ZINIO Partners with MotorTrend Group for Launch of the Hot Rod Digital Archives

To celebrate HOT ROD's 75th anniversary, ZINIO worked with MotorTrend to convert over 70+ years of HOT ROD magazine to a digital format, free to all automotive fans. Free access to the HOT ROD Digital Archives to be provided through ZINIO's best-in-class digital reading technology, offering fans a responsive and optimized content experience.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn., Nov. 1, 2022  /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- ZINIO, the leading technology platform for digital magazines, has partnered with MotorTrend Group to digitally convert and provide access to over seven decades of the iconic HOT ROD Magazine, the most recognized brand in the world of high-performance cars since the brand was founded in 1948. HOT ROD will celebrate its 75th anniversary by providing free access to more than 70 years of prized archival content. Coinciding with the start of the SEMA Show on November 1st, classic car fans around the world can access the HOT ROD Digital Archives by registering for a free account at MotorTrend+.

"There is nothing better than celebrating HOT ROD's 75th anniversary by giving back to so many of our fans who have helped influence and contribute to car culture over the years," said editor-in-chief John McGann. "Over seven and a half decades, we recorded history as it happened, and our digital archives let you see that history firsthand. You can relive major milestones at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Pikes Peak, and the Indy 500. There are also tens of thousands of technical articles showing you how to build engines, paint a car and how to go racing. HOT ROD founder Robert Petersen would be proud that every article published prior to this year has been made available to all through the HOT ROD Digital Archives."

The HOT ROD Digital Archive will contain more than 900 magazine issues published from 1948 through 2021, with every single article and photo digitally converted over the last 18 months by HOT ROD into PDFs as well as easy-to-read, digital-friendly stories, totaling more than 128,000 pages of content. The Digital Archive takes readers from the early days of organized racing on the dry lake beds through the horsepower wars of the '60s to present day, with features on new cars, new engines, and new trends just as they were covered by the leading authority on high-performance vehicles at the time.

"We are very excited to be part of HOT ROD's 75th Anniversary celebration by supporting the launch of the HOT ROD Digital Archives. It was the perfect opportunity to showcase our digital conversion capabilities, and to demonstrate how our digital reading technology can be leveraged to deliver a best-in-class mobile reading experience, while maintaining the unique look and feel of HOT ROD magazine, as it has evolved over the last 75 years," said Director of Client Services at ZINIO, Jean Zamora.

ZINIO leveraged its proprietary technology to convert each HOT ROD magazine issue into a flexible digital format based on PRISM XML and developed custom templates to ensure optimal presentation of the resulting archive on mobile devices. Access to the content is delivered via the ZINIO Mobile Reader, embedded within the MotorTrend mobile app, and available on iOS and Android.

Supporting Resources

About ZINIO
ZINIO, a Naviga (Vista Equity) company, brings innovation and inspiration to the world of magazine publishers and consumers by delivering the ultimate digital reading experience on any device. As pioneers of the digital publishing industry for over a decade, ZINIO leads the digital magazine market in breadth of content and accessibility on any platform. For magazine publishers, ZINIO Pro converts print magazines to digital content through a SaaS platform that converts PDF to XML, offering publishers complete flexibility in managing and delivering their content in branded, native magazine applications for tablet, smartphone, and desktop, in searchable article databases, or on the growing network of ZINIO Pro distribution partners. For magazine consumers, ZINIO operates online newsstands and award-winning iOS, Android, Windows, and Kindle apps in more than 30 languages, providing the broadest selection of digital magazine content accessible on any platform that can be read online or offline, synced across multiple devices and searched for archival content.

About HOT ROD
HOT ROD has been the most recognized brand in the world of high-performance cars since the iconic American magazine was founded in 1948. Today, the authoritative HOT ROD media footprint includes the HOT ROD Network on MotorTrend.com; the two largest events of their kind, HOT ROD Power Tour and HOT ROD Drag Week; plus Roadkill, Roadkill Garage, and HOT ROD Garage shows on MotorTrend+, the only subscription streaming service dedicated entirely to the motoring world.

About MotorTrend Group
MotorTrend Group, a Warner Bros. Discovery company, is the world's largest automotive media
group dedicated to introducing, inspiring and intensifying people's passions for the motoring world. Comprised of more than 50 iconic brands including MOTORTREND, HOT ROD, ROADKILL, TOP GEAR AMERICA and more, MotorTrend Group is the ultimate source of entertainment and information for both auto enthusiasts and car shoppers, with a monthly audience of more than 26 million and over 110 million social followers. Featuring world-class automotive entertainment across the #1 television network for automotive fans, digital streaming channels including MotorTrend FAST TV, iconic events, the largest automotive social network, over seven decades of print and digital editorial content and cutting-edge resources for new car shoppers, MotorTrend embodies every corner of car culture. From electric vehicles to timeless classic customs, MotorTrend Group brings the latest motoring trends to fans of all generations.

Media Contact

Jean Zamora, ZINIO, +1.651.639.0662, [email protected]

Scott Shaffstall, MotorTrend Group, 800-800-6848, [email protected]

SOURCE ZINIO