Robert E. Petersen died on Friday, March 23, at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California at the age of 80, from neuroendocrine cancer. Petersen, an entrepreneur who created the largest special-interest publishing company in America, was instrumental in the evolution of the hot-rodding culture. In January 1948 Petersen launched Hot Rod Magazine, and hawked the magazine at local speedways for 25 cents a copy. Motor Trend, a more upscale publication for production car enthusiasts, and dozens of other titles aimed at specialty automotive segments soon followed.
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