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Hot Rod Year 1981 Magazine Back Issues

1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2011 | 2012 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023

Hot Rod Jan 1981
Hot Rod January 1981 magazine back issue cover image

Buying Choices
Hot Rod January 1981

Features
Ford Performance Parts Guide
Incredible New Chevy Heads
455 Olds Bracket Buildup
How To Get Better Fule Economy

 


Hot Rod Feb 1981
Hot Rod February 1981 magazine back issue cover image

Buying Choices
Hot Rod February 1981

Features
How To Buy Your First Car
Mopar Magic-Winning On A Budget
460 Ford Performance Buildup
Pontiac Phoenix Turbocharged V6

 


Hot Rod Mar 1981
Hot Rod March 1981 magazine back issue cover image

Buying Choices
Hot Rod March 1981

Features
Low-Cost Camaro/Firebird Tips
What You Should Know About Car Insurance
Special Section: Tool & Workshop Ideas
Ford's All-New' 81 1/2 Sports Coupes

 


Hot Rod Apr 1981
Hot Rod April 1981 magazine back issue cover image

Buying Choices
Hot Rod April 1981

Features
More Power Per Dollar: Nitrous Oxide Hop-Up Tricks
In Color! Vintage Camaros
Pro-Gas Mopar Part 1
Kit Cars! Giant 10-Page Section

 


Hot Rod May 1981
Hot Rod May 1981 magazine back issue cover image

Buying Choices
Hot Rod May 1981

Features
New! Street Twin Turbo Setup
How To Fit Wide Tires & Wheels
Big-Block Mopar Pro Gas Buildup
Buttera's Street Rod Tips

 


Hot Rod Jun 1981
Hot Rod June 1981 magazine back issue cover image

Buying Choices
Hot Rod June 1981

Features
Camaro Suspension Shootout
255 Mustang Street Fighter
First Look! Indy Stock-Block Chevys
Super Section: Handling

 


Hot Rod Jul 1981
Hot Rod July 1981 magazine back issue cover image

Buying Choices
Hot Rod July 1981

Features
Behind The Ultimate! Nitrous Small-Block Chevy
Return Of The Yenko Camaro
Weekend Thrills: Parking Lot Racing

 


Hot Rod Aug 1981
Hot Rod August 1981 magazine back issue cover image

Buying Choices
Hot Rod August 1981

Features
Turbo Challenge: New Street Superchargers
Exclusive: Fuel Injection For The Street!
Dick Landy's 8-Second Mopar Secrets
In Color: Street Rod Drags

 


Hot Rod Sep 1981
Hot Rod September 1981 magazine back issue cover image

Buying Choices
Hot Rod September 1981

Features
Street-Build Chevy's Target V8
Junkyard Swap: Rear Disc Brakes
On The Dyno! Crower's MPG Engine Kit
Wil Street-Chevys!

 


Hot Rod Oct 1981
Hot Rod October 1981 magazine back issue cover image

Buying Choices
Hot Rod October 1981

Features
For 1982: Chevy's New Fuel Injection
How To Build Street Engines For The '80s
Special Section: Super Hot Street VWs

 


Hot Rod Nov 1981
Hot Rod November 1981 magazine back issue cover image

Buying Choices
Hot Rod November 1981

Features
Bill Jenkins Builds A Chevy V6
Mustang Spotter's Guide '64 1/2-81
Mustang Magic
Shop Series: Clutch Basics

 


Hot Rod Dec 1981
Hot Rod December 1981 magazine back issue cover image

Buying Choices
Hot Rod December 1981

Features
50 Low-Buck Tips!
Custom Disc Brake Systems: Select-Install-Tune
New Holley Carb Kit-Rejet While You Drive!

 

1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2011 | 2012 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023
Robert E. Petersen launched Hot Rod magazine in 1948 to coincide with the first Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) Exposition in Los Angeles. This magazine closed a needed gap in hot rod coverage after the demise of Throttle magazine at the start of World War II. It gained success quickly, and many imitators followed. Petersen's success allowed him to launch Motor Trend and many other titles.

The first magazines were 9" by 12" and were bigger than the popular pocket- or digest-sized magazines that came later. The size was reduced to 8-1/2" by 11" with the October, 1949 issue. This magazine marks the beginning of a golden age in automotive publications, and it set the style for much more to come.

Hot Rod has always been a generalist rodding magazine, successfully covering all aspects in the world of wheels from hot rods, customs, muscle cars, drag racing, dune buggies, vans, etc. Like other Petersen titles like Car Craft, in the mid-1960s content began slowly shifting away from pre-1948 vehicles and instead embraced Detroit classics from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. This fact is represented by the re-grouping of the title into the performance & muscle genre for all issues from 1965 forward.

Rod & Custom was a sister magazine in the Petersen empire. When it ended for a second time in May 1974, it was folded into Hot Rod magazine.

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