‘Radwood’ Returns with More Awesome ’80s & ’90s Car Culture

On Dec. 2, ‘Radwood 2’ will transform SoCal into a scene straight out of Back to the Future.

For too long, cars from the ’80s and ’90s have played second fiddle to prior generations. Much of this can be blamed on particular models from the era that came laden with smog equipment and little in the way of power or build quality. But as any car enthusiast worth his salt knows, this isn’t the case with everything made over that 20-year time span. Not by a long shot.

It’s long overdue that we recognized this underrated period in automotive history, not to mention the rich culture of the 1980s and 1990s. And that’s the idea behind Radwood. Set in the car-rich confines of Anaheim, California, this period-correct celebration aims to capture the very essence of ’80s and ’90s car culture. Last year’s inaugural event filled that void, and now comes the sequel: Radwood 2. Sadly, there’s no cool subtitle like “Electric Boogaloo” or “The Smell of Fear.”

We recently sat down with Radwood co-creator and prolific automotive journalist Bradley Brownell to get the scoop on this hotly-anticipated sequel. And to see if we could trick him into revealing some of the exciting new changes to this year’s event, of course. We were at least partially successful on that front.

RENNLIST: First things first, what was your inspiration for creating an ’80s and ’90s-themed automotive extravaganza?

BRADLEY BROWNELL: Last year during Monterey Car Week, I was hanging out with a few of the guys from the Driving While Awesome! podcast, and a few of the guys from the Clutchkick Podcast, and we collectively discussed how there was no car show dedicated to the kinds of cars we like. For example, a Porsche 944 is technically welcome at a PCA car show, but they’ll sort of be pushed over into the corner. We all grew up idolizing cars from the ’80s and ’90s, so we came up with Radwood to give owners of cars from our favored era a place to be the center of attention. The idea was partially inspired by Goodwood, hence the name. The U.K. has a stranglehold on the ’60s and ’70s, but what’s more purely American than ostentatious 1980s and 1990s bright colors and boxy car designs?

Many consider cars from this era to be poorly constructed and uninspiring. But judging by the response to Radwood, would you say that this is an unfair generalization?

Definitely. Some of the best cars I’ve ever driven have been from the ’80s. Certainly, there are some truly awful cars from the era, but that’s true of any era. This was an era of experimentation and technological advancement, and some companies were better at it than others. Perhaps there is a reason most of the cars attending the first Radwood were either German or Japanese?

‘We grew up idolizing cars from the ’80s and ’90s, so we came up with Radwood to give owners of cars from our favored era a place to be the center of attention.’

What do you think is causing this renewed interest in cars from the ’80s and ’90s? Is it strictly the byproduct of a generational coming of age, a desire to drive cars that aren’t completely computer controlled, or something else?

There are a bunch of complicated reasons why people are enthusiastic about the Radwood era of cars. For the most part, we grew up looking at cars like these in automotive magazines. Some of us are mechanically inclined to do our own maintenance, and certainly, these cars are much less complicated to work on than cars built in the 2000s. Mostly, we just want to drive something a little different, something unique.

Last year’s show in Northern California garnered a lot of attention and generated a ton of excitement among enthusiasts. What changes can returning visitors expect to see at this year’s sequel?

I don’t want to give it all away, but we’ve got some pretty cool stuff in store for Radwood 2. For the most part, Radwood 2 will be more of the same awesome stuff you saw at the first Radwood. There are some cool vendors coming out, and being that this one is in Southern California, don’t be surprised if you see a few movie cars on display. Plus, we’re expecting a lot more cars in general this time. We will be surprised if this show doesn’t have twice as many cars. Just trust that it’ll be truly rad. 

‘Some of the best cars I’ve ever driven have been from the ’80s, an era of experimentation and technological advancement.’

This is a fun spectator event, of course. But you’re also providing a special experience for those displaying their rides. What do you have in store for participants?

Unlike the first event, we will actually have a few awards to hand out. There will be trophies for the best American, Asian, and European cars, as well as awards for best stereo, best wheels, best period-correct accessory, best dressed, and farthest driven. The venue is awesome, and we’re hopeful that it’ll go off without a hitch. 

For those interested in participating, what years/models/makes/genres are eligible?

Radwood is open to all cars and motorcycles built between January 1, 1980 and December 31, 1999. We are allowing some earlier-built cars with proper period-correct modifications, and some later continuation models, but those will be decided upon on a case-by-case basis. Bring your rad car down to The Phoenix Club in Anaheim on December 2 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and we’ll all have a super-fun time. 

Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.
He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.