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Los Angeles Times
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- Los Angeles Times
The hidden vintage Japanese car club that's redefining car culture in L.A.
As Savant Young carefully wipes down his charcoal gray 1973 Mazda RX-3 inside the Vintage Japanese Motor Union clubhouse, he pauses to apologize for being so focused on his car. 'It gets so dusty in here,' he explains, gesturing around the space that's situated in a mural-lined industrial pocket of Boyle Heights. Young smooths a microfiber cloth across the hood, then leans in closely to inspect it. His meticulous attention to detail isn't just about presentation. It reflects a deep, lifelong passion for cars. 'From the time I was 5, every Christmas I'd get racetrack sets and RC cars,' says Young, wearing a B-Sedan baseball cap. 'It's always been cars in my life.' Though toys lit his spark, it was his uncles' street-racing days, and the Japanese cars they drove, that ultimately shaped his taste. The RX-3 he's polishing now, once featured on the TV series 'Jay Leno's Garage,' isn't just a vintage gem. It's the same model owned by one of his uncles, and the first one that caught his ear. 'I liked it because it sounded racy,' he says. What began as a childhood fascination eventually revved up into something much more. Young, 49, is the co-founder of Vintage Japanese Motor Union, a thriving community of car enthusiasts, dedicated to preserving and celebrating pre-1975 smog-exempt cars. Gatherings often draw hundreds of vintage cars that line the block like a retro film set. The VJMU clubhouse, a car lover's paradise that blends a vintage aesthetic with the hands-on feel of a working auto shop, welcomes in anyone wanting to relax and hang out with other car folks. Exposed brick walls are decorated with photos and retro posters of vintage cars and racetracks, as well as street signs, racing suits and brand memorabilia, from Michelin to Mazda. A miniature Goodyear blimp hangs from a steel beam. Car parts are cleverly woven into the decor, with vintage grills and steering wheels displayed as industrial artwork, while stacked tires serve as the base for glass-top tables. A sign on the wall sums up the hub's ethos: 'Come for the cars, stay for the vibes.' But VJMU is about more than just cars. It's also about inclusivity, mentorship and community building. What sets the club apart is its focus on making car culture accessible to everyone. Becoming a member is straightforward. No application. No annual fee. Just show up and vibe. The only requirement is owning a pre-1975 Japanese vehicle. To Young, owning one signals the steadfast dedication that defines the club, as well as a deep respect for the legacy of these cars. 'They're not going to make any more of them,' he says. 'What we have is what's there, and preserving the lineage is important.' Cars don't need to be in mint condition. VJMU embraces an unapologetically raw and edgy spirit that Young likens to 'underground hip-hop.' That ethos is reflected by VJMU handing out awards at its car shows such as 'best patina' and 'best work in progress.' To Young, what matters more than a pristine restoration is how the car showcases its owner's unique style, reflected in the club's motto: 'Fresh s— only.' 'It's about individual expression through your build,' he says. 'Where's the spin on it with your personality?' VJMU's focus on making a personal statement with one's car is rapidly turning into a movement with its own momentum. Back in 2009, Young just wanted to have some fun with friends. While he was still a professional mixed martial artist, Young — who owns and teaches classes at Fight Academy Pasadena — organized a casual, potluck-style hangout for car-loving pals outside one of his matches. After that, he'd throw meet-ups every so often, each one a little bigger than the last. Things got more serious in 2014. Hoping to create something more intentional yet still personal, he teamed up with car-obsessed friends: forklift mechanic Jaime Cabral, high-end retail manager Damian Barbachan, IT professional Marlon Trujillo and Honda sales tech Henry Mendez. The group of native Angelenos bonded over their shared love of pre-1975 Japanese cars, especially Mazdas, due to their rotary engines. Young explains that they have fewer moving parts than traditional piston engines, making them easier to maintain, yet deliver surprising power for their relatively compact, lightweight size. What's more, cars from this era are considered smog-exempt, meaning they don't require smog checks, saving both the cost and hassle of compliance. Also, per Young, builds can be modified with less red tape. Alongside Young's RX-3 was Barbachan's red '72 Mazda RX-2, while Trujillo brought a vintage Mazda rotary engine pickup truck to the mix, as did Cabral with his '74 sky-blue REPU. Mendez didn't drive a Mazda, but his '73 white Toyota Corolla still fit squarely within the pre-1975 Japanese car wheelhouse. The group gave themselves a name — Vintage Japanese Motor Union — a logo, and a small business hustle, printing VJMU decals and selling them for $5 each at local car meets and online. 'We wanted to see if we could expand our reach in the community, throw events that reflect our style and monetize the brand,' Young says. The grassroots branding helped fuel momentum and broaden their influence. It also showed them their potential as a legitimate car club. VJMU staged its first official car show in 2019 outside a friend's body shop. But it was their follow-up, held outdoors during the pandemic, with a $40 registration fee, that drew 140 vintage Japanese cars and several hundred attendees. The overwhelming turnout made it clear that it was time to establish a permanent home base of their own. That marked the turning point for what has grown into a distinguished car club and brand — with major sponsors like Falken Tires, Sunoco and Hagerty — as well as a marketing and events company curating high-profile gatherings, like SoHo Warehouse's five-year anniversary party last October, which featured performances by notable hip-hop artists Talib Kweli and Murs. VJMU also boasts almost 24,000 social media followers. An outlier in the Japanese classic car space as a prominent Black influencer, Young acknowledges the importance of that visibility. Still, he explains, it's less about recognition than representation. 'I don't really see it as an accolade, but I do see it as a necessity for people to know that car culture runs through every neighborhood,' he says. 'It just so happens that I grew up in South Central, and some people just didn't take notice of us in general, but we've always loved the same things.' Young takes particular pride in VJMU's identity as a Black- and Latino-owned car club, competing as a team in a sport that's traditionally been dominated by affluent, white participants. At a recent race-meets-car-show at Willow Springs Raceway, Young says it was deeply moving to witness so many Black and Latino kids feeling welcome in a space where they could not only see themselves reflected but begin to imagine their future in a world that hasn't always made room for them. That inclusive spirit is steering VJMU's next phase. Young's developing a school-based internship program that would offer academic credit and paid experience to local youth, granting access to a world they might otherwise have never stepped into. Even for those without cars, VJMU is creating space. The location, framed by the picturesque Sixth Street Viaduct, was chosen with scale and style in mind. Its outdoor area is suited to large-scale car meet-ups and crowds, and its cinematic surroundings match the club's gritty aesthetic. The spot also embodies deep Los Angeles pride. 'We're rooted in our L.A.-ness 100%,' Young says. 'Car customization, car culture, different aesthetics … it's always been something that came about from L.A., whether it's lowriders in Boyle Heights or driving out to the coast with the top down. 'Where we're at is like the middle vein, with the bridge kind of separating the East and West side,' he continues. 'We're at a pretty central point.' Soon, the clubhouse will house two race simulators available for rent, with sponsored community days covering costs for those who can't afford the fee. In the meantime, Young is preparing for the clubhouse's next big event, a Cinco de Mayo street celebration on May 4 with live music, local food vendors and, of course, plenty of vintage Japanese cars. Looking further ahead, he is hoping to shut down the Sixth Street Viaduct for a full-on VJMU takeover for the clubhouse's two-year anniversary next year. Wherever the road beyond that leads, it's clear that VJMU's wheels are in motion.
Fox News
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Jay Leno stands by marriage vows as he faces challenges of caring for wife suffering from dementia
Jay Leno made a vow nearly 45 years ago to stand by his wife Mavis in sickness and in health, and he's sticking to it. The former late night talk show host was granted a conservatorship over his wife last year due to her dementia diagnosis after he petitioned a Los Angeles court to be her legal care provider. Leno, 74, admitted that their unique situation has shown him what marriage is truly about. The comedian noted that he's enjoying everything that goes along with being his wife's caregiver, primarily the fact that they get to spend time together. When asked what he's learned about himself after assuming this new role, Leno said he's "never been particularly challenged." "I was not in the Army. I didn't have to shoot anybody," Leno said on "In Depth with Graham Bensinger." "I didn't have to risk my life when I got married," he said. "You sort of take a vow… and, 'Will I live up to this? Or will I be like a sleazy guy if something happens to my wife, I'm out banging the cashier at the mini mart.' "No, I didn't." He added, "I enjoy the time with my wife. I go home, I cook dinner for her, watch TV, and it's OK. It's OK. It's basically what we did before, except now I have to feed her and do all those things. But, I like it. "I like taking care of her. I think somewhere in my life, uh, she's a very independent woman, so I like that. I'm needed, you know, and I need to be there." "I enjoy the time with my wife. I go home, I cook dinner for her, watch TV, and it's OK. It's OK. It's basically what we did before, except now I have to feed her and do all those things. But, I like it." In the conservatorship petition filed last year, Leno wrote that Mavis "lacks the necessary capacity to execute the estate plan" due to her "major neurocognitive disorders (including dementia)." He described his "loving marriage for more than 43 years" with his wife, but noted that he "has always handled the couple's finances," and he wanted to ensure that "Mavis has managed assets sufficient to provide for her care should Jay predecease Mavis." Despite never being challenged the way he is now, the "Jay Leno's Garage" host affirmed that he enjoys being able to take care of his wife. "That's the challenge, isn't it? When you have to feed someone and change them and carry them to the bathroom and do all that kind of stuff every day," Leno said. "It's a challenge. And it's not that I enjoy doing it, but I… I guess I enjoy doing it. It's OK." He continued, "I'm not just, 'This person is attractive and sexy' and having sex with them and everything. At some point in my life, I'm gonna be called upon to defend myself… I think that's really what defines a marriage. I mean, that's really what love is. That's what you do. "I mean, I'm glad I didn't cut and run. I'm glad I didn't run off with some woman half my age or any of that silly nonsense. I would rather be with her than doing something else." Leno noted that their time at home together was filled with laughter. "I know I'm told people with dementia forget the people they're with," he said. "But, you know, I do like pictures of the flashcards: Remember? Remember? Yeah. It's kind of funny. I go, 'Honey, that's President Obama. Remember we had dinner?' 'Oh, not me.' 'Yeah, yeah. Honey, it was you'… You have to find the humor in it."
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Think car costs are high? Price, what to know about Trump's presidential limo 'The Beast'
If you think car prices are bad, consider how much it costs to replace the presidential limo. The Secret Service posted on X it met with General Motors executives to discuss building a new presidential limousine. While a GM spokesman said the company would not comment on current or future government contracts, in September, the Homeland Security Department and Secret Service awarded GM a $14.8 million contract for development of the next-generation presidential limousine. Here's what we know. "Countering evolving threats require us to constantly explore new innovations and improvements to our armored fleet of protective vehicles. Director Sean Curran met with GM executives to discuss advancements that could benefit the next generation of armored SUVs," the Secret Service posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. A Secret Service spokesman confirmed for the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, on March 21 it had contracted with GM to produce a new presidential limousine, though it declined to discuss how the vehicle might differ from the current one or offer other details about Curran's discussions with GM. "The U.S. Secret Service is always exploring emerging technology to enhance our protective operations," said Nate Herring, lead public affairs specialist for the Secret Service. "Director Curran's visit to the General Motors Tech Center in Warren (Michigan) was to discuss new advancements that could benefit the next generation of armored SUVs. The U.S. Secret Service employs a variety of vehicle platforms. "Due to operational security, we are unable to discuss the means and methods used for our protective operations," he added. In September, the Homeland Security Department and Secret Service awarded GM a $14.8 million contract for development of a next-generation presidential limousine. The contract could be worth up to $40.8 million through 2029. The last vehicle constructed for presidents debuted one year into Trump's first administration. The Secret Service said the 2018 custom-built Cadillac, modeled after the Cadillac CT6, entered the presidential fleet and shuttled Trump around New York to United Nations General Assembly meetings. The limo also has a twin used for motorcades. The 22,000-pound, armored Cadillac is built on a heavy-duty truck chassis, powered by a diesel engine and has armor 8 inches thick. In 2024, Jay Leno, in an exclusive episode of "Jay Leno's Garage," talked about the presidential limo with Secret Service agents Jay Nasworthy and Steve Abel, who shared insights and stories about the most-secure vehicle in the world. Not all of the car's secrets were revealed but info shared included: The presidential limo is probably the safest vehicle in the world. Tires have run-flat capabilities. The Secret Service "takes at least two" of the vehicles wherever the president goes in the world, transporting them on either a C17 or C5. Each presidential limo has "probably an 8-year shelf life." Prior presidential limos are destroyed after a new one is built. Everyone involved in building and designing the presidential limo needs to have top-secret clearance. As technology advances, "we try to incorporate the latest and greatest of everything." The limo has "robust capabilities." The windows do not go down. The rear seats where the president rides has heating, cooling and massage functions. Secret Service calls the limo a parade limousine. "It's a car and it drives like a car." But, agents said, it can be difficult to see out of it and it has several blind spots. "It needs space." Wood surrounding the presidential seal inside the limo is from a chestnut tree planted by George Washington. The first American president planted 13 trees, one for each colony, in Fredericksburg, Virginia, between his sister's and mother's homes so they would have shade walking between their homes. The last tree, representing Georgia, died in 2004 and has been used in the presidential limo. "In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson rode in a Series 53 1916 Cadillac limousine during a parade in Boston to celebrate the end of World War I," GM said. "Two Cadillac convertibles — dubbed the 'Queen Mary' and 'Queen Elizabeth' — served Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower. First used in 1938, the 21.5-foot, 7,660-pound vehicles were equipped with a full ammunition arsenal, two-way radios, and heavy-duty generators." Cadillacs also were used by Presidents Ronald Reagan (a Fleetwood) and Bill Clinton (a Fleetwood Brougham.) "A re-engineered version of the Beast, code-named 'Cadillac One,' and featuring design cues from the Cadillac DTS, debuted in 2009 to transport President Obama." Since the early 1980s, the presidential limo has been a Cadillac. President Trump said in a September 2024 speech in Michigan that his father, Fred Trump, liked Cadillacs. 'I learned so much from him, and he loved Cadillac,' GM said on its website. "His biggest luxury in life was to get a brand new, dark blue Cadillac every two years. And he would. He would get that car, and he would say, 'look at this car.' He didn't know about a Rolls Royce. All he liked was Cadillac, and I love it. I think it's a great car. 'My father liked Cadillacs and that's good enough for me,' President Trump said. Presidential limousines are nicknamed 'The Beast,' a term first used in 2001, in reference to the limo used by President George W. Bush. "Unlike its predecessors, this one was custom-built, designed and engineered by a research and development team at General Motors. GM designed the vehicle to the exacting standards of the U.S. Secret Service, while maintaining signature design cues from the Cadillac DeVille," GM said. GM has described the president's limo as "a custom-built, highly secure fortress on wheels that proudly wears the Cadillac crest." "In December 1941, Franklin Roosevelt became the first president to use an armored vehicle," according to the Secret Service. ➤ Miami Beach lot where Al Capone's house stood (and where he died) on market for $23.9 million "Originally belonging to infamous gangster Al Capone, the car was seized by the Treasury Department in 1932 on an income-tax evasion charge. "The car's armor actually was comprised of only bulletproof glass; the body of the car was still vulnerable. The vehicle was used until limousines in the presidential fleet — such as the 1939 Lincoln 'Sunshine Special' — were armor-plated in the early part of 1942." Contributors: Jackie Charniga, Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press This story was updated to add new information. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Presidential limo, the Beast: Secret Service, GM talk new Trump car
Los Angeles Times
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Jay Leno gets a kick out of wife's $847 sneakers: ‘Find your moments where you can have a laugh'
Jay Leno isn't keen on a pair of bedazzled $847 sneakers he bought. But if they make his wife happy, they make him happy. The former 'Tonight Show' host detailed a recent shopping trip with wife Mavis, who is battling advanced dementia, and said that he tries 'to find humor in this situation.' The 'situation' refers to to the philanthropist's declining cognitive state, which prompted Leno to file for a conservatorship early last year to oversee his wife's affairs. In providing the latest update on Mavis' condition, the stand-up comedy legend employed his signature wit. The 'Midas Man' actor said in a recent interview with People that to cheer up his wife one day, he took her shopping at Nordstrom. Mavis, 78, picked out a pair of bright blue sneakers that were $24. Then Leno encouraged her to pick out another pair. This time she decided on a red-and-white pair that 'made her happy.' '[The cashier says] 'That's $24. And the other pair, that's $847,'' he said. 'I go, 'No, I only had two pairs of sneakers. I thought these were $24.' [The cashier] goes, 'Yeah, these are $24. But the other ones were [designer sneakers]. It looked like the guy took a pair of the same sneakers and used a bedazzler on them, and they were $800. I look at my wife and said, 'You like these?' I go, 'Honey, you look great.'' Despite the eye-popping price tag on the latter pair, Leno said he was glad he could afford the footwear despite the sticker shock. And it gave him a good laugh. 'Just typical ... ,' he said. 'When you're dealing with this kind of thing, you find your moments where you can have a laugh and have fun, and my wife really likes them and felt good about it.' Jay and Mavis Leno have been married for more than 40 years. In January 2024, the 'Jay Leno's Garage' host sought conservatorship of her estate so he could structure a living trust and other estate plans to make sure that Mavis has 'managed assets sufficient to provide for her care' should he die before her. Leno's petition also said Mavis had been 'progressively losing capacity and orientation to space and time for several years.' According to documents filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court last spring, Mavis Leno's court-appointed attorney said that during his investigation into Jay Leno's effort to be a permanent conservator, he learned that Mavis has 'major neurocognitive disorders,' cognitive impairment and 'sometimes does not know her husband, Jay, nor her date of birth.' It is unclear when Mavis was diagnosed, but the documents said that she was being treated for advanced dementia and a mood disorder. In late April, Mavis Leno joined her husband at the premiere of the Netflix film 'Unfrosted' and said that she feels great: 'We have a great time. Forty-four years [married], so we're doing good.' A few weeks later, Jay Leno, a two-time Emmy Award winner, said marrying Mavis was his greatest achievement and 'the smartest thing I've ever done.' 'I am part of her legacy and that's what I'm proudest of,' Leno said at the Feminist Majority Foundation's 16th Global Women's Rights Awards Gala, where he presented the inaugural Mavis Leno Award for Global Women's Rights. The award is dedicated to the philanthropist for her Nobel Prize-nominated work as chair of the nonprofit's Campaign for Afghan Women and Girls. Times staff writer Meg James and fellow Malia Mendez contributed to this report.
