The world of hot rodding owes an inestimable debt to Robert Einar “Pete” Petersen. Petersen, who passed away on March 23 from complications of neuroendocrine cancer, was a true American success story. Born in east Los Angeles in 1926 and modestly self-described as “just a kid from Barstow,” he founded one of America’s most successful magazine publishing companies.
Nearly 60 years ago, at barely 21 years old, Petersen set out to create a national publication to cover the fledgling hot rod community. HOT ROD magazine, and many other successes that followed–Motor Trend, Rod & Custom, Car Craft, Guns & Ammo, Teen, Savvy, and Skin Diver, to name just a few–grew beyond his wildest expectations. Bob Petersen was a self-made, tough, street-smart guy who never forgot his humble origins, and he…
