Read the history of hot rodding and you'll learn that Culver City, California, surrounded on all sides by Los Angeles, was a hotbed of hot rod activity in the '50s. We don't know exactly what a "hotbed" is, but we have heard a lot of stories from those days--about Dick Kraft and others early drag racers meeting up at the Piccadilly Drive-In before heading over to a long, straight stretch of industrial road nicknamed "Thunder Alley" for purposes we can only speculate. Elsewhere in town, the roundy racers tore up the planks at the long-gone Culver City Speedway.
George Barris remembers those days, and relives them in May when he hosts the Cruisin' Back to the '50s hot rod show. The event packs a couple major streets and several minor ones in the downtown area with hundreds of rods, customs, bikes, classics, street machines, and many of Barris' TV and movie cars.
Here's a gallery of rides from George's recent party in the streets of Culver City.
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George Barris played host to several thousand of his closest friends at this years show. |
Sam Falco's chopped '50 Merc |
Joe & Karen Montez' '56 Ford pickup |
Jim Mangione's '50 Merc wagon |
Check out the paint on this custom Harley |
Dick Hiltz' '32 roadster highboy |
Ray Malzo's '50 Merc |
Andrew Redhorse Alvarez' '30 Model A five-window |
Baby Ray's '55 Pontiac |
Stan Chersky's '33 Ford sedan |
Blackie Gejeian was enjoying the day |
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Randy Knox's '55 Kaiser Manhattan |
Joe Deno's '50 Coupe De Ville |
Some nice lace paint on this '52 Ford owned by a member of the Devils of Venice |
Flathead '28 A roadster register to Hatzikian. Maybe surfer Tyler Hatzikian? |
Baby Ray and Mel's chopped '51 Packard Clipper |
Bob Linderholm's '41 Willys |