By Emily Lockwood
Life Editor
Turning the key in the ignition, watching the dashboard illuminate and hearing the deep hum of a hand-built engine come to life is what one Costa student lives for.
For junior Alec Carlson, vintage cars have been a true passion. Carlson, who works at the Automobile Driving Museum in El Segundo as a mechanic and tour guide, also participated as a judge at the Edlebrock Revved Up 4 Kids Car Show. He has even helped publish a book about his family’s history in the world of cars and racing.
“I have had an interest in cars my entire life, and from my initial interest it developed into an obsession,” Carlson said. “It’s like an addiction. I really enjoy breathing life into cars that would have otherwise been forgotten.”
At age 13, Carlson received a 1937 Ford as a gift from his grandfather, Roger Harrell. Carlson fixed and rebuilt the radio, windshield wipers, brakes and the electrical system. Ruby’s Diner in Redondo Beach hosts a car show on Friday evenings, and Carlson shows his car with Harrell at the event every week.
“Restoring a car is a painstaking process,” Carlson said. “That is where the obsession comes into play, making sure that every little detail is taken care of and perfectly functioning.”
Carlson first visited the Automobile Driving Museum when he was 11 years old, after he read about it in a local newspaper. The museum allows its visitors to go on car rides in the vintage cars. Harrell took Carlson to the museum, and Carlson was in awe of the craftsmanship of the vintage automobiles. After Carlson’s initial introduction to the museum, he spent several hours there every weekend for a few months until one of the museum workers finally offered him a job as a tour guide and volunteer shop mechanic.
“I remember the day clearly,” Harrell said. “Alec was so excited, and it makes me very proud to see him still continue his interest in cars at the museum.”
Carlson works as a mechanic in the museum’s restoration shop where he restores vintage cars that are to be put on display. In addition to working in the shop, Carlson also guides visitors on tours of the 120 classic cars in the Museum’s collection.
“Giving a tour is like being an entertainer,” Carlson said. “You have to keep your audience interested while at the same time giving them the right information. You have to read your crowd.”
Carlson has taken his passion for cars to automobile shows. The Edlebrock Revved Up 4 Kids is a charity event where proceeds go to charities that help sick children. Carlson is one of several judges at the show, rating cars on the quality of the craftsmanship as well as the excellence of the restoration.
“Being a judge is a lot of fun, but it can be stressful,” Carlson said. “You have to spend a lot of time examining every single car in order to find a winner. Sometimes car owners disagree with your choice, but you have to have confidence in your decision.”
In addition to critiquing the quality of vintage cars and working as an assistant auto mechanic, Carlson has managed to combine his writing skills with cars. Carlson published a book with his family, titled “Harrell Engines and Racing Equipment,” in 2011. For the book, Carlson tracked down 70 years of his family’s racing history, which involves building high-performance drag race cars. During the writing process, Carlson interviewed many of his family members who owned hot rod cars and speed shops, stores that sell high-performance automotive products.
“The research process was very time-consuming,” Carlson said. “It is like going back in time. This really helped me grasp how these pioneers lived and raced.”
For the upcoming summer, Carlson committed himself to working at the Automobile Driving Museum to restore a 1949 Packard Woodie.
“I think it is really great that Alec gets to spend his summer working on cars, which are his passion,” junior Morgan Mancuso said. “It’s great that he has found something he loves to do.”
In the future, Carlson plans to earn a journalism degree in college. He hopes to further explore and pursue his passion by taking pictures of vintage automobiles.
“I hope to further my career by working at Hot Rod Magazine, which is a magazine that is solely devoted to custom cars,” Carlson said. “I hope in the future I can further my passion for cars.”
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