Regardless of being admired or mocked, rat rods are a work of personalization. They harbor innovation instead of conformity, functionality instead of precision, and enthusiasm instead of refinement.

The hot rod dates way back to the 1920s, but found its cultural footing in post-World War II America. Soldiers armed with mechanical training picked up cheap Ford Model Ts and found ways to make them ...

Rat rods aren’t anyone’s idea of typical cars. T.J. Lutkins, 46, of St. Clair Shores, said his 1950 Ford Custom, “affectionately known as a Shoebox by car afficionados,” might even be too ratty for ...

The 2025 Shiny Rust Hot Rod show took place over the weekend at the Oakland Expo Center in Waterford, Michigan. It focused on classic cars, and shiny or rusty, big or small, they had them all on ...