The Changing Automotive Landscape

In 1957, Scritchfield was noticing that hot rod roadsters were starting to disappear and were being replaced by some of the good-looking and hot cars that were coming out of Detroit. Car enthusiasts could go to their local Chevy dealership, hand the salesman a down payment and drive away in a fuel-injected or dual-quad Chevy hardtop. Others would go to their local Ford dealership and buy a big-window pickup with a 312 V-8 engine. If you had a little more money, you could go to your Oldsmobile dealer and purchase a J-2 tri-power hardtop or convertible, or if you were a Mopar lover, a Hemi-powered Chrysler 300. This was the time that many hot rod icons were being built and sold off showroom floors, and car enthusiasts loved them. Scritchfield took stock in this and thought that there must be some hard-core roadster enthusiasts who would like to organize before all the early iron disappeared.

Finding Support and Organizing the Club

Scritchfield, being involved with NHRA, was good friends with Wally Parks, the editor of Hot Rod magazine at the time. This “in” with the magazine enabled him meet LeRoi “Tex” Smith, one of the magazine’s editors. Smith helped him locate other roadster owners and offered many ideas and suggestions on how to organize a club. This help also benefited Smith, because through his efforts, he could find more rods to feature in the magazine. Scritchfield was also aware that the movie studios were looking for hot rods to be used in various movies, and that would be a side benefit of having a roadster club. It would be a way for the club members to make a little side money.

The First Meeting

Scritchfield also was friends with Phil Weiand of Weiand Equipment, who told him he could hold the first club meeting in his parking lot. Scritchfield made a flyer that let other rodders know that a club was being formed. It provided roadster owners the time and place of the first meeting. When Scritchfield saw a roadster, he would follow the rod and give the owner a flyer. Most of the people he contacted were, naturally, quite interested.

The first meeting was held Sunday, June 15, 1957, in the Weiand parking lot, and several rodders showed up. In attendance were Smith, Tony LaMesa and about five others. At this meeting, a variety of issues were discussed, such as membership eligibility, dress codes, logo, jackets and colors. It was essential for the club to have a constitution and bylaws, and it was also important to have a meeting location and club officers. Because the club was Scritchfield’s idea, he was elected the first club president.

Membership and Club Identity

Eligibility was a critical consideration for membership in the early years and even more so in later years. The original qualification was straightforward. A rodder who wanted to join had to own a topless car built before 1934. In the opinion of the founders, most true hot rods were Model A’s and ’32 Fords with V-8 engines, but later the date was opened up to ’36 and older. When the club was founded, paint and upholstery were not required, but that was also quickly changed to finished vehicles. It was at this time that the first club logo was conceived. It was decided that a profile of a ’32 roadster would be used with the word “Roadsters” arched over the top with L.A. beneath. The type style would be Old English. The first logo would be used on the car plaques and on a blue windbreaker jacket.

Growth and New Meeting Locations

Before long, the club began to grow and the Weiand parking lot became too small for the meetings. The group relocated its biweekly meetings to a larger parking lot, adjacent to the Theme Hosiery Building. Since Hollywood was a popular name, the Sunday get-togethers were moved to Barnsdale Park. Soon after, a Post Office box was established using the Hollywood location as an address.

The Club Logo and Exposure

Although the club had an idea, a perfect logo was sought by the club, and Lynn Wineland was asked to originate a design. He was working at Petersen Publishing Company at the time and was regarded as an expert in design. He came up with the logo that is still being used. Many people think the ’32 that was used in the logo was Scritchfield’s, but it was actually a generic ’32 roadster.

The Club’s First Car Show

In December 1957, the club participated as a group for the first time in a car show. The show was called the International Motorsports Show and was held in the Hollywood Legion Stadium. The show was successful, attended by 50,000 people, and was the start of a trend that would continue for many years. After this show, the L.A. Roadsters was highly sought after to participate in many other shows over the years.

The Birth of the Father’s Day Roadster Show & Swap Meet

The L.A. Roadsters is well known for its members’ nice cars, but it is even more famous for its Father’s Day Roadster Show & Swap Meet. The idea for the first show came from club member Alan Johnson, who suggested the club should produce a car show to display the members’ cars. It would be a way for the club to generate some income. A title was agreed upon and it would be called the L.A. Roadster Exhibition. The first date was not Father’s Day—it was July 31, 1960, and it was a one-day affair.

Moving to the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds

The new location for the L.A. Roadster Exhibition & Swap Meet was the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds in Pomona, California, where it is still being held every Father’s Day. The show was changed to a two-day event and is held on Saturday and Sunday. It is the only show in the country that draws in a huge volume of roadsters, with approximately 800 in attendance.

The Club’s Legacy and Future

As of March 2025, the L.A. Roadsters club continues its legacy of celebrating pre-1936 roadsters. The annual L.A. Roadster Show & Swap Meet, traditionally held on Father’s Day weekend at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds in Pomona, California, remains a hallmark event. In recent years, the show has showcased approximately 800 roadsters, attracting enthusiasts from across the globe. The event also features a vast swap meet area, with close to 1,000 sellers offering a wide array of hot rod parts and memorabilia.

The L.A. Roadsters club continues its tradition of philanthropy, donating proceeds from the event to various charitable organizations, including the City of Hope in Downey, California.If you are interested in attending, there is no pre-registration—just show up and enjoy.