Presenting another authentic and awesome hot rod film short: Hot Rod Galahads from 1954. This one has a twist: It was produced not in Southern California but in Coral Gables, Florida. Join us for some vintage hot rod fun!
We love these old hot rod promotional films from the early 1950s, even though they all have essentially the same story. Enthusiastic but reckless young hot rod builders (“squirrels,” in the faux-hipster patter of this narrator) learn how to channel their automotive aggression into safe and supervised competition on a sanctioned drag strip.
Yep, it’s the very same angle employed in two previous vintage hot rod films featured here at Mac’s Motor City Garage: The Cool Hot Rod and Road Runners.
Sure, like we care about the plot. We’re here to see all the awesome vintage hot rods. They have a special look that today’s retro-rod builders struggle to imitate. This little eight-minute flick has an additional wrinkle in that the action takes place not in Los Angeles, the usual venue, but in Coral Gables, Florida. And the story is built around a real local hot rod club of the era, the Ramblers of Coral Gables. This is real-deal hot rodding right here—enjoy.
I’m going to have to watch this about a hundred times to get all the great lines. My favorite so far is “…and the carburetor cocktail is stirred”, while they’re violently shaking the car. Classic!
I almost fell off the sofa at that part. Geez how I love this stuff.
Brave, or crazy! The roll bars didn’t even go above their shoulders, how was that supposed to help anything? It simply amazes me sometimes what they got away with back then. It’s a wonder there’s any old hot rodders still around! I love it! Keep’em comming MCG!