This is part of what SR3 is about. I think this why the historic element to SR3 is important, it let's see and hear and maybe even feel something that is long gone. something we will never see again. A truly unique era of racing, cars and hotroding. Being a video game if not for short period of time in our minds we can go back to that time!
In this video are some of the very first cars form HotRod magazine and basically some of the first cars from the hotrodding scene... ever, as well as plenty of other cars from 40s-70s and even newer hot rods/muscle cars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFKtlu-zL-w&list=PLBE43441C8510DC95