Reinaldo M. Robinsonwriter
Since its start in the early '70s, the Majestics Car Club has been cruising the streets of SoCal and beyond with both class and style. True riders in every sense of the word, Majestics' members can be found any Sunday, or any other day for that matter, on boulevards all around town. It all started with Giovanni "Little John" Bertoldi, the founder and former president of Majestics. For more insight on Little John and the origins of the Majestics Car Club, read our interview with him in our May '02 issue.
Fast forward a number of years and the documentary movie, Sunday Driver (shot by Carol Strong and distributed by Rockstar Games), chronicles the goings-on of the current Majestics Car Club. The movie follows a number of the members, including Twin, through their trials and tribulations, all the while showing the love affair that they're having with lowriding. Many who have seen the movie aspire to join their ranks, but owning a lowrider is not all it takes. The quality of the person comes first and foremost, which Dmack couldn't stress enough. The top priorities are commitment to the club and building and maintaining a quality vehicle along with the betterment of the sport.
Majestics is a traditional car club that's all about riding. Dmack stresses that you won't find an all-out show car that can't be driven on the streets because the streets have always been their home and that's what they're all about-cruising, getting together with other club members, and having fun. You'll also find them at other lowriding club functions, mingling, and making friends everywhere.
They only accept traditional lowrider cars, like two-door Chevys (Impala, Caprice, Monte Carlo), Big Body Cadillacs (two- and four-door), and G-bodies (two-door Regals and Cutlasses). To start a chapter, it's required that there be at least five clean and complete cars. They've had quite a few offers from people to start chapters here and there, but they're very selective about who flies the plaque. The reason is because they want quality cars and, more importantly, quality people to represent the club. Dmack mentioned that he'd rather have a person with a great personality and a clean street car than a full-out show car and a questionable disposition. So, owning the baddest candy painted, chromed-out undercarriage on your '64 Impala doesn't make you a shoo-in for a Majestics' plaque?
Cruising and hopping-wherever you go, whether it be Compton, San Diego, Phoenix, or Detroit, a couple of members of Majestics are bound to have their plaque proudly displayed in the rear window. When it comes time to smash some back bumpers against the asphalt, the big "M" will be in the mix.
Majestics has a rep known worldwide for swinging with the best of them. "The Dream Team" (a group of hoppers consisting primarily of Nene, Todd, Paul, Big John, and Fabian in Kansas City) loves to travel different places to hop. They can be found wherever there is some hopping action, plaque in the back window, shaking every time the bumper hits the ground. Besides them, there are plenty of others in the club who will put it down. Just when you thought it was enough to hop a beat-up hopper, the Majestics have been stepping up their game. Now they're breaking out hoppers, flaunting candy paintjobs, nice interiors, and sparkling chrome undercarriage cars. They drive up looking like a show car, hop 75-plus inches, and cruise off into the sunset with the system bumping.
All this is a manifestation of the Majestics "from the streets to the show" mentality. As members of Majestics, they are expected to show up and support shows large and small. On the large scale, everyone knows that their world famous New Year's Day picnic at Veteran's Stadium in Long Beach, California, is arguably one of the best lowrider events in the country, with people from all different clubs grilling, hopping, and having a good time.
Last year we covered a picnic/softball game in Lancaster, California, and a picnic in Detroit Michigan. The Lancaster event involved a softball game for a few friendly dollars and at the end of the picnic there was a raffle with some really cool prizes.
On the business side, twice a year there is a meeting with all the presidents and vice presidents of each chapter from across the country. During these meetings, they talk about any problems and concerns they're having with their individual chapters and also spend some time socializing. The Lowrider Magazine Super Show in Las Vegas is when one of those meetings takes place. While the wives and kids are out shopping and hanging out, they get to discuss the club's issues. They also give out trophies for things like the Most Improved Car, Most Improved Member, as well as other "specialty" trophies to keep things fun. For a night out, a big bash is thrown to bring together the entire club, both here and abroad, for some fun with their wives and girlfriends.
"It's still a 'G' thang." Unbeknownst to many, Gangster is still very much at the top of the pyramid in the Majestics family. He knows all the goings-on and is in contact with the outside on a regular basis. Various members will get a call from him about events before they even have a chance to give him the 411. Twin is the active president in his absence and is one of the original members of the club. Dmack is the vice president, taking over the reigns of that position when AC passed away in 1999. Dmack's '93 Cadillac Fleetwood "Papa Don't Take No Mess" graced the cover of our July '07 issue and was also featured in the Lowrider exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
The evolution of the Majestics Car Club is a slow and steady one. From its Compton roots to being known and respected all over the world, all indications are that they have no intention of exploding in numbers. Instead the important thing to them is to cultivate the members they have and become an even closer-knit family. Majestics' long history and rich past lights the way to their future, which is very much alive and growing.
If you're interested in finding out more about the Majestics Car Club, you can find them on the web at www.geocities.com/majesticssocal or for more info on the movie Sunday Driver, check out: www.rockstargames.com/sundaydriver.
