The Over the Hill Gang of San Bernardino, California, celebrated its 30th anniversary during the '05 show season. In 1973, a group of young street rodders led by San Bernardino resident and local upholstery shop owner Tom "Pappy" Sterkel talked about forming a regional hot-rod club. The first chapter was formed in 1975.
A 1969 television movie starring Pat O'Brien and Walter Brennan entitled Over the Hill Gang caught Sterkel's eye. The concept soon evolved into a club. Southern California has become so inundated with thousands of early model customs, street rods, musclecars, and trucks that the Over the Hill Gang has been divided into three chapters: San Bernardino, San Diego, and Pomona. The family-oriented club had only a couple of rules to honor and was known for its relaxed attitude and fun outings.
When Sterkel passed away in 1985, the San Bernardino chapter had 37 members; his dream has continued to bring more and more enthusiasts into the club, and today the San Berdoo chapter has 276 members. Currently the club has 25 chapters across the nation.
We recently attended the Over the Hill Gang's show 'n' shine at Perris Hill Park in San Bernardino. It was a day of checking out cool trucks, enjoying fantastic food, meeting friendly folks, and having fun, fun, fun.