I ran into Mr. M the other day. Back in the late 1960s Mike Smith had a store called Mr. M's where he sold parts and accessories for low-rider/custom cars. The location was near the intersection of Rosecrans Ave. and Crenshaw Blvd. At the time Mike had a 1962 Chevy Impala that South Bay legend Joe Anderson had painted a stunning metal-flake green. A short time later he acquired a 1965 Buick Riviera and Joe Anderson was once again called on to apply the custom paint, this time a pearl yellow with panels featuring the "cobweb" effect. The car won many awards at custom car shows and helped establish the Rivie as one of the all time great custom cars, a reputation that continues to this day.
Earlier this year Mike saw pictures of his Riviera on my Flickr photostream and contacted me. We had a pleasant discussion about the old days and he mentioned that he was in the process of building a recreation of "Lemon Drop", the name given the show car back in the day. Recently I ran across Mike and his newly finished Rivie at the Friday night cruise-in at Ruby's Diner in Redondo Beach. Here is the result.
And proud owner Mike Smith 40 years later with his new recreation. Well done Mr. M!
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