A few days ago I stopped in at the Roadster Shop in Mundelein.  This business builds custom street roads for customers all over the United States.  They have been kind over the years to allow me to shoot photos of their work parked on the showroom floor.  I can hardly remember a time when I was not smitten with the visual artistry of a hot rod, with the excess of untamed power coming from a motor built to make maximum horsepower.  It all began with copies of hot rod magazine that featured articles of West coast cars which were common in the California car culture of the 50s and the 60s.  And then in high school I fell in love with drag racing.

That era is receding in the rear view mirror.  Many things have changed.  Soon electric vehicles will be commonplace.  Electrics are appliances. Some even now drive themselves. There is nothing seductive, — no bite of hot asphalt, acrid aroma of gasoline, fabricated steel and gleaming paint, and of mechanical power that is animal-like .

I captured these photos upon my visit to the Roadster Shop showroom.  Nothing speaks more eloquently to the hot rod culture than a red Camaro.  Of course the motor is a crate engine, delivered to the shop for installation, built with care to produce a great deal of horsepower.  Whenever I happen to catch sight of one of these cars, I always ask myself, “Nowadays, where could one turn this beast loose, for an evening of street racing?”

As mentioned before, it is the backward glance at a bygone time, which always comes with a wave of wistful sadness.

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What about a tune, an anthem for this Monday “to launch” us into the week?  The drag racing metaphor is used without apology.  This one is perfect.  The Pied Piper by Crispian St. Peters from 1966 is iconic of the time.  The video  rendition was performed in 1980 with the same studied intensity as 25 years earlier when the song was composed and introduced by Pete Smith.

The Pied Piper

By Crispian St. Peters

You, with your masquerading
And you
Always contemplating
What to do
In case happiness has found you
Can’t you see
That it’s all around you
So follow me

Hey, come on, babe
Follow me
I’m the Pied Piper
Follow me
I’m the Pied Piper
And I’ll show you where it’s at

Come on, babe
Can’t you see
I’m the Pied Piper
Trust in me
I’m the Pied Piper
And I’ll show you where it’s at

Girl, don’t be scared to move
Hey, babe
What are you tryin’ to prove
It ain’t true
That your life has kicked you
It’s your mind
And that’s all that’s trickin’ you
So step in line

Hey, come on, babe
Follow me
I’m the Pied Piper
Follow me
I’m the Pied Piper
And I’ll show you where it’s at

Come on, babe
Can’t you see
I’m the Pied Piper
Trust in me
I’m the Pied Piper
And I’ll show you
Where it’s at

Come on babe
Follow me
I’m the Pied Piper
Follow me
I’m the Pied Piper
And I’ll show you
Where it’s at

Come on babe
Can’t you see
I’m the Pied Piper
Trust in me

I’m the Pied Piper
And I’ll show you
Where it’s at

Come on babe
Follow me
Come on babe
Trust in me

Come on babe
Can’t you see
Come on babe
Follow me
I’m the Pied Piper