Rod & Custom at Bonneville in 1954

Rod & Custom went to Bonneville for the 1954 Speed Trails, and in a bold editorial move, actually made a 10 page photo story about their trip. It shows how pivotal the SCTA event was for the identity and the growth of hot rodding in the US in the early 50s. It’s great to see the ingenuity and wide variety of race cars just 5 years into the annual meet. The magazine also noted the changing of the guard beginning that year, as factory OHV V8 motors like the mighty Mopar Hemi and GM offerings began to knock down Flathead-powered records, one by one. Overall, I think this is a really excellent look back at Bonneville from 66 years ago, and for those without this magazine in their collection, you might have never seen this!