La Jolla: A Spotlight on a Custom Car Masterpiece

Harry Bradley, a revered figure in custom car design and a renowned designer for General Motors and Mattel's Hot Wheels, crafted La Jolla. This iconic vehicle marked not only his debut in custom car creation but also his very first automobile.

In 1954, while still a high school student in La Jolla, California, Harry obtained a 1951 Chevy Bel Air hardtop. The car's name pays homage to his hometown. As part of the agreement with his parents, he pledged not to alter the vehicle.

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As Harry recalled in a 1985 feature in Super Rod & Custom magazine, "They had influenced me deeply—'they' being Pinin Farina, Harley Earl, Joe Bailon, and the Barris brothers. My parents stood no chance against such legends." Harry wasted no time embarking on an ambitious customization journey.

Every body panel underwent some form of modification. Harry removed the chrome from the hood and enlisted his friend Herb Gary to pancake it, a technique involving reshaping and cutting a smaller panel from the flattened top. He then added an electric motor and twin screw drives to operate the redesigned hood.

Following a three-inch chop to the roof, Harry realigned the doors' upper edges and replaced their skins. He adjusted the A-pillars to complement the doors' updated contours and fitted each door with custom one-piece glass panels.

To align with the redesigned windshield opening, Harry had new lower moldings crafted from lead and chrome-plated. The rear window area was reworked using a narrowed and sectioned piece from a 1949 Plymouth, and a trimmed 1953 Pontiac windshield was installed to fit the new opening.

At the front, Harry frenched the headlights, incorporated a 1949 Mercury grille opening, and crafted a custom copper grille. He also streamlined the bumper by removing the guards and added a 1949 Chevy license plate guard for a polished finish.

At the rear, Harry also pancaked the trunk and opted for a continental kit. To integrate it seamlessly, he extended the rear fenders and added custom-crafted clear taillight lenses. The rear bumper was sourced from a 1952 Pontiac.

Among the most striking features of La Jolla are its "floating" rocker panels. Harry and Herb achieved this by crafting new rockers and matching them with 1-1/2-inch thick frosted-white Plexiglas. They mounted the Plexiglas first, then layered the new rockers on top.

This design enhanced the car's flowing lines into the rear fenders. For an extra flair, Harry incorporated LEDs along the leading edge of the Plexiglas panels, making them illuminate like a lens after dark.

During that era, lowering a custom car typically involved using lowering blocks, which compromised handling. To maintain superior ride quality and handling, Harry lowered his car by channeling it behind the rear seat.

To achieve this, he sliced the frame in front of the rear springs, lifting the rear end 3-1/2 inches inside the body, effectively lowering the rear suspension. Minor adjustments were made to the front suspension to lower it as well.

Affected by polio in his youth, Harry couldn't operate a standard car, so he enlisted his friend Floyd Martin to create custom hand controls for the throttle and brakes. Under the hood, he fitted a fresh 283-cid Chevy V-8 engine and selected a rich chocolate-ebony candy pearl finish for the paint.

La Jolla stands out among custom cars because Harry owned it for over 45 years, driving it frequently. It accompanied him through college, family life, and his successful career in automotive design.

In 1999, Harry sold the car to renowned custom car collector Jack Walker. Together, they restored the vehicle, incorporating two modifications approved by Harry.

For the interior, Jack commissioned Harry to design a new rolled-and-pleated upholstery, crafted in white and light lavender by Bob Sipes. Externally, the car was repainted in a deep purple shade, a color Harry Bradley had admired since the 1950s, replacing the original brown.

After making rounds on the custom auto-show circuit, the car eventually found its place in Jack's collection of historically significant custom vehicles.

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