The Charioteers Car Club was founded in 1957 by students at Tustin High School. Duane Roden, a talented artist, designed the car club’s plaque which was displayed under the license plate of their cars. The first several meetings were at Dennis Daws’ home where his mother always provided treats at the meetings
The American Legion of Tustin became the clubs sponsor. The club put on car shows and sponsored poker runs and dances.
Members carried cards with the club’s name and logo. These cards were handed out to people helped by club members. The club received good press coverage In the Tustin News. Steve Steepleton, a club member, also appeared with his Studebaker on a KTLA Channel 5 program
The first officers of the Club were:
Duane Roden, President
Don Bloodworth, Vice President
John Mitchell, Secretary
Dennis Daws, Treasurer
Other Founding members were:
Gary Bullard, Lupe Castenada, Ron Duff, Dick Dull, Stan Freeman, John Holmberg, Pat McCoy,
Earl Jensen, David Smith, Phil Smith, Steve Steepleton, David Young
The club was resurrected in 1975 when some of the guys started meeting on Friday afternoons at Mitchell’s. The property, located on Mabury St close to Fruit St, had belonged to Mitchell’s grandfather, Richard Phillip Mitchell (/19/1875-10//11/1965). The property has been passed down through the family. In the back part of the lot is a big red barn where meetings are held. Instead of an orange grove, Mitchell’s raise a large garden every year.
Over the years, members could be found working on their cars using the hoist Mitchell installed including;
Bruce Corzine 1932 Ford
Ron Duff, 1957 Chrysler 300
Bob Gray, 1957 Chevy Nomad
Tom Lorenz, 1936 Ford Pickup
Jim McKahan 1955 Chevy Nomad
Doug Minery, 1933 Ford
John Mitchell, 1955 Ford Crown Victoria
Al Meyer, 1957 Thunderbird
Duane Roden, Pontiac Trans Am
Phil Smith, 1946 Ford
Dave Spencer, 1937 Ford
Steve Steepleton, 1954 Studebaker
Glen Wheeler, 1936 Ford
For many years the club volunteered to register and stage cars at the Annual Enderle Center Car Show that benefited the Boys and Girls Club of Tustin and other charities
The Charioteers later joined with the Saddleback Rods in building and showing their cars. They drove to major car shows all over California, Arizona, Oregon, Washington and Colorado. The Friday afternoon meetings are still happening in 2022 at the “barn” with the surviving “Old Members” and new “car guys” including the Mitchell’s son Mike, son in law Phillip Sullivan and Dave Spencer’s son Craig.
Revised: 10/28/2024 Written by John Mitchell and Vicki Gray
