Car culture in Los Angeles has always been a big deal. From lowriders cruising through East LA to imports lined up in deep Valley parking lots, car meets have been a way for people to show off their builds, meet others with a similar passion and just chill. But over the years, the ways that car meets look, feel and even happen have changed.
In the early days, car meets were apparently pretty low-key. People spread the word through flyers and forums, or just by telling each other where to meet. Whether it was muscle cars or imports, it was all about respect and community. These meets happened at gas stations, empty lots or in front of burger joints. Everyone showed up to appreciate each other’s work, talk about cars and enjoy the scene, without needing any attention beyond that.
Then came the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. The import scene exploded, fueled by JDM culture and movies like The Fast and the Furious. Suddenly Civics, Supras, RX-7s and 240SXs started showing up in numbers, decked out with body kits, big turbos and underglow.
Car meets grew quickly. Places like Krispy Kreme in Burbank or the In-N-Out off the 101 Freeway would be packed every weekend. The energy was still about passion, but the scene was louder and more attention-grabbing.
When social media took over, everything changed again. Eventually, car meets weren’t just about cars, they were about the content. Instagram pages and YouTube and Tik Tok videos have turned what used to be relaxed gatherings into full-blown productions. Burnouts, takeovers, rev battles and reckless driving have become the focus of a lot of clips.
This, of course, has brought problems. More police began showing up to meets, leading to more shutdowns, and a divide was created between people chasing views and those who still cared about the builds.
In response, some original builders and crews started organizing private meets. These were usually invite-only or hosted by shops that enforced strict rules. No burnouts or fights were allowed, just clean cars and a calm atmosphere. These events helped bring the focus back to quality and community. They’re still around today, sometimes in the form of larger car shows or smaller garage-hosted gatherings.
The LA car scene today is all over the place. You’ve got takeover culture making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Some street meets still carry that old-school vibe, and high-quality organized events can still be found. Electric vehicles are starting to show up, too, and some of the older builds are getting more respect again. What hasn’t changed is the feeling you get when you pull up and see a row of cars that someone’s clearly put hours of work into. No matter how much it changes, car meets in LA will always be about one thing at their core—bringing people together over something they love.
