Who founded So-Cal Speed Shop in Burbank in 1946?

Alex Xydias founded So-Cal Speed Shop in Burbank in 1946.

Xydias opened the shop on Olive Avenue on March 3, 1946, immediately after being discharged from the United States Army Air Forces. The idea had taken shape while he was on wartime furlough and watched a street race in California’s San Fernando Valley. So-Cal was among Southern California’s earliest hot-rod speed shops.

The original business sold performance parts rather than offering mechanical repair. After the first lease ended, Xydias moved the shop to 1104 South Victory Boulevard. The So-Cal name soon became associated with land-speed racing and competition cars, especially vehicles running at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

A frequent mix-up is naming Pete Chapouris, Vic Edelbrock, or Dean Moon. Those figures were important in Southern California’s hot-rod history, but Xydias is the founder tied to So-Cal Speed Shop’s 1946 opening. The shop’s racing successes helped make its name nationally recognizable.