The Spindles Auto Club of MA was started in 1957 at the request of local kids, with the assistance of the local court judge. The judge then referred many "bad boys" to membership in the club. Once referred by the judge you were a member or else. Five to seven years after the club started, its ties to the judge were lost.
The Spindles Auto Club has had a garage since its inception in 1957. The first garage was an old wooden barn in Jamaica Plain. By the late sixties the club moved to South Boston, and during the early 70’s to a place near Swingles Quarry in Quincy. That "garage" did not work out too well for the members, because it burned to the ground. When the roof caved in, six cars were instantaneously converted to charcoal colored low riders.
The club then moved to a cement garage located on the other side of Quincy. It took a few years to outgrow that garage and the club moved to a larger building near the hospital in Weymouth. In 1978, a better place was available in Weymouth we are still there today. The present location has an air-conditioned meeting room, alarm system, air compressor, restrooms heat, welder, torches, telephone, meeting room, dartboard, pool table, TV and room for 29 cars. Currently, there are 50 members and since the beginning, 300 people have been members.
Any club that has been around since 1957 is going to have a few unusual cars like a 1950 Plymouth used in the Brinks robbery. Other cars include dragsters, alcohol funny cars, street rods, muscle cars and antiques.
Over the years, there have been many club related stories. For example, during the ‘78 blizzard three members lived at the club for a week. A member had a scare when the throttle in his stretched nose Camaro funny car was stuck wide open at New England Dragway. In the 1960’s, two members drove to the NHRA National event in Kansas. When they checked into a motel and asked where all the drag racers were staying, the answer was, "Many stayed right here, but that was last weekend". Talk about a long ride home!
The club’s longest active member joined the club in 1961. He raced a 427 SOHC powered ‘48 Anglia across the country from 1962 to 1967 from Bakersfield and Ontario Motor Speedway in California to Sanford Maine. Some of his adventures include the time he spit out the complete rear end because somebody put in brass bolts by mistake. Or the time he crashed the Anglia and had to be rushed to the local hospital, but returned a couple of hours later trying to find his shoes - the crash knocked them right off his feet!
The club’s first show was held in 1979 at the Zayre’s parking lot in Braintree MA. It was a successful first show with over 150 cars. The club then held the next show at Zayre’s in 1982. Since 1982, they have had a car show every year. The show was moved to the Marshfield Fairgrounds, Marshfield MA in 1984 and has been held there since. Last year there were over 600 cars again and numerous swap meet vendors.
If you are interested in joining the club, we invite you to the monthly meeting. They are held the last Wednesday of each month at 7:30.