Hot Rod Empire: Robert E. Petersen and the Creation of the World’s Most Popular Car and Motorcycle Magazines

211 Pages·2018·252.13 MB·English

by  Matt Stone, Ed Iskenderian, Gigi Carleton

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HOT ROD EMPIRE
ROBERT E. PETERSEN AND THE CREATION OF THE WORLD’S MATT STONE
with GIGI CARLETON
MOST POPULAR CAR AND MOTORCYCLE MAGAZINES
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HOT ROD EMPIRE
ROBERT E. PETERSEN AND THE CREATION OF THE WORLD’S MATT STONE
with GIGI CARLETON
MOST POPULAR CAR AND MOTORCYCLE MAGAZINES
FOREWORD BY
ED ISKENDERIAN
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© 2018 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. Text © 2018 Matt Stone
First published in 2018 by Motorbooks, an imprint of The Quarto Group, 401 Second Avenue North, Suite 310, Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA.
T [phone] F [phone]
www.QuartoKnows.com
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the copyright owners. All images in this
book have been reproduced with the knowledge and prior consent of the artists concerned, and no responsibility is accepted by producer,
publisher, or printer for any infringement of copyright or otherwise, arising from the contents of this publication. Every effort has been made
to ensure that credits accurately comply with information supplied. We apologize for any inaccuracies that may have occurred and will resolve
inaccurate or missing information in a subsequent reprinting of the book.
Motorbooks titles are also available at discount for retail, wholesale, promotional, and bulk purchase. For details, contact the Special Sales
Manager by email at [email protected] or by mail at The Quarto Group, Attn: Special Sales Manager, 401 Second Avenue North,
Suite 310, Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA.
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ISBN: 978-0-7603-6069-9
Digital edition published in 2018
eISBN: 978-0-7603-6070-5
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file
Acquiring Editor: Zack Miller
Project Manager: Alyssa Lochner
Art Director: Brad Springer
Cover Designer: Emily Wiegel
Design and Layout: Silverglass Design
Front cover: The Petersen photographer photographs Petersen the photographer! Petersen staffer Eric Rickman credits Lee Blaisdell with
bagging this great shot of Robert E. Petersen on the salt or the dry lakes with his big Speed Graphic Pressmaster view camera capturing a
stripped-down roadster on a top speed run, likely during the late 1940s. Petersen Photo Archive / TEN: The Enthusiast Network
Back cover: The November 1950 Hot Rod cover. Petersen Photo Archive / TEN: The Enthusiast Network
Back flap: The famous Bob McGee ’32 Ford Roadster. Petersen Foundation collection
Front endsheet: Two Hot Rod enthusiasts parked in front of Petersen Publishing Company’s 1950s headquarters at 5959 Hollywood
Boulevard. Petersen Photo Archive / TEN: The Enthusiast Network
Back endsheet: R. E. P. in front of the 1966 Chrysler Imperial built and customized for use in The Green Hornet TV series. Petersen Foundation
collection
On the frontis: Herman Russell preparing to hit the track at Bonneville, circa 1950. Petersen Photo Archive/TEN: The Enthusiast Network
T On the title page: Wally Parks waves out the window of the “Suddenly” Plymouth. Petersen Photo Archive/TEN: The Enthusiast Network
At right: One of many Petersen Publishing vans that supported teams at the races, on the road, or out on road tests. Petersen Photo
2 Archive/TEN: The Enthusiast Network
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We dedicate this work to those who lived the story. First and foremost,
this book is dedicated to the incomparable Margie and Robert E. Petersen for being the epic, big-
spirited people they were, for giving birth to the many movements and institutions that bear their name,
and for making an impact on everything associated with the words “hot rod.” We also dedicate this book
to the unfulfilled memory of Bobby and Richie Petersen, and to all citizens of the Hot Rod Empire.
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CONTENTS
Foreword by Ed Iskenderian 9
Preface: Gigi Carleton 15
Preface: Bruce Meyer 17
Introduction 20
1:
Meet Pete—A Star Is Born 26
CHAPTER
2:
Petersen Publishing Company Goes from 0 to 60 40
CHAPTER
3:
The Swinging ’60s and the Hot Rod King finds a Queen 76
CHAPTER
4:
Into the ’70s, ’80s, and Beyond—Petersen People, Places, and Things 96
CHAPTER
5:
Planes, (No Trains), Automobiles, and Other Personal Pursuits 132
CHAPTER
6:
The Petersen Automotive Museum—The Final Gem
CHAPTER
in the Petersen Crown 166
Epilogue 194
Acknowledgments 204
Index 205 CC
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About the Authors 208 / /
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