Jim Beeson

Jim 15 years old. Photo courtesy of Jackie Beeson.

A photo of some of Jim's buddies taken in the parking lot behind Peter's Drugs in Compton in 1958. A bunch of tenth grade boys used to hang out there after school. Jackie had to walk by Peter's on her way home from junior high; "I lived two miles from school, and so Jim and I would meet there and he'd walk home with me." Photo courtesy of Jackie Beeson.

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.

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

Jim Beeson, a former member of the Dutchmen of Paramount car club, was a young car enthusiast deeply embedded in the Southern California car culture of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Growing up in Paramount, California, Jim found camaraderie and excitement as part of the Dutchmen, a club named after the town’s large Dutch-descended dairy farming community.

Early Car Culture Involvement

Jim joined the Dutchmen in 1959 while still a student at Paramount High School. At the time, he owned a 1953 Plymouth two-door sedan, which he modified to reflect the era's custom car trends. The Plymouth was lowered, stripped of most of its exterior chrome, and equipped with stylish hubcaps and a custom tonneau tarp that ran from the back of the front seat to the package tray. His passion for customization and aesthetics was a perfect match for the culture surrounding the Dutchmen.

The 1960 Car Club Murder

Jim was present at the infamous Moose Lodge incident on March 28, 1960, when the Townsmen of East Long Beach violently stormed a meeting of the Dutchmen. He later recalled the terrifying night in detail during a 2012 interview with Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama. The attack, which Townsmen members claimed was a “peace meeting,” caught the Dutchmen off guard. "We were just having our meeting, messing around, when the Townsmen busted through the door and windows," Jim said. He remembered that they were heavily outnumbered, with the attackers wielding various weapons. "I had never run away from a fair fight in my life, but being no dummy, me and my friends got out of there as fast as we could," he shared, noting that most Townsmen members were older, while he and his friends were only high school kids. Jim was just 16 at the time.

Career and Life After the Dutchmen

Following his involvement in the Dutchmen, Jim worked in the aerospace industry, starting in 1960 and continuing until the end of 1967. This period marked a shift from his teenage years spent cruising the streets in custom cars to building a stable career in a field that was booming in Southern California.

The 1960 Ford Starliner

In the spring of 1960, during his senior year at Paramount High, Jim purchased a brand-new 1960 Ford Starliner. He special-ordered the car with luxurious features, including power windows, seats, steering, and brakes, as well as an upgraded 352 cubic inch, 360-horsepower engine with interceptor suspension. Painted in a factory Orchid Gray, the Starliner held a special place in Jim's heart—and in the heart of his future wife, Jackie. Jackie recounted that lavender had always been her favorite color, and the Starliner’s hue was a memorable detail when she and Jim reunited.

Jim made additional modifications to the Starliner, including lowering the front and rear ends, adding spinner hubcaps (later replaced with chrome reverse rims), and installing large tailpipes that created a distinctive sound. Jackie fondly remembered how they used to get pulled over by the police, who measured the car's clearance to ensure it was street-legal. The Starliner even featured a 45 RPM record player installed under the dash—a novelty at the time.

Jim Beeson's legacy as a member of the Dutchmen of Paramount and his contributions to the custom car scene of the 1960s reflect a vibrant era of Southern California car culture. His stories and memories help keep that history alive for future generations.

Jim Beeson's Cars

Jim Beeson's 1953 Plymouth
Jim Beeson's 1960 Ford Starliner