1960

The 1960 Car Club Murder. On March 28, 1960, a violent car club clash shook Long Beach, California, when members of the Townsmen of East Long Beach Car Club raided a meeting of the Dutchmen of Paramount at the Lakewood Moose Lodge. The attack left 16-year-old Neil Mahan critically injured with a gunshot wound to the head. The event, covered in newspapers like the Independent on March 30, 1960, sent shockwaves through the local community and marked a pivotal moment in the region's car club history. The aftermath of the incident, involving multiple arrests and a high-profile trial, was seen by some as signaling the decline of the car club culture among teenagers in the area. Photo courtesy of the Independent, March 30, 1960.

Darryl Starbird's Predicta of Wichita, Kansas. In February of 1960 Darryl Starbird introduced the full bubble top to the custom car industry when he debuted the Predicta at the National Roadster Show in Oakland, California. Starbird was only 26 years old at the time and his futuristic bubble top creations helped him become the most influential customizer in the midwest during the 1960s. The Predicta won “The Car of the Future Award” at the Oakland show, and Motor Life magazine picked it as their Top Custom of the year in 1960.

"Never before has the American public seen off-center styling such as that characterizing the Plymouth XNR." This was how the Plymouth-De Soto-Valiant Division introduced their innovative Plymouth badged Corvette-competitor to the public on March 1, 1960. Originally named "Plymouth Asymmetrica," the asymmetrical two-seater roadster was renamed XNR after its designer Virgil Exner during the construction phase. Exner's Corvette-killer was one of the cars that introduced asymmetrical styling to the public in the 1960s. Photo courtesy of the Chrysler Corporation.

4 engines, 6 wheels, 1280 horses, and an off-set cockpit. Paul Wirt's Experimental Car was featured on the cover of the August 1960 issue of Rodding and Re-styling magazine. Wirt was a pipeline contractor from Wooster, Ohio, and his multi-engined bubble-topped roadster was actually built for driving on the street. It looks more like a Bonneville record-chaser, but it is, in fact, one of the earliest street driven asymmetrical custom builds we have been able to find on print. Photo from The Ray Soff Photo Collection.

Buzz Pitzen's 1923 Ford fiberglass bodied Model T roadster of Redondo Beach, California. Buzz bought the body from Diablo Speed Shop in Walnut Creek, California, and it is believed to be the first fiberglass T Bucket ever made. Known as the Glass Image, the build was completed in 1960, making it the worlds first known Fiberglass T-bucket hot rod.

Lee A. Jagla's 1923 Ford Model T Roadster Pick Up of Hayward, California. Lee was a member of the Hayward V-Eights car club, and the Model T was a high school graduation gift from his parents in 1960. In 2014 the old hot rod was sold to Norway.

Dick Kalivoda and John Hamlin's 1925 Ford Modified Model T Roadster of Seattle, Washington. The car had a racing past when Dick bought it, and the car is also known as Ed Norton & Armie Marion's 1925 Ford Model-T Roadster. Dick bought the car from Ed and Armie in the late 1950s,and he hit the strip with it in 1960.

Max Magness' 1932 Ford Cabriolet of Grandfalls, Texas. The build was started in 1959 and completed in 1960.

Roland Larsson's 1932 Ford Roadster was built in Sweden during the winter of 1959/1960.

Rick Menz' 1934 Ford Tudor-Sedan of Sepulveda, California. Rick began building the car in 1960. At the time he was a member of the Chancellors of Van Nuys car club. He sold the Ford in 1962 before the build was completed.

Ron Maxwell's 1934 Ford 5-Window Coupe of Salt Lake City, Utah. The build was started in 1954, when Ron was 15 years old. The first iteration of the coupe was completed in 1955. Ron's coupe ran under flathead and later Cadillac power, competing in B/Altered at strips around Utah. In 1960 an Orange iteration of the car was completed.

Bob Davis' 1935 Ford 5-Window Coupe of Long Beach, California was restyled in 1960. Bob was a member of the Lords of Wilmington car club.

Gene Winfield's 1935 Ford Shop Truck of Modesto, California. The '35 was Gene's second shop truck, and when he got it, half of the kustomizing had been done by Rick Lefelt. After completing the build, he started showing it in 1960.

Rich Vachata's 1936 Ford Convertible of Berwyn, Illinois. Rich was a member of the Bearing Busters of Berwyn, and the other members in the club helped him build the car. The first version was completed in 1959. In 1960 fellow club member Dave Puhl gave the car a scallop paint job. This version of the car was named the Beach Comber.

Dennis Murphy's 1939 Ford Convertible Sedan of Wyckoff, New Jersey. Murphy purchased the car in Ohio in 1960. He was 15 years old at the time, looking for his first car, and was excited when he saw a hot rod for sale by the side of the road. A deal was made, and his dad drove it the 400+ miles back to their home in New Jersey.

Ray McMullin's 1941 Cadillac Coupe. Ray lived in the Ogden area in Utah. He was a member of the Stags of Ogden car club, and fellow club member Mickey Ellis believes he gave the coupe a Candy Red paint job circa 1959-1960.

John Sak's 1941 Ford Convertible of Syracuse, New York. Named "Barbie" after his wife, the build was started in 1957 and completed in 1960. "Barbie" was John's third 1941 Ford custom.

Tom Gibbons' 1949 Ford Tudor - The Orchid Lady of Morris, Illinois. Gibbons bought the car from Jim Galvin in 1960. They completed the build together, turning it into The Orchid Lady.

Vern LaCoursiere's 1953 Mercury of Tacoma, Washington. Vern was a member of the Tacoma Toppers, and the Merc was his third car. Dressed up with an all-white Mexico Upholstery, Vern gave the car a Candy Purple Panel Paint Job in 1960 when he was 23 years old.

Gerald Twamley's 1954 Chevrolet 210 2-door sedan of Artesia, California. The car was originally restyled in the late 1950s, and it went trough at least two iterations before Gerald tore it down to fit it with canted quad headlights in 1959. The work was done by a guy in San Pedro. When the job was almost done, Gerald got drafted in to the army and decided to sell the car for $300 in 1960.

Tom Von Pertz's 1954 Chevrolet of Lynwood, California. Tom was a member of the Tridents of Southern California car club, and he had the car when he joined the club in 1960.

The second version of John Nadzon's 1954 Mercury of Parsippany, New Jersey was restyled by Korky's Kustom Shop. The car, named The Mysterian, made its debut February 17, 1960 at the Hartford Autorama.

Gary Oliver's 1955 Chevrolet of Pontiac, Michigan. Known as "El Prado II," the car is a recreation of a custom Gary had in 1960. The clone was completed in 1984, featuring a scallop paint job by Paul Hatton, just like the original "El Prado."

Lee Bailey's 1955 Ford Convertible of Battle Creek, Michigan. Lee was a member of the Automotive Engineers of Battle Creek. The Ford was his first car. His dad bought it for him in 1960, and he helped him restyle it the same year.

Bill Schott's 1956 Chevrolet Corvette of Portland, Oregon. Bill was a member of The Kings of Portland car club, and his Corvette was mildly restyled by Von Hunter in 1960.

Larry Quatrone's 1955 Ford Crown Victoria was painted candy gold and lime by Larry Watson in 1960.

The second version of Don Von Dwingelo's 1956 Ford Thunderbird made its debut in 1960.

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Bob Dzemske's 1956 Lincoln of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Bob's Lincoln was restyled by Dave Puhl and Johnny Malik at Trend Automotive in 1960.

Ron Dulin's 1956 Plymouth Fury of Long Beach, California. Dulin was a member of the Cut Outs of Long Beach car club, and his Plymouth went through seven iterations between 1956 and 1962. This photo shows the car as it appeared late 1959 or early 1960, after Larry Watson had given it a fogged panel paint job.

Ron Dulin's 1956 Plymouth Fury of Long Beach, California. Dulin was a member of the Cut Outs of Long Beach car club, and his Plymouth went through seven iterations between 1956 and 1962. This photo shows the car as it appeared circa 1960, after Junior Conway had given it a Candy Tangerine paint job.

Bill Shelley's 1957 Chevrolet Corvette of Oakland, California. Named "Bali Hi," the car was restyled by Bill and Bob McNulty. The build was completed in 1960.

Doug Osterman's 1957 DeSoto of San Jose, California. Doug's Desoto was first restyled by Flyer Tabata at Flyers Body Shop in 1959. In 1960 it was taken to Joe Bailon of Bailon Custom Shop for a makeover. This version received one of Bailon's signature Candy Apple Red paint jobs.

Jerry Drake's 1957 Ford Fairlane of Lansing, Michigan. Jerry was a custom painter and pinstriper, operating under the name "Spider the Crazy Painter". He was also the President of the Injectors of Lyons car club. Jerry's Ford, known as the Candy Cane, received a custom paint job by Jerry and his buddy Dave Edmonds in July of 1960.

Ron Volpe's 1957 Ford Convertible of La Salle, Illinois. Ron was a member of the Illinois Valley Mis-Fires. Between the years 1960 and 1963 he took the car through five different stages. This photo shows a mild iteration of the car as it appeared circa 1960.

Gary Ruddell's 1958 Chevrolet Corvette of Norwalk, California. Gary bought the Corvette in 1960. At the time he was the President of the Seagrams of Norwalk car club.

Skip Batchelor's 1958 Chevrolet Impala

Dick Rothfuss' 1959 Chevrolet Impala of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dick's Impala, known as "Poopsie", was restyled late 1959 - early 1960.

Eric Seltzer's 1959 Fiat 600 of Sherman Oaks, California. Powered by a 750cc Abarth engine, Eric bought the Fiat in October of 1960. When he got the car, it had been given a custom paint job with pinstriping by Von Dutch. After buying it, Eric had all the upholstery work done in Tijuana, Mexico.

John Guenther's 1959 Ford Galaxie Sunliner of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Restyled in 1960, the car was shown as "The Beach Boy."

Danny Leonette's 1960 Chevrolet Impala of Norwalk, California. Danny was one of the original members of the Seagrams of Norwalk car club, and he bought the Impala brand new. After buying it he dropped it in the front and back and added Appleton spotlights.

Jim Beeson's 1960 Ford Starliner of Paramount, California. Jim was a member of the Dutchmen of Paramount car club, and the bought the car brand new in the Spring of 1960.

Geno Janokowski's 1960 Ford

Dell Chandler's 1960 Pontiac Ventura of a Lansing, Michigan. Dell's Pontiac received a scallop and panel paint job by Jerry Drake and Larry Cooper in 1960.

The Eliminators of West Rod Club was a car club established in West, Texas in 1960. Founded by a group of six passionate hot rodders, the club was dedicated to the world of rods and customs. With a motto of "Dedicated to Safety," the club played a significant role in the local car culture of the early 1960s. The club had a relatively short lifespan, disbanding in 1962. The primary reason for its dissolution was the departure of its members for various reasons, including college, military service, and work commitments. As George Jezek reminisced, "It was a good time to be a hot rodder. We enjoyed this hobby, and a couple of us remain friends to this day." His testimonials offer a glimpse into the joy and excitement of that era, a time when cars were more than machines – they were a canvas for creativity and a means to forge lasting bonds. Photo from The George Jezek and Charles Andrle Collection.

<-- 1959 - 1960s - 1961 -->

Many of the cars that rolled off the factory assembly lines in 1960 would have been considered radical customs some years prior if they were one-of-a-kind models. The majority of 1960 cars being restyled did not have extensive metalwork changes. Changes in paint, extreme custom upholstery became more common as the cars became more radical from the factory. According to Trend Book 189 Custom Cars 1960 Annual the trend for 1960 seemed to be a meticulous attention to details. Trunks were beautifully finished and fitted, and upholstery jobs showed superb workmanship. Paint in many cases consisted of skillful blending of transparent and metallic colors making many paint jobs an individual creation. By now each show car also had its own exotic name.

Sam Barris finished his last fully custom in 1960, The El Capitola.

1 The 1960 Car Club Murder
2 Hot Rods Built or Completed in 1960
3 Custom Cars Restyled or Completed in 1960
4 Competition Cars Built or Completed in 1960
5 Concept Cars Built or Debuted in 1960
6 Hot Rod or Custom Car Shows Held in 1960
7 Hot Rod and Custom Car Clubs Established in 1960
8 Custom Body Shops Established in 1960

The 1960 Car Club Murder

The 1960 Car Club Murder was a tragic and defining moment in the history of Southern California car clubs. On March 28, 1960, a violent clash erupted when members of the Townsmen of East Long Beach Car Club raided a meeting of the Dutchmen of Paramount at the Lakewood Moose Lodge. Armed with weapons, the Townsmen stormed the hall in an attack described as premeditated. During the chaos, 16-year-old Neil Mahan of the Dutchmen was shot in the head while seeking refuge in the kitchen. He succumbed to his injuries days later, igniting outrage and leading to the arrest and trial of several Townsmen members. The incident highlighted the dangerous rivalries between car clubs of the era and ultimately led to widespread discussions about youth violence and the car club culture of the 1960s.^[1]