The twenty years between 1945 and 1965 came to be known as the "Hot Rod Era" because the restoration of old cars became almost like the national sport of the United States. Everyone wanted a hot rod and that era spawned multiple different styles and types of hot rod cars.

"Hot Rod" is the name given to any vintage car, but it especially refers to a Ford that has been improved to enhance performance by reducing the weight of the vehicle. For this reason, most hot rods have minimalistic chassis with no roof, hood, windscreens or fenders. At times, the original engines of the car are also remove and replaced with lighter more efficient ones to raise the highest speed capacity of the vehicle. The modeling of a hot rod was considered a work of art and thus individuals loved to exhibit their re-done cars to the public. This generally happened at informal meets and short-distance, alleyway races until the year 1951. In this year, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) came in to existence to promote hot rod drag racing as a legitimate competitive sport. Apart from a racing event, what the NHRA really created was opportunity for hot rod car shows.

Hot rod car shows occur across the United States and other parts of the world every year. The most popular events are the California Hot Rod Reunion and the National Hot Rod Reunion, both organized by the NHRA. Through exhibitions of hot rods, the shows focus on increasing the popularity of the machines. The shows feature hot rod car swap meets that help prospective buyers and sellers come together as well drag races for different classes of cars. The show is designed to be a family event with many activities such as open-air barbeques and raffle contests. At times, fun fairs based on theme cars and makeshift car memorabilia museums are held to add to the crowd's enthusiasm.

The passes for these events are generally available through on-the spot registration. The average price per day for an adult is about $50 and for a child below sixteen, it is $10.