Sacramento

Don Tognotti's 1913 Ford Model T Roadster, "King T", of Sacramento, California. Restyled by Don and Gene Winfield of Winfield's Custom Shop, the build was started in 1962 and completed in 1964, winning the 1964 America's Most Beautiful Roadster award.

Harold Ohanesian's 1934 Ford 3-Window Coupe

Norm Milne's 1938 Ford convertible sedan of Sacramento, California. About 1940 Norm drove the Ford to Los Angeles to have Carson Top Shop chop the top and make a padded top. The rest of the car was restyled by Harry Westergard.

Mel Falconer's 1939 Ford, of Sacramento, California was restyled by Harry Westergard and completed in 1945.

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Gene Garret's 1940 Ford of Sacramento, California. Gene was a member of the Thunderbolts auto club, and his custom featured a padded top by Carson Top Shop.

Harold Ohanesian's 1940 Mercury Convertible Sedan was restyled by Harry Westergard, Less Crane and Dick Bertolucci of Bertolucci's Body and Paint Shop for Harold Ohanesian of Sacramento, California between 1945 and 1951.

Al Lauer's 1941 Cadillac Convertible

Duane Aspengren's 1949 Hudson - Night Train

Richard Gregg's 1950 Ford Pickup of Sacramento, California. Restyled by Richard at Rick's Body Shop, the build was started in 1958 and completed early in 1959. The car was shown as "the Capri."

A photo taken from the roof of Mel's Drive-In in Sacramento in 1959. As Dale Scribner fondly recalled in 2024, Mel's Drive-In in Sacramento was always a hub of activity, much like the famous scenes from American Graffiti. "We would make a loop up K Street, down J Street, and into Mel's, waiting for a parking spot to open up. The place was full of life, and sometimes, folks would be looking to race." Illegal street races were common, and one night after the legal drag races in Vacaville, a gasser team rolled a Willys gasser off a trailer, drove it through Mel's, and loaded it back up, much to everyone's excitement. That spontaneous and rebellious energy was typical of the time. With cars packed into every available spot, people would cruise the surrounding streets until they found a parking space. Illegal drag races took place regularly, with racers looking for competition at every stoplight. Dale’s stories of Mel’s drive-in encapsulate the essence of the era—a time where car culture, racing, and youthful exuberance thrived. The black-and-white image of Mel’s Drive-In showcases its bustling atmosphere, a visual reminder of Dale’s vivid memories from those nights spent cruising with friends and racing on Sacramento streets.^[1]

Bobbie Nessur's 1952 Ford, of Sacramento, California.

Otto Rhodes' 1953 Ford F-100 - The Mountain Pearl

Don Tognotti's 1955 Ford Thunderbird - The Green Voodoo

Bob Yoas' 1957 Chevrolet Corvette

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David Rolin's 1957 Ford of Sacramento, California. Dave's Ford was restyled by Dick Bertolucci of Bertolucci Body & Fender Shop and Harris' Body Shop between 1956 and 1958. Later on the same year, the car, named "Tormentor" received pinstriping and evenutally a scallop paint job by Dick Katayanagi of Katayanagi Custom Paint.

John and Rebecca Hackler's 1958 Chevrolet

Henrik Forss' 1966 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 of Sacramento, California. The build was completed in October of 2018, featuring a panel and flame custom paint job by Kyle Martin of Martin Kolor & Style.

Henrik Forss' 1930 Ford Model A Coupe of Sacramento, California. Henrik's Coupe was originally built by Jorel Shockley at Shockley Customs. Henrik bought the hot rod in 2021, gave it a makeover, and turned it into the Hollywood Howler.

In the 1930s an "older" guy named Harry Westergard ran around the streets of Sacramento in a stripped down and modified 1929 or 1930 Ford Model A roadster. He and other roadster owners hung out at Jack's Stack Associated Flying A Gas Station at the corner of 18th and L in downtown Sacramento, across from the Capitol. At the gas station Harry met Norm Milne and Dick Bertolucci.^[2] Street racing was all these young bucks could do, as there were no facilities for organized competitions. They raced after dark, usually just a block or two ahead of the local police. The war interrupted the nights at Jack's Flying A station, and all was quiet until the summer of 1945. In 1945 Norm decided to form a club in order to legitimize their activities and to try to get rid of the outlaw stigma. The first meeting of the newly formed club, the Capitol Auto Club, was held in Harry's chicken coup shop on Fulton Avenue in September 1945. The club went on to be the Thunderbolts Car Club. Because of this, Jack's Stack Associated Flying A Gas Station is known as the place where hot rodding was started in Sacramento.^[2]

1 Milne's Richfield Station
2 Mel's Drive-In: The Heart of Sacramento's Car Culture in the 1950s
3 Custom Cars of Sacramento, California
4 Hot Rods of Sacramento, California
5 Pinstripers of Sacramento, California
6 Body, Fender and Custom Shops of Sacramento, California
7 Custom Paint Shops of Sacramento, California
8 Custom Car and Hot Rod Clubs of Sacramento, California
9 Dealerships of Sacramento, California
10 Citizens of Sacramento, California
11 References

Milne's Richfield Station

After the war, the center of rodding activity in Sacramento moved to the Milne's Richfield station at 25th and Broadway.^[2]

Mel's Drive-In: The Heart of Sacramento's Car Culture in the 1950s

Mel's Drive-In in Sacramento was more than just a place to eat—it was the beating heart of the local car scene. Dale Scribner fondly recalled cruising through Mel's in the late 1950s, making the loop down K Street and J Street, waiting for a parking spot. The drive-in was alive with energy as cars packed the lot and illegal street races sparked at every stoplight. One night, after the drag races in Vacaville, a team unloaded a Willys gasser, revved through Mel's, and reloaded it, thrilling the crowd with the spontaneity and spirit of the era.^[3]