Automobile Club of Southern California facts for kids
 |
|
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California |
|---|---|
|
Region served
|
Southern California |
| Greg Backley | |
|
Parent organization
|
American Automobile Association |
|
Staff
|
Approximately 16,000 |
| Website | https://www.ace.aaa.com/ |
The Automobile Club of Southern California is a big club that helps drivers in Southern California. It's part of the American Automobile Association (AAA), which is a group of clubs across the country. The Auto Club started on December 13, 1900, in Los Angeles. It was one of the first clubs in the U.S. to work on making roads better and creating traffic rules.
Today, it's the largest AAA club. It has nearly 8 million members in Southern California. The club helps over 16 million members across 21 states.
Contents
History of the Auto Club
Early Days and Road Improvements
The Auto Club helped build the Ridge Route. This was the first major highway through the Tehachapi Mountains and San Gabriel Mountains. It connected Los Angeles directly to Bakersfield and the Central Valley. This highway made car travel much easier through the mountains.
Around 1910, the Auto Club sent teams to map out roads. They created maps and a system for road signs. The club put up thousands of strong, porcelain-on-steel signs all over California. They kept doing this until the state took over in the mid-1950s. Some of these old signs are still around today, but they are very rare.
The Main Office Building
.jpg)
In 1923, the Auto Club's main office was finished. It's located at Figueroa Street and Adams Boulevard in West Adams. Architects Sumner P. Hunt and Silas R. Burns designed it. They made a beautiful building with a "Spanish design."
On February 3, 1971, this building became a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument. This means it's an important historical place. The building is now a branch office for the club. The club's main headquarters are still in Los Angeles, but its main offices are in Costa Mesa.
From 1934 to 1941, the building's courtyard hosted the Auto Club's "Outing Show." This event promoted car trips and camping. These shows stopped when World War II began and never started again. During the war, the Auto Club helped collect rubber and metal for the war effort. They also printed posters, like the "Give Them a Lift" campaign. This campaign encouraged drivers to give rides to soldiers.
Changes and Fairness
The Auto Club faced some challenges in its history. In 1970, a city councilman named Marvin Braude disagreed with the club. He wanted state fuel tax money to be used for reducing smog and improving public transportation. The Auto Club opposed this idea.
Braude later sued the Auto Club. He said their election rules were unfair. His lawsuit lasted over 15 years. In the end, Braude won. The Auto Club had to change its election rules to make them fairer. This case also led to new laws in California in 1978 for non-profit organizations.
The Auto Club Today
Insurance and Member Benefits
Today, the Auto Club has an insurance company called the Interinsurance Exchange of the Auto Club. It is one of the largest insurance providers in California. It offers insurance for cars, homes, RVs, motorcycles, and boats. It also provides extra liability insurance.
The Auto Club is the biggest member of the AAA group. It still offers many benefits to its members. These include maps, help with travel planning, and emergency roadside service. Members can also get help with Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) services. Members also receive Westways, a magazine about travel and cars. The club has offices from Chula Vista near Mexico to Bishop in California's eastern mountains.
Growing Across the Country
In 1996, the Auto Club started to grow. It bought or partnered with other AAA clubs across the country. It added AAA Hawaii, AAA New Mexico, and AAA Texas. In 2003, it joined with AAA Northern New England (serving New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine). In 2006, it partnered with AAA Missouri (serving Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, and parts of Illinois and Indiana). AAA Alabama joined in 2007.
The Auto Club later partnered with AAA East Central (serving parts of Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia). It also joined with AAA Tidewater in 2012.
Other Programs and Racing
North of Central California, the California State Automobile Association (now called AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah) helps Auto Club members who travel there. Both clubs are part of the AAA group. While you can't use your membership interchangeably, all AAA clubs offer some services to all AAA members, like roadside assistance.
In recent years, the Auto Club has become involved in car racing again. It sponsors the annual Auto Club 400 NASCAR Cup Series race in Fontana. It also sponsors the NHRA Auto Club Finals in Pomona. The tracks where these events are held, Auto Club Speedway and Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, used to have naming rights held by the Auto Club. This also included a drag strip in Bakersfield (Auto Club Famoso Raceway).
The Auto Club sponsors Team Penske driver Joey Logano's No. 22 Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series race in Fontana. The Auto Club also sponsors the NHRA funny car team John Force Racing and its driver Robert Hight. When the IndyCar Series raced at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Hélio Castroneves drove a car with Auto Club colors from 2012 to 2015. Castroneves is also a Team Penske driver.
See also
- John W. Baumgartner, Los Angeles City Council member, 1933–35, opposed Auto Club signs on city streets
