Published by LA CAR, AB

Publisher & Executive Editor Roy Nakano
Editor John Grafman
Managing Editor Bill Wright
Editors-At-Large Chuck Dapoz, Brian Kennedy & Zoran Segina
Feature Editor Harvey Schwartz
Review Editor Harold Osmer
News Editor Kenny Lindberg
Production Manager Tommy Grafman

Contributing Editors Ailis Aaron Wolf, Reed Berry, Kurt Fuhrmann, Tommy Grafman, BT Justice, James Kubik, Derrick Lim, Stella Ling, Joseph Manalili, Jeff Mathews, Christopher Merlo, Greg Nakano, Paul Robinson, Doug Stokes & John-Fredrik Wright

Contributing Photographers Gabriela Moya & Harvey Schwartz

Web Technical Consultant Larry Flaharty
Automotive Technical Consultants Gordon Bleam (Technical Editor), Robert Shoji & William Bullitt Wong
Sacramento Correspondent Derrick Lim
Detroit Correspondent Christopher Merlo
European Correspondent John-Fredrik Wright
Chief Evangelist Randolph S Chew
Advertising Shani Grafman
Road Warriors Mark Dapoz, Olov Lindberg, Susie Ling & Richard Uyekawa

Webmasters Emeritus Larry Flaharty & Kevin Nakano. Special thanks to Larry, who designed the current site, and Kevin, who designed the original site back in 1997.

LA CAR’s editorial office:
618 West Palm Avenue
Monrovia, CA 91016
Telephone: 626.731.4077
To display ads, contact the Managing Editor at bill@lacar.com

LA CAR is on Facebook

Company Information

LA CAR began in 1997 as an online magazine about the LA car culture, and has evolved into an automotive review service. While it remains deeply rooted in this motor city, LA Car’s reports, reviews, and essays appear in newspapers, radio and television shows, and online publications that reach an audience far beyond Southern California.

Our body of work includes automotive product reviews, directories, consumer tips, information on car laws, and articles on car design, car performance, automotive history, the new hot rod culture, and other items of interest to the car enthusiast. As a commercial entity, we’ve managed to integrate our advertising sponsors in a manner that doesn’t overbear on our publication or partners (e.g., no pop-ups). In addition to the work published on its site, LA Car can supply a steady stream of writings to its partners. It also maintains a comprehensive digital photo library. For more information, contact the LA Car Managing Editor.

The views expressed in this publication reflect the opinions of the author(s), and not necessarily those of the entire publication staff or the agencies they work for. LA CAR makes no express or implied warranty on the performance of any products or modifications described in this publication. Some of the journalists recording this journal and making the journey through the Southland culture are:

AILIS AARON WOLF is Director of The Hastings Group, an Arlington, Virginia-based environment and investor education public relations firm. Two of The Hastings Group’s prominent clients are 40MPG.org and Hybrid Owners of America, and Ailis pens many an article for both entities.

REED BERRY is known professionally as The Traffic Guy. Since 1988, Reed has taught humor-based traffic violator school classes throughout Southern California and has served as keynote speaker at safety conferences across America. A recognized traffic safety expert, Reed’s growing list of TV interview credits includes Fox News Channel, NHK News in Japan, Eye-to-Eye with Connie Chung, and BBC-TV in London. Reed was the co-creator and co-host of Traffic Jam (KRLA 1110 AM, Los Angeles).*

CHUCK DAPOZ is a native Detroiter who loves import tuners. LA is home, but he spends a lot of time in Motown as a sales and marketing consultant. Because he can’t wait to see the latest and greatest, you can count on him attending the Tokyo and Detroit auto shows. Chuck says he’s the black sheep of his car-crazy family because he works with a keyboard and not a wrench; we’re not complaining.*

JOHN GRAFMAN spent far too much of his youth thriving on the canyons that connect the valley to Malibu. This antisocial behavior has evidentially scarred him for life. Nevertheless, using his powers for good rather than evil, John has spent the past dozen or so years working on models for numerous automotive design studios on the west coast. You’ve seen his work on the exterior and interiors of some of your favorite concept and production cars. You can now see his imprint throughout LA CAR.*

TOMMY GRAFMAN spent most of his childhood following his older brother John Grafman, but chose different directions when it came to cars. His first car was a 1977 Camaro. Following the path down the dark side, he then bought a 1969 Chevy Chevelle. With a little help from his friends, he rebuilt the car, turning the Chevelle into a street rod. His path down the dark side was now complete. For more than a decade, Tommy has been the Production Director for multiple publications. He is currently LA CAR’s Production Manager and also co-owner of MacMyDay (An Apple, Macintosh, service, sales, consulting, and training company).

BRIAN KENNEDY, Ph.D., always wanted a ’66 Mustang. 10 years ago, he bought one – and he’s been restoring it ever since. Brian extended his passion for cars by covering events for magazines like Grassroots Motorsports, Sportscar, and Victory Lane – e.g., events in Cart, Pro Rally, Formula Atlantic, the SCCA Runoffs, Trans Am, SVRA, VSCDA, and VARA. He’s also profiled a number of cars and interviewed a number of personalities – among them: Gene Felton (IMSA), Hurley Haywood, Jerry Seinfeld, and Nigel Olsson.*

KENNY LINDBERG belongs to the ever growing European contingent of LA Car. In 2000, he earned U.S. citizenship, then went on to serve three years in the U.S. Army—including a tour in Iraq. An award-winning journalist, Kenny writes news and sports as a reporter with the Santa Barbara News-Press.

CHRISTOPHER MERLO, a.k.a Mr. Detroit, learned to drive on the streets of the Motor City. Friday and Saturday nights of his youth were spent cruising Detroit’s Telegraph Road and Woodward Avenue while listening to rock and roll resulting in serious addictions to road machines, pop music and road food. For Chris, it’s all about car culture. These days Chris satisfies his various appetites by advising automotive clients and writing their corporate communications.

GREG NAKANO is LA CAR‘s window into the world of import tuners. For four years, Greg served as the crew chief for world record-holding import drag racer Stephan Papadakis. When he’s not on assignment for LA CAR, Greg can be found at AEM’s (Advanced Engine Management’s) headquarters in Hawthorne, where he serves as their Research & Development Engineering Manager.

HAROLD OSMER works as a writer as well as a publisher in whatever spare time he can find. He’s authored award-winning books about auto racing in Los Angeles, has a Masters degree in geography, and holds a black belt in karate. He’s a regular at local car shows and race venues where he’s often seen setting up a table and selling books. His show ride is a 1951 Chevy pickup, dressed to emulate a Spec truck, complete with graphics, numbers, and sponsor decals.*

HARVEY SCHWARTZ has been taking photographs of cars and trucks since 1992 and has a long-time association with LA CAR. Harvey’s work can also be found in Malibu Magazine, Ventana Monthly, Mustang Enthusiast, Muscle Car Power, Corvette Enthusiast, Auto-Traders Milestones, Restyling, and other publicaitons. On the international stands you can find Harvey in Chrome & Flames Magazine of Germany, and AMCAR Magazine of Norway. Harvey’s photo credits are on many online publications. Agencies in New York and England license Harvey’s images of vehicles for book publication, advertising, posters, and calendars.*

ZORAN SEGINA, ESQ., grew up in Eastern Europe, where he owned several Zastava 750s (a variation of the Fiat 600) and participated in local rallies. After a lengthy diet of Yugoslav-manufactured cars, he came to the Mecca of automotive culture – wherein he promptly lost his heart to a tall girl and a short Dart Swinger. He currently commutes around LA in a BMW 633Csi, having recently made a switch from a Volvo 240 DL with a quarter million miles on the odometer.*

ROBERT M. SHOJI oversees the design and execution of automotive sound systems for one of the largest OEM suppliers in the world. In plain talk, that means he drives new (and sometimes not yet released) cars up and down the California coast, listens to car stereo, and gets paid for it.

DOUG STOKES was the award-winning Director of Communications at Irwindale Speedway, and now the communications director of Gale Banks Engineering. Stokes worked as a senior PR person on the first Los Angeles (Vintage) Grand Prix. He was also the first PR Manager for Perris Auto Speedway. “I still really miss Riverside and Ascot. Jerry Titus signed my SCCA road racing license off at Riverside and I actually raced a go-cart at Agoura.”*

WILLIAM BULLITT WONG, ESQ., was a high-paying attorney for a high-powered trademark firm, but he gave it all up to pursue his dream of becoming an environmental lawyer. Bill is now Senior Deputy District Counsel for the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which gives him a unique vantage point on cars and the environment – i.e., from the exhaust pipe of a car.

BILL WRIGHT spent his early years hot rodding in a Six-Pack Mopar, but later took to living in just about every country on this planet at one time or another, including Sweden, where he gained first-hand familiarity with the elk avoidance test. He’s come a long ways since his rambunctious days as the managing editor of the Berkeley High School newspaper. Bill proudly serves as the P-A-L of LA CAR.*

* Motor Press Guild member