Photography John Isaac/Magneto

The long, lonely stretch of road that is Camber Sands is the sort of place you’d usually hurry through to more pleasant pastures such as nearby Rye. Unless, that is, you’re holidaying at the massive Pontins holiday camp there or remotely interested in 50’s car culture.

If you are then you’ll know that Pontins is kept in business by hosting some of the biggest Rocking events this side of the Thames. Now in its 15th year the ‘Rhythm Riot ’ is as its promoters promise ‘3 days and nights of 50’s music and mayhem!’

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The Rhythmn Riot sells out months in advance and the holiday camp has never been so packed. Thousands of rockers from all over Europe and further afield descend on this damp stretch of Kent Coastline. With three different venues catering to the Lindy hopping, jiving crowd right through to late night Burlesque acts by the lovely Missy Malone, Cherry Shakewell, the music (and the mayhem) goes on every night until 5am; often continuing as impromptu Chalet parties until lunchtime!

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The Rocking scene has always gone hand in hand with a real love for classic American cars. This year’s Riot was no exception. The faded stucco of Pontins’ once grand frontage was an acreage of rusted out old jalopys, ridiculously overfinned Cadillac land yachts; Tri Chevies, Hillbilly trucks and everything in between. Even the odd British classic found its way into the melee.

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This year’s highlight was of course a visit from the legendary customiser George Barris, who’d flown over especially for the Riot. A UK based collection of Barris show cars was on display too, thanks to Gary Hillman. His taste for the weird and wonderful has curated an amazing collection, including one of the very few official Batmobile replicas complete with Batphone and flames out of the afterburner exhausts.

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The Vintage Hot Rod association and Jack Hammer Speed Shop had again helped out in bringing the Hot Rod/Custom element to the event. As well as curating the Barris cars the brought artists displaying pinstriping, great artwork from Jacqueline Davies, and a stunning ghoulish Model A hearse in black with so many one-off details you could have spent all day checking them out.

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On Sunday Rye’s local police had their hands full as they directed the traffic for the traditional cruise, ensuring the ‘normal’ cars didn’t interrupt the show for the Rye locals. The fully restored 1956 Bedford coach followed a mile long line of Americana, led by a smiling George Barris in his Batmobile.

The Riot is a grand tradition, bringing together people with an endlessly appealing passion. Long may it continue.

http://www.rhythmriot.com/

This friday it’s not so much that we’re fetishising a particular brand of motor. We’re just simply gobsmacked by the passion attention to imaginative detail that is demonstrated in these types of ground-up hot rod madness.

When you consider how much time, effort and money must have gone into the creation of these monstrosities, the mind boggles.

We can’t find out that much about these particular babies, except for the fact that the bubble-screened ‘Roach Coach’ (above) was built by a mysterious character known as ‘The Egyptian’ and is still in existence, locked up in a garage somewhere in Dayton, Ohio.

Somewhere in a deep childhood memory I can see a number of cars like these in my Hot Wheels collection.

Oh to have the time and resources to create a real live, driveable version. Hats off to the anonymous backyard visionaries behind this sort of engineering brilliance!

Images Magneto Photography for Influx

Dick Smith is widely known for his knowledge of all things Triumph. Having rebuilt his first engine at the tender age of eleven, he went on to work in the factories of BSA and Norton. Honing his skills here in an era when mechanical craftsmanship was a founding value of British manufacturing — it was perhaps inevitable that with the gradual shut-down of industry his own workshop would emerge – a phoenix rising out of the ashes.

Baron’s speed shop wasn’t actually born until 2003, conceived by Dick with his long time friend and business partner Del. The idea was to create a genuine hot rod speed shop specialising in various bike styles from the 50s and 60s – from bobbers and choppers to classic café racers.

The machines produced by the south London workshop quickly received the recognition from those in the know. With a wide range of high quality parts manufactured in-house along with punchy paint jobs and hopped up motors – Baron’s bikes have become popular on both sides of the Atlantic.

Dick has recently moved to larger premises down the road in Croydon. The new outlet is equipped to deal with anything the customer may need. They will take on everything from full engine rebuilds, manufacturing of bespoke parts and accessories to complete one-off fabrications.

There is always a cup of tea waiting for anyone that would like to discuss a new project. So drop in you might come out with more than you bargained for!

www.baronspeedshop.com

If you want to see a genuinely creative contemporary artist tapping into the history of American car culture, you could do a lot worse than to check out the work of Keith Weesner.

Of all the brushmen currently carrying forward the flame of hot rod culture, he’s doing the work with the most depth.

Playing with the clichés without throwing the baby out with the bath water, there’s a real sense of texture to his airbrush work. Obtuse references and allusions to fine art are all there.

But best of all he underlines the perennial association with California, cars and girls.

Power to his line.

If any car is quintessentially Californian, then it is a traditional bucket-bodied hotrod. And it doesn’t come much more traditional than Guido Brenner’s stunning metalflaked ride. Guido built the car he calls ‘the stinkin’ hotrod Lincoln’ from the ground up, piecing together an original steel body from a 1923 Model T Ford, a frame from a 1930 Model A. The rear end comes from a 1939 Mercury and the grille is from a 1937 Cadillac “She’s a real Mutt, Guido tells me, and while the finish is not 100 perfect, to me that is perfect, because she’s a traditional hot rod and in the ‘twenties there was no such thing as perfection.

The beast was hot out of the paintshop when I met Guido and car outside the Armory in San Francisco, where he works as the resident petrol head.

The thing about the Hot Rodding community here in California (and pretty much all over the world), is that knowledge is hard-won, and passed down from person to person. At least the good stuff.

“Some of the old guys don’t let everything out, you know, but I was able to prise out the sort of info about which frame might go with the right rear end, and what transmission would work with any particular engine.”

One thing is sure, weighing in at just a little under 1000lbs with an V12 flathead engine from a 1941 Lincoln Zephyr, the little ride flies. “It’s not too loud when she’s idling, he tells me, but when I put her out on the freeway it just roars, man!”

The idea of such a huge V12 (with pistons that are actually pretty small), was that it could produce a smooth but long-legged ride, perfect for longish distance cruises to car shows and club meets.

“There is an extensive network of car clubs here in the Bay Area. I’ve been kicked out of two of them.”

The perfect rebel car for the perfect rebel rider.

If you do have a Hot Rod, call Adrian Flux for your insurance on 0800 089 0050.