Okay, your classic car is finally ready to drive to Pomona and local cruise nights, but now you have to decide what to wear!  Sure, you could go with the oil stained t-shirt that you wear when you’re wrenching, or you could look good, by throwing on one of John Edwards’ Hawaiian Classic Car Shirts.  John, a longtime friend of the Pomona Swap Meet and Classic Car Show, sells his wares (pun intended) on Road 16, Spaces 70, 72, 74 and 76.  We recently sat down with him to learn a little more about him and his business.

How did John start selling car shirts?  Well, that’s a long journey that starts in Texas nearly 50 years ago.  John was drafted by the U.S. Army to go to Vietnam.  He had an uncle who offered to take him to Canada, but John didn’t “like running and hiding.”  So into the infantry he went.  After a combat tour in Vietnam, John returned to the States and, more specifically, to California.  Within a year, he got a job at General Motors.  “I did just about everything for GM,” John says, before listing off the numerous positions he held, from working on the assembly line to transporting new cars to their dealerships.  After 34 years, John retired from GM… and that’s when he started his shirt business.

In case you think John’s not a genuine car guy, know that he’s the proud owner of a 1957 Chevy Bel Air, with classic red and white livery.  In fact, when we asked which classic car he would buy if he won the lottery, John quickly said he’d get another ’57!  I guess we don’t have to ask if he’s a Ford or Chevy guy.  With a smile on his face, John tells us that he’s owned his Bel Air for twenty years, that he has restored it, and that he used to show it.  The smile drops as John realizes that he hasn’t taken his Bel Air to a show in a year because he’s been too busy…

Still, John says he loves selling at car shows.  “I love meeting a million different people, and people from all over the world.”  And the smile is back.

Flyers for all of the car events that John frequents.

Flyers for all of the car events that John frequents.

Okay, but what about these shirts?  John’s known for selling button down, Hawaiian style, classic car shirts.  With prices ranging from $10 – $42, he’s got something for everyone.  And he really does.  John sells children’s sizes, and even Hawaiian dresses, so your whole family can get kitted out.  Asked what his most popular product is, John says right now it’s the officially licensed products from GM, Chevy, Ford and Dodge, which he only recently started selling.

Some of the licensed shirts that John has on offer.

Some of the licensed shirts that John has on offer.

So if you want to look good the next time you cruise down the boulevard, we highly recommend visiting John on Road 16, Spaces 70, 72, 74 and 76 at the Pomona Swap Meet.  Mention this article, and John says he’ll “treat you right and give you a special discount!”