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Lost LA

The Race From LA to Phoenix

The Auto Club of Southern California’s archives charts Los Angeles’ love affair with the automobile. Morgan Yates talks about AAA’s origins as a promoter of motor racing. The club notably organized the Cactus Derby, a race covering 500 miles of desert between LA and Phoenix. Spurring advocacy for “good roads” in the US, they called for paved roads outside the city limits and into rural areas.

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