Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Before L.A. was known for traffic, it was a city of speed. In this episode of Lost LA, host Nathan Masters dives into Southern California’s rich history of race car driving—from improvised street races and dry lake beds to tracks tucked inside National Parks. Racing was once a major spectacle in the early 20th century, captivating crowds and fuelling America’s growing car culture. Nathan meets with historian Morgan Yates at AAA of Southern California, Southern California Timing Association’s President Bill Lattin and motorsports expert Harold Osmer to trace these high-octane stories. He visits the Petersen Automotive Museum and hunts down the remnants of Paramount Ranch—known not only for its Hollywood past but also for hosting three years of sanctioned car races, including scenes from The Love Bug. The episode reveals how racing shaped the region’s identity and left a legacy still felt on the road today.
00:00 - Intro: California's Shift into Racing Culture
00:43 - AAA and the Emergence of Racing in LA
06:32 - Santa Monica's Roads and the Vanderbilt Cup
09:16 - The Push from City Speedways to the Desert
10:41 - Bill Lattin Speaks on the Tradition and Transition of Racing through WW2
13:41 - The "Hot Rod" Magazine's Importance
15:29 - The Preservation of History through Prints, Publications, and Advertisements
19:04 - Racing Captured through the Lens of Allen Kuhn
20:55 - The Nearly Forgotten Story of Paramount Ranch
26:40 - Credits
Learn more at bit.ly/3NNzJ4T
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#LostLA #LosAngelesHistory #SouthernCalifornia #RaceCarDriving #MotorsportsHistory #Early20thCentury #AmericanCarCulture #StreetRacing #DryLakeBeds #SpeedCulture #NationalParks #NathanMasters #AAAofSouthernCalifornia #SouthernCaliforniaTimingAssociation #PetersenAutomotiveMuseum #ParamountRanch #HollywoodHistory #TheLoveBug #AutomotiveHistory #RacingLegacy
Before L.A. was known for traffic, it was a city of speed. In this episode of Lost LA, host Nathan Masters dives into Southern California’s rich history of race car driving—from improvised street races and dry lake beds to tracks tucked inside National Parks. Racing was once a major spectacle in the early 20th century, captivating crowds and fuelling America’s growing car culture. Nathan meets with historian Morgan Yates at AAA of Southern California, Southern California Timing Association’s President Bill Lattin and motorsports expert Harold Osmer to trace these high-octane stories. He visits the Petersen Automotive Museum and hunts down the remnants of Paramount Ranch—known not only for its Hollywood past but also for hosting three years of sanctioned car races, including scenes from The Love Bug. The episode reveals how racing shaped the region’s identity and left a legacy still felt on the road today.
00:00 - Intro: California's Shift into Racing Culture
00:43 - AAA and the Emergence of Racing in LA
06:32 - Santa Monica's Roads and the Vanderbilt Cup
09:16 - The Push from City Speedways to the Desert
10:41 - Bill Lattin Speaks on the Tradition and Transition of Racing through WW2
13:41 - The "Hot Rod" Magazine's Importance
15:29 - The Preservation of History through Prints, Publications, and Advertisements
19:04 - Racing Captured through the Lens of Allen Kuhn
20:55 - The Nearly Forgotten Story of Paramount Ranch
26:40 - Credits
Learn more at bit.ly/3NNzJ4T
~~~~~~
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: bit.ly/3wiFfZ2
Love PBS SoCal? Your support keeps the programs you love alive.
Donate today: bit.ly/you-tube-donation
Follow us:
Instagram: instagram.com/pbssocal
TikTok: tiktok.com/@pbssocal
Facebook: facebook.com/pbssocal
Sign-up for our Newsletter: pbssocal.org/newsletter
#LostLA #LosAngelesHistory #SouthernCalifornia #RaceCarDriving #MotorsportsHistory #Early20thCentury #AmericanCarCulture #StreetRacing #DryLakeBeds #SpeedCulture #NationalParks #NathanMasters #AAAofSouthernCalifornia #SouthernCaliforniaTimingAssociation #PetersenAutomotiveMuseum #ParamountRanch #HollywoodHistory #TheLoveBug #AutomotiveHistory #RacingLegacy
