was based on a 1933 Ford, and it was chopped in the eighties. It came with a Turbo 350 transmission, four-barrel carburetor, and a V8 engine. 

The ZZ Top Eliminator Car @Classic Rock in Pics/Facebook

The steel body came three windows, and it was named “The Eliminator” after the 1983 ZZ Top album of the same name (which went multi-platinum). This hot rod, as a finishing touch, had the ZZ top logo milled into its valve corners. 

Year: 1941
Estimated Value: $93,500*
Designed by: Squeeg Jerger

One of the more unusual-looking vehicles on this list is the 1941 Squeeg Jerger Ford. This Ford was created by the late, great Dave Bell, the name behind Squeeg Jerger. Bell wanted to create a cartoon-like vehicle, and, with this red, bubbly Ford, he definitely achieved that goal.

41 Ford @hotrodhotline.com/Pinterest

Bell was inspired when he saw a book on how to draw cars. He took that inspiration and began to craft the hot rod from sheet aluminum laying around his studio. He hammer-welded all of the headlights, and he modified the rear bumper to have its exhaust tips end there.

Year: 1958
Estimated Value: $200,000*
Designed by: George Montgomery

George Montgomery was a machinist-turned-racer in 1953. He used a 1933 Willys Jeep to make an exciting drag racer. The original specimen for the hot rod was old and beat up when the machinist bought it. Montgomery turned it into such a successful racer that he was paid to run dragstrips.

1933 Willys @jalopyjournal.com/Pinterest

He became a full-time drag racer in 1963, and he was one of the first ones to do so. The Jeep he made into a hot rod had a Ford V8 engine and got up to 1,200 horsepower. He made it in his garage in Dayton, Ohio.

Year: 1954
Estimated Value: $250,000 – 375,000*
Designed by: Max Balchowsky 

Nicknamed the “Backyard Special,” Max Balchowksy’s Old Yeller II was part of his engine-swapping prowess. The hot rod was made in 1959 and cost him $1,456.72 to make. This Old Yeller II was a sequel to the original Old Yeller junkyard vehicle he made; the sequel was just more refined and faster.

Old Yeller @ChangeSparkChiangrai/Facebook

He rejected racing tires and instead used tires from a Chrysler a wagon. Old Yeller got over three hundred horsepower and could do 0 to 60 in less than four seconds, thanks to a nailhead V8 engine. It came with, of course, a bright yellow paint job (a nod to the Golden Retriever).

Year: 1954
Estimated Value: $250,000*
Designed by: The Chrisman Brothers 

The 1954 Chrisman Bonneville Coupe was (and remains) one of the hottest cars in America. Recently at auction, one of these vehicles sold for $250,000. The ’54 CBC was a record-setter at the time. It set its first record in 1953, when the Chrisman brothers reached a speed of 163.63MPH, a first at the time.

Chrisman Bonneville Coupe @throttlextreme.com/Pinterest

Then, in 1954, it hit a speed that was even higher. It peaked in 1955, when that model pushed the car to a new world record of over 196MPH. The person to whom it was auctioned off was George Barris, who was the designer of the Batmobile.

Year: 1965
Estimated Value: $4.2 million*
Designed by: George Barris 

We couldn’t have a list of the greatest hot rods without including the original Batmobile. The Batmobile cost designer George Barris $15,000 to make, but sold at auction for $4.2 million as a piece of classic American cinema. The first Batmobile was based on a 1955 Lincoln Futura concept vehicle.

The Batmobile @Michael van Osch/flickr

It was built/modified for the classic Batman TV series, starring Adam West, in 1965, and it hit the road in 1966. While Barris’ remodeling costs were $15K, he was able to purchase the original Futura for just $1. Barris kept the Batmobile in his private collection for years until selling it in 2012.

Year: 1956
Estimated Value: $436,750*
Designed by: Dean Jeffries

Described by one publication as the leader in “Porsche outlaw culture,” Dean Jeffries’ 1956 custom-made Porsche 356 A Karrera was owned by Jefferies for forty-five years. Jeffries took a Porsche and made it into a pearlescent silver hot rod. The interior was custom-made black leather.

1956 356 Kustom Karrera @pursang356.tumblr/Pinterest

The engine was a DOHC Flat Four 1600 Carrera, and the transmission was a 716 four-speed. Since the vehicle’s restoration, there have been less than 100 miles put on the odometer. Before that, this Kustom Karrera saw 30,473 miles in total. Right now, it is sitting in a temperature-controlled garage in Atlanta, Georgia.

Year: 1960
Estimated Value: $1 million*
Designed by: Mickey Thompson

Mickey Thompson was nicknamed the “fastest man on wheels.” He drove his quadruple-engine vehicle at work, attempting to break the 400MPH barrier. He was successful, and he set a land speed record of nearly 407MPH at the Bonneville Salt Flats. His son, Danny Thompson, would set a similar record fifty years later.

Challenger I @hotrod.com/Pinterest

Mickey’s Bonneville was not only unique because of the engines, plural, but also because of the body shape. He was one of the first hot rodders to realize that body shape affects speed. He tapered down the hot rod to give it flat, long lines and a narrow car top.

Year: 1940
Estimated Value: $374,000*
Designed by: Boyd Coddington

This 1940 Ford Pickup actually sold for nearly $400K at an auction because it was designed and customized into a hot rod by Boyd Coddington. The truck was portrayed on the show American Hot Rod, and it also had a guest appearance on Classic Cars with Wayne Carini. Coddington’s son verified it as a Boyd creation.

1940 Ford Pickup @ Boyd Coddington Jr./Pinterest

The ’40 pickup had a powerful V8 Ford 351 engine and came with a fully reupholstered interior and three speed auto transmission. It also had air conditioning from Vintage Air installed, as well as a dual-exhaust system, power brakes, a new steering wheel and more.

Year: 1939
Estimated Value: $407,000*
Designed by: Boyd Coddington

A classic Boyd Coddington masterpiece is the smooth, unique Led Zephyr. This vehicle was based on a 1939 Lincoln Zephyr. It was the first car of its kind, and Coddington started his work using a custom build Art Morrison chassis. 

Led Zephyr @r/Hotrod/Reddit

He used his own front and rear suspension, and he used an air suspension system so that the car would get the smooth, low to the ground look. The engine was eight-cylinders, and the exterior of this vehicle came in bright yellow or silver. The interior was all-tan. The Led Zephyr used a flat-metal stock to make the body.

Year: 1929
Estimated Value: $577,500*
Designed by: Dick Flint

One of the most iconic images in the history of Hot Rod Magazine is that of the 1929 Ford Roadster, designed by Dick Flint. It graced the magazine’s cover in 1952 as the “Hot Rod of the Month.” This Flint creation was made alongside Neil Emory and Dean Batchelor. Flint wanted to make a hot rod that would be impervious to wind resistance.

1929 Ford Roadster @Michael Furman/silodrome.com

This hot rod reached 143.54MPH at the El Mirage, thanks to its powerful engine and race car inspired body design. It also won several awards. The ’29 Roadster was a class winner at the Grand National Roadster Show and Pebble Beach.

Year: 1937
Estimated Value: $250,000*
Designed by: Ken “POSIES” Fenical

The 1937 Extremeliner Woodie, designed by POSIES, comes with a Chevy LT1 V8 engine and a modified GM 700R4. This hot rod gets 400 horsepower with 350 cubic inches of displacement. The vehicle is based on the 1937 Studebaker, just with a heavy art-deco influence. It was featured at the Merrick Auto Museum prior to sale.

1937 Studebaker Extremeliner Woodie @gatsbyonline.com/Pinterest

This hot rod has a chassis that is built using Corvette components. It also was somewhat modeled on the Lincoln Zephyr, at least in terms of its smooth exterior. It has eleven-inch disc brakes, coilover shocks, and independent front suspension, as well as overdrive transmission.