<P> The term seems first to have appeared in the late 1930s in southern California , where people raced modified cars on dry lake beds northeast of Los Angeles under the rules of the Southern California Timing Association ( SCTA ) , among other groups . The activity increased in popularity after World War II , particularly in California , because many returning soldiers received technical training in the service . Many cars were prepared by bootleggers in response to Prohibition to enable them to avoid revenue agents ( `` Revenooers '' ) ; some police vehicles were also modified in response . </P>
where did the term hot rod come from
southern California