Rod & Custom’s Greatest Covers of the 50s

Its still hard for me to accept that Rod & Custom is no more… Sure, I know the reasoning, the business and economic issues, etc., but what an amazing 60+ year legacy in the hot rod publication world to give up the ghost and be replaced with Street Rodder! Well there was a time when R&C was a very fine little pages, merging editors and artist from Hop Up to create a premier magazine with beautiful and memorable color covers. I’ve attached of my 8 favorite covers from the 50s, and here’s why they work, at least for me:

August 1954- Girl and Car are always a winning combo when both are classy and color coordinated! The yellow and red graphics, roadster, and dress all work together to make this one classic.

November 1954- An overhead shot of the race team cover organized in a big X with graphics to make it pop! Who else was doing covers like this one at car magazines then? Nobody.

December 1954- The Bonneville Special is great issue and the first time a completely illustrated cover was featured. Dig that Belly Tanker flying under a slat flat sunrise.

December 1955- The Sam Barris Family convetible shot featured in a grocery store parking lot along with the wife, kids, and dog, of course. I love this ‘day in the life’ cover that featured regular people and a practical custom living in suburbia.

February 1956- This is just artsy but cool cover; Two guys wrenching on their injected Hemi coupe, perhaps on the salt of Bonneville. A single pale yellow car haloed in a solid burnt red cover is bold.

July 1956- Two rear ends hanging at the pool, nicely arranged. Well done, boys.

August 1956- The Ford F100 framed in a California Mission background. Its so tastefully done that it could have been a poster shoot or something as prestigious at an Ivy League’s university newsletter.

June 1957- By the late 50s, R&C covers were getting busier with loads of text and multiple car shots, vying for attention at the newsstand. This one however, managed to stay fairly clean, with just a front a rear shot of Spence Murray’s (pre-accident) Dream Truck. Who puts a front and rear shot of the same lone vehicle on their cover?