EARLY CAR CLUBS of SOCAL

While growing up in North Long Beach, California in the mid to late fifties, I remember the social importance of belonging to one of these clubs. I consider them to be a unique phenomena to Southern California where the car culture took root.

Terrell Kaucher is The-Idea-Man.org

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Mar 13, 2024

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The following memories tell my story. The names of most car clubs dated back somewhere in history and were associated with warriors. A few that I remember are the Huns, Barbarians, Knights and Mongols. I was a member of the Drifters. Almost all of us were friends from the same high school. Membership varied from about 25–45.

Each of us was given a 6 inch by 9 inch cast aluminum plaque with “Drifters” written in ornate old English and Long Beach at the bottom. This was displayed in the rear window tray or on the back bumper of our cars. Some of us had long coats with “Drifters” embroidered on the…