I just have to watch the latest episode to see if Frosty and I are in the background.

Bummer, the whole MotorTrend production company is kaput. 

Yes, I watched David Freiburger (Roadkill host) tell the entire story on You Tube of the collapse of the Motortrend family of shows.  I knew that something had recently changed when EVERYTHING had gone to binge-length reruns of old shows.  According to David, he has gone back to You Tube and he believes that everybody else will also do that - some may be behind a pay wall type of service.   Ian Rousseau of Full Custom also was very coy about his recent changes a while back. 

So, I have subscribed to as many of these You Tube channels as possible and will see how it goes.

Rick

 

I watched Freiburger's video last night too. It feels like a gut punch that all the Motortrend produced shows have shut down. We will get to see the final seasons in 2025, but it's over after that.

https://www.instagram.com/mightycarmods/p/DCiGCURheKl/?img_index=1

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCiXDYhJ-sm/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading

 

 

Joe Zolper from Garage Squad also speaks out

 

However, all is not totally lost. Hot Rod Power Tour (East and West) will continue along with Roadkill Nights presented by Dodge. Those events are managed by another part of Motortrend that is not part of the TV production company.

In additional to Motortrend hosts going to or going back to YouTube, I suspect other non-Motortrend produced shows like My Classic Car, Graveyard Carz, Truck U, Two Guys Garage, etc. will find homes on other media channels and outlets like MAV-TV.

I also read last night that Motortrend is re-vitalizing the HOTROD.COM website. So perhaps we may get something resembling video content and how-tos from there.

 

12 hours ago, notallthere said:

I just have to watch the latest episode to see if Frosty and I are in the background.

I watched the show last night and then I restarted the show and I kept pausing the crowd scenes at Roadkill Nights. I didn't see you, the missus or I. I am sure we a blur in the grandstand scene when Finnegan made his second pass. 

I left the grounds after they cut the roof of the truck. so I didn't see their final pass at 7:30 in the evening.

I am also surprised that they didn't show how Matt Hagan almost hit the barricades during his Funny Car burnout.

Edited November 20, 20241 yr by Frosty

Sad ass day indeed.  Motortrend is at least half of the daily TV time in my day.  Esp the last YEAR.  

Definitely. Seems Warner Brothers and Discovery don't think much of Motortrend as a profitable or significant cable TV platform. I am still rather stunned that notallthere and I were present at what is turning out to be the penultimate Roadkill episode. There is only one more episode of Roadkill that will air on Discovery+ - in December most likely.

The 3rd and final season of Roadworthy Rescues starts in early December.

I saw that Hot Rod Garage Day was just held in early November according to both Lucky and Alex's YouTube channels. So the final season of Hot Rod Garage is now in the can and I can only assume that HRG's final season will air in 2025.

Currently the Motortrend hosts who have their own YouTube Channels are:

Mike Finnegan - Finnegan's Garage

Dave Frieburger - David Freiburger

Tony Angelo - Stay Tuned

Alex- Taylor - Riding with Alex Taylor

Lucky Costa - Lucky's Garage Show

David Newbern - Dave Newbern

Mike Cotten - MidWest Images Paint & Metal

Steve Dulcich - steve dulcich

Derek Beiri - Vice Grip Garage

 

Some channels don't exactly have up-to-date content, but I expect that may change now that Motortrend is dead.

I just read that Bitchin’ Rides is another casualty of Mototrend productions shutting down.

I watched Ian Roussel of "Full Custom" earlier today explain why he is no longer there.  Apparently, he has been gone with new Full Custom shows on MT for about two years because he grew tired of that format of shows.  So, now he is on You Tube. I have always admired his work.

Rick

 

I saw that one too. He and his wife also closed the Mojave Desert shop. They are moving to a new place at the Mojave Air and Space Port, aka Mojave Airport.

I am happy to learn that Ian left on his own rather than be part of the cancelled community.

Alex Taylor just posted this - this appears to be the last day of shooting for Hot Rod Garage - and maybe for all Motortrend Productions as we know it.

Here is Alex's version. Lucky is clearing shooting his own video too. So we can expect to see his version of the last day of HRG in the near future.

 

Edited December 10, 20241 yr by Frosty

Well doesn't that suck.....Way to go Motortrend.  2

https://www.hearst.com/-/hearst-magazines-acquires-motortrend-group

Thanks notallthere for the article.

This article is not well written in my opinion. It is my understanding that the Motortrend Production/channel is a separate entity (which is part of the Warner Brothers discovery+ group) from the Motortrend group. That according to David Frieburger in one of his recent YouTube videos.

if I understand the article correctly, Motortrend group, which owns the car magazines, puts on Power Tour and Roadkill Nights, etc., is now owned by Hearst. Okay. That makes sense to me.

However, given the reference to Warner Brothers discovery+, it implies the channel too. Is this true? If so, does this mean that the Motortrend channel will leave Warner Brothers eventually?

What do you guys think of this article? I could be all wet with my understanding too.

Again kudos to notallthere for finding it.

Edited December 14, 20241 yr by Frosty

Read something about another media company swallowing Motortrend but was very interested in the huge #'s from power tour, Hot Rod garage and Roadkill nights, and tuner/ricer events, leading me to believe they will appear on another channel or Motortrend channel will be filled with new automotive shows. Wait N see.  Wish I knew where I was in cyberland and read this info.  Can't spend a long time in this chair.

I read another article this weekend. I got the impression from that article that the entire Motortrend group, including both the magazine/PT/RKN/etc. AND the cable channel/streaming/production businesses were included in the deal to Hearst. 

I agree with Justa, we will have to wait and see. I would expect to see some changes or announcements by mid-year 2025.

As promised - here is Lucky Costa's video on the last day of Hot Rod Garage filming.

 

 

Interesting video that talks about and we get to see cars from various Motortrend shows like Roadkill, Hot Rod Garage, Faster with……, Super Street, and Roadkill Garage. It’s nice to know that the hosts are getting the chance to buy and save some of these beloved vehicles.

On Steve Dulchich’s channel, former RK cameraman Wiley Steven’s now owns the HRG AMC Javelin. It’s still seems to be a POS.
 

Alex Skola, another camera man and part time director, now owns the Crew Cab Chevelle from RKG. It’s now LS3 powered.

Oh and in case you hadn’t heard, the General Maintenance, the Hellcat Charger that they thrashed in an episode of RK and then painted to look like General Mayhem, was t-boned in the driver side rear passenger door and quarter panel on HRG Day. I heard Lucky was driving when it happened. He is okay but no word if General Maintenance is repairable or will be repaired.

Edited February 11, 20251 yr by Frosty

Derek just posted what he bought from Motortrend. We get to see a lot of other cars as well.  He didn’t buy the ‘70 GTO, he said someone else bought it. As of this video, the T-37 is still at the storage place too.

Edited February 15, 20251 yr by Frosty

 

Alex Taylor, from Hot Rod Garage, shares with us the three cars she purchased from Motortrend. Two are known to us. The last one will appear in the still unshown last season of the show. She purchased the black VW from the show quite some time ago.

Edited February 23, 20251 yr by Frosty

Here is Derek’s latest. He fixes the DeLorean after the disaster at HRG Day and road trips it from California back to middle Tennessee. We get to see the new/old Hot Rod Garage facility one last time.

Edited February 23, 20251 yr by Frosty

If anyone is keeping count, the following MT hosts have yet to post what, if anything, they purchased from the company on their YouTube channels.

1. Lucky Costa

2. Mike Finnegan

3. Mike Cotten

4. Dave Newbern

5. Steve Dulchich

6. David Frieburger

Dave Chappelle stated in his video that he though Frieburger purchased 9 cars. 

I am also curious to know why Project X seems to be hanging out at Lucky's shop for quite some time now.

So here are two of the vehicles that Frieburger bought from Motortrend.

Yes - Stubby Bob lives again. The last outing on Roadkill was not good, as he explains.

Another Motortrend car saved by Dave Chappelle - Dirthead Dave

 

David Newbern shows us some of the cars he got from Motortrend. A Corvette, Trans Am, Rick Flairmont, and the Fiero Lambo.

 

Edited March 14, 20251 yr by Frosty

Lucky has bought the Crown Hick from Motortrend!

 

 

Edited March 14, 20251 yr by Frosty

Mike Cotton tells us about three cars he got (so far) from Motortrend.

 

Mike Finnegan shares with us at least three cars he has purchased from Motortrend. Two from Faster with..... and one from Roadkill.

 

So at this point, Steve Dulchich is the only one that has not reported what, if anything, he might have purchased from Motortrend.

Edited March 17, 20251 yr by Frosty