Members of the JPL Motorsport Club held a sports car exhibition on Lab in August 1952, in a vacant lot where the Employees Recreation Club now stands. There are several MG and Hillman Minx cars, a Triumph, a Crosley Hot Shot and a 1928 Model A Ford. Cars owned by others working at JPL in 1952 can be seen parked in the background.

Several years after this photo was taken, employees in the Mechanics section organized an annual car show, held during their pre-Christmas party. Many of the people who fabricated prototype spacecraft and test models during the week, worked on their "Earth vehicles" at night and on weekends. At the height of the car show's popularity, more than 80 vehicles were dispayed by their proud owners, and the car show tradition continues even now.

The cars in this photo and their owners are all identified in the September 1952 issue of Lab-Oratory, the JPL employee newspaper at that time. Contact the Archives for more information.

For more information about the history of JPL, contact the JPL Archives.