Black Magic: How Iconic is the SO-CAL Speed Shop name?

Marco R. della Cava

10/01/2007

"I get calls all the time from people who say, ‘I just love SO-CAL, I’ve been buying stuff from you guys for the last 20 years,’" says SO-CAL president Pete Chapouris. An interesting rave, considering SO-CAL was non-existent between 1961 and 1997—the year Chapouris revived the brand to great success. "People just think we’ve been around forever," he says.

SO-CAL Speed Shop was founded in 1946 by Alex Xydias, just another World War II veteran returning home, looking to make a living. With a little money from friends and family, Xydias helped launch the hot rod phenomenon, in the process making Southern California synonymous with racing in the streets, on dry lake beds, and just about anywhere four wheels could get traction.

The enduring SO-CAL symbol—the Belly Tank—is a bullet of a top-speed machine that was fashioned out of an old P-38 auxiliary fuel tank. But after the race-related death of a relative, Xydias shuttered the shop in 1961, and went on to a career in the car magazine world that led to various auto-related ventures, such as the SCORE off-road equipment trade show.

When Chapouris (who shares a Greek last name along Xydias and custom-car king George Barris, which makes one curious about the wonderful mix of Greek heritage and fast American automobiles) came knocking on Xydias’ door in 1997, he found that his longtime friend and mentor had kept the SO-CAL trademark current.

"From there, it was a matter of letting people know we were back, and things just took off," says Chapouris.

Part of the massive SO-CAL headquarters on the industrial side of Pomona, Calif., is dedicated to looking the part: T-shirts, jackets and all manner of paraphernalia beam with the oval SO-CAL logo. Another area is dedicated to automotive parts, which range from brake lines to full chassis set-ups awaiting a body.

But the real artistry happens nearby, in a series of buildings brimming with customer cars. Some, like a Texan’s 1933 Ford Phaeton, are in for "a shave and haircut"—minor work meant to make the car drivable and safe. Others are undergoing full reconstructive surgery, like a rusted 1930 Model A that’s destined to be a "Rat Rod showpiece," says Chapouris. He adds that prices start at $125,000 for turnkey hiboy roadsters.

Over the shop’s speaker system, AC/DC fittingly scream through Back in Black, given that many of the cars worked on by this famed and revived name in hot rods wind up in that simple but striking color. Back in black, indeed.