If you were to make a list of things in American culture with strong roots in Southern California, car culture should certainly be on it. Namely, cars modified by enthusiasts.
“That’s the hot rod way. You take something that works okay, and then you make it the best it could possibly be,” said David Kennedy, board member at the NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona, which celebrates the car culture of the West Coast.
Young servicemen settling here after World War II often got good jobs, had optimism, and a strong spirit to create and compete…