Inland Empire

The Rum Runners of Riverside was a car club based in Riverside, California during the late 1950s. Part of the vibrant Southern California hot rod and custom scene, the club embodied the postwar spirit of youthful creativity, mechanical skill, and cruising culture that defined the Inland Empire. Members wore light-blue, letterman-style jackets adorned with a back patch showing a rum keg turned into a hot rod, a whimsical emblem that captured the club’s fun-loving but gearheaded identity. Like many clubs of the era, the Rum Runners brought together young men who spent their spare time building, modifying, and racing their own cars, often in driveways, garages, and open roads across the region. Photo courtesy of Kelly Galeazzi.