Why LA is the Car Capital of the World

Spike and Zuckerman sit down with Evan from LA in a Minute to dig into the surprisingly rich automotive history of Los Angeles, from the first gas-powered car tested at 2 a.m. on Broadway in 1897 to how a racing speedway literally built Beverly Hills. Plus, Spike reviews the Aston Martin Vantage S, Evan confesses to rear-ending a nun, and the crew debates why Angelenos can't stop saying "the" before freeway numbers. ______________________________________________ 🫧 Meguiar's - 125 Years of Passion Premium products to clean, restore, and protect your vehicle 🛞 Vredestein - Car, SUV, Van, and Light Truck Tires Demand a better tire. Demand Vredestein. 🛠️ RaceDeck - Transform Your Garage Get 15% off plus free shipping with code SPIKE356 🪙 Acre Gold - Gold Investment Has Never Been Easier Visit to start building your gold stash! 📻 Listen to DRIVE with Jim Farley Check out the new season of the Ford CEO's car podcast! GRAB SOME SCR MERCH: GET MORE SCR ON PATREON: ______________________________________________ Evan Lovett, the creator of 'LA in a Minute,' brings a level of LA history nerd energy that even Spike didn't see coming. They trace the city's car culture all the way back to 1897, when two guys, Erie and Sturgis, built a Karl Benz-inspired four-wheeler in Boyle Heights and snuck it out at 2 a.m. to avoid spooking horses. From there: the Beverly Hills Speedway (yes, that's why Beverly Hills is Beverly Hills), the golden age of LA mass transit that somehow nobody remembers, In-N-Out inventing the two-way speaker box in 1948, and why Angelenos measure every trip in minutes, not miles. Spike also reviews the Aston Martin Vantage S: 670hp, plasma blue, CarPlay Ultra, and apparently better than a Porsche in at least one dimension. Evan delivers a confession about rear-ending a nun while reading a magazine. And the crew gives the Petersen Automotive Museum its flowers, including the vault that holds Magnum P.I.'s Ferrari and an Ayrton Senna F1 car. If you live in LA, drive through LA, or have ever wondered why everyone says "the 405", this one's for you. _____________________________________________ 📧 To advertise with Spike’s Car Radio, contact Neon Tiger Media: contact@neontiger.media 🌐 or visit: Produced by Skyview Entertainment & Q6 Media ______________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 - Introducing Evan from LA in a Minute 01:10 - The first car in LA 07:13 - The secret history of Beverly Hills racing 16:49 - How LA became the world's car capitol 27:04 - LA traffic 28:36 - Bad drivers 36:24 - Aston Martin Vantage S review 44:45 - The secrets of the Petersen Museum 49:17 - Coachella 54:15 - The mess of LA highways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Why LA is the Car Capital of the World is an episode from Spike's Car Radio by Spike Feresten.

This episode is 59:00 long.

This episode was published on Apr 15, 2026.

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