Hot Rods and Muscle Cars, the corner stones of Rock ‘n’ Roll transportation, but who of us know what a Muscle Car or a Hot Rod really is? In this feature of The Devil’s Steed we are going to look into the world of Hot Rods and Muscle Cars used by the rock stars.

First of all I would like to answer the question: ‘What is a Muscle Car and what is a Hot Rod?’

A Muscle Car is a two door rear wheel drive mid sized car with a whole lot of engine inside it. The purpose was to build a car that would be cheap in price and high on power. Although there are many Muscle Car manufacturers in the world, the innovation of it was done by the Americans in the late 60’s and 70’s.

Building on the American phenomenon and developing simultaneously in their own markets, Muscle Cars also emerged in their own fashions in Australia, South Africa, the UK and elsewhere.

Some of the more famous names in the Muscle Car era are;

1. Ford Mustang
2. Dodge Charger
3. Pontiac GTO
4. Plymouth Road Runner

And then we come to Hot Rods.

Built in the early 30’s, Hot Rods are typical American cars with large engines modified for linear speed. The origin of the word ‘Hot Rod’ is unclear but there are several theories about this. One explanation is that the term is derived from the term ‘Hot Roadster,’ meaning a roadster built for speed. Another explanation is that the mufflers were exposed and thus there was a ‘Hot Rod’ or hot muffler neck when the vehicle was running.

Coming back to the topic of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Muscle Cars and Hot Rods were featured in many music videos. Some of the famous ones you might know is Don’t Cry by Guns and Roses, where Slash drives a 1969 Ford Mustang off a cliff while his epic solo is playing in the background. Van Halen used the 1932 Ford Hi-Boy Phaeton Hot Rod for there video “Hot for Teacher”.

ZZ Top was a band who used Hot Rods frequently in videos primarily because Billy Gibbons is a vintage Hot Rod collector. Some of his cars featured in videos are:

• CadZZilla: Witch is a custom job done on a 1948 Cadillac series 62

• HogZZilla: To accompany his CadZZilla, Gibbons decided to have two Harley Davidson motorbikes converted to matching custom bikes

• Slampala: Based on a 1962 Chevrolet Impala.

• 8 Ball B: Based on a 1992 BMW 325i with a lowered hood/bonnet and distinct Pool-Billiard theme.

One of the more influential rides that Gibbons owned was the Eliminator. I don’t think there’s hardly a more iconic symbol of the early years of MTV than the Eliminator. The red hot 1933 Ford coupe has made appearances in many of there videos including “Gimme All Your Loving,” “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs.” Being the brain child of Gibbons, the Eliminator is the cornerstone of his lifelong fascination with Hot Rods. Mesmerized by its appearance in the 1974 motion picture, “The California Kid” Gibbons tracked down the owner, Pete Chapouris in the relentless journey to build him a similar vehicle as the one used in the film.

“Hot Rods and cars have been a passion of mine ever since I understood what the rolling wheel was all about,” says Gibbons. “The car that the world knows as the Eliminator Coupe came from a little old lady in Tucson, Arizona. She bought it new, and she parked it, and that’s where it stayed—pristine, untouched, unblemished, and ready to go. I bought it from her, but it took five long years to complete [the transformation into] the Eliminator car.”

Serving as one of the leading inspirations for two of ZZ Tops albums (1983’s Eliminator and the 1985 follow-up, Afterburner) the Eliminator Coupe made its MTV debut in the video for “Gimme All Your Loving.” A common issue that the bands in the 70’s had to face was the transition to video. ZZ Top embraced this new medium with passion and admiration to the art. A great deal of this success was due to the Eliminator, which especially proved to be potent combined with gorgeous models and a few other interests of the band.

A few more examples of famous Hot Rods owned by rock stars are;

• Kirk Hammett’s 1939 Ford Coupe.

• James Hetfield’s 1953 Buick Skylark.

• 1971 De Tomaso Pantera owned by The King him self.

• Plymouth Prowler given away by KISS in 1998.

Although this is mainly about Hot Rods and Muscle Cars, a special mention should be made about some other preferences of the rock stars. And for most of you when you read this, what will hit your head is that this part is about the Bikes and the Super Cars.

While the hot heads and the dangerous like to have the bells and whistles of the Muscle Car, there is an elite group of rock stars who enjoy the thundering roar of a Super Car. While the Muscle Car satisfies you in the most monstrous and primal of ways, the Super Car has a more thrilling effect on the senses. With its powerful engines and its precise engineering, super cars are for the brave at hart and loose pocketed. Yngwie Malmsteen, Axl Rose, Ozzy Osbourne being some of the fans of Super Cars, you tend to wonder if the most Super of the Rock Stars like the Super of the Cars.

With the Devil’s Steed’s insight into the 4 wheeled modes of transport, favored by the Rock ‘n’ Rollers of today, complete; stay tuned for the next installment where I walk you through….no wait, ride you through their two wheeled counterparts.

Photo credit – aresauburn / kafkan / mrflip / Well Oiled Machines / Senor Valasco / Ta7za