![ANNIVERSARY: Larry O'Toole poses in front of a photo of him in his workshop with a copy of Australian Street Rodding. Picture: CHRIS PEDLER ANNIVERSARY: Larry O'Toole poses in front of a photo of him in his workshop with a copy of Australian Street Rodding. Picture: CHRIS PEDLER](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/dNmjTCUWGCi8W4CsChEdGZ/e1090efe-2480-40fe-8b3b-448335419034.JPG/r0_747_2087_2860_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
In 1977 Larry O’Toole joined the team of a new niche magazine.
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With a background in publishing and a strong interest in hot rods, Mr O’Toole was confident that Australian Street Rodding would find its market.
He was right and Australian Street Rodding is preparing to celebrate its 40th anniversary.
The Castlemaine-based magazine is stocked in newsagents nationwide, has healthy subscriber based and is even popular overseas.
“We are good customers of the post office. We are a vibrant business that is well structured and has a lot of experience,” Mr O’Toole said.
“Our online store also has good sales of hot rod books and how-to DVDs. We also do a second magazine called Hot Rodding International that goes overseas.
“So we do an enormous amount of mail order. Every book you need to do things to a car, whether its chassis building, painting or engines, we have it.”
Mr O’Toole said the family-owned business is excited to celebrate the magazine’s milestone.
“We will have a small birthday celebration up at the Old Castlemaine Gaol to commemorate the magazine and launch a special cover of the magazine,” he said.
“The special cover will be available at the Australian Street Rod Federation Nationals at Easter and the Castlemaine Swap Meet.
“We launched the magazine at the nationals in Narrendra in 1977 and we have been going non-stop ever since.”
We launched... in 1977 and have been going non-stop ever since.
- Larry O'Toole
Mr O’Toole is also behind Castlemaine being named the hot rod capital of Australia.
He said he and his colleagues could see the potential in the idea during the 1970s.
“We put the signs up up 40 years ago, paid for them ourselves and branded the place,” he said.
“It wasn't very big but there was a pocket of interest. The formation of the Castlemaine Hot Rod Centre it has taken it to another level.
“There is now a whole resource centre built around this specialist automotive hobby.”
Australian Street Rodding is now owned by Mr O’Toole and his family after three of the original partners went their separate ways.
“My wife and myself own the company now and have since 1989,” he said.
“I'm semi-retired now and my son's the editor but we’re still family owned.”
Mr O’Toole said as a child he was always interested in mechanical things.
“I grew up on farm and was always playing with toy cars,” he said.
“I didn't quite know what wanted to do with cars until I went on holiday with mate of mine.
“In the house we were staying in there was a hot rod magazine, I picked it up and knew what wanted to do.”
The Australian Street Rod Federation Nationals at Bendigo’s Prince of Wales Showgrounds from April 14 to 17. It is open to the public on Easter Saturday and Sunday.