The Characters
JOSE “GUERO” ROMERO
Birthday: June 12 (Gemini)
Nickname: Guero
Playlist: Quincy Jones, Idris Muhammad, Cymande, Marvin Gaye
Favorite films: Le Mans, Stand by Me, Heat, Good Fellas, Saving Private Ryan, Baby Driver
A second generation Hispanic-American growing up in Venice beach, JOSE was a good kid. He found trouble occasionally, but only because he wanted to explore his limits. He had a classic American childhood, growing up doing martial arts and playing various sports. He was captain of his high school basketball team; a popular kid, even though he didn’t seek the center of attention, he found himself there. Often. He was effortlessly cool with impeccable taste. His dad loved old Impalas and Cadillacs, and while JOSE appreciated them, he was a product of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, so he was inspired by the innovation and design of cars coming out of Japan and Germany. But – more importantly – he was one to find his own path. He always had a unique voice and point of view, and he’d always been a tastemaker, even before he realized it.
His dad gave him a hard time about his love for imports, but he loved how much JOSE was inspired by them. He helped him learn how to modify his cars, lovingly teaching him how to wrench. It’s how they spent their weekends. The garage was tight, with two cars it was almost claustrophobic, with an aged dark natural wood interior enclosed by a creaky garage door held together by rusty springs. The door opened to the back alley, and their favorite pastime was popping a couple of old lawn chairs back there and chatting after a long day working on their cars. They were more than father and son, they were best friends.
JOSE wasn’t much of a student in high school, mainly because he was always thinking about cars, sports and girls. But all his teachers loved him; he was a kind and generous kid, and was a classroom favorite among students and teachers alike. Not only was he creative, he was a loyal friend, and the rare teenager who wasn’t mean or malicious. He played well with others, and always made sure everyone was having fun and felt included.
His dad knew from an early age that JOSE was going to cause problems, mostly because he liked to go FAST. The moment he could ride a bike, he wanted to see how fast he could go. When he couldn’t go any faster, he’d start inspecting the equipment, asking, “How can I make this bike go faster?” Impressed with his coordination and reflexes, his dad had seriously entertained the idea of getting him into kart racing, but ultimately they just couldn’t afford it.
When JOSE was 12 he asked his parents if he could get a part time job; he wanted to start saving up for his first car when he turned 16. He got a job at the local sports card shop, working after school and weekends.
At some point in JOSE’S childhood the universe once again intervened–he was playing with his legos one Sunday morning and the iconic Steve Mcqueen film “Le Mans” was on TV. He never really knew why he was drawn towards Porsche 911s, but he was. This fateful day was the answer. His dad always wanted him to get into lowrider culture, but as much as he loved the classics, they weren’t fast or nimble enough for him. The ideal drive for JOSE wasn’t cruising Hollywood, it was bombing Mulholland. He craved the speed.
On his 15th birthday, with a little help from his parents, he had enough to buy a pretty beat up Datsun 280z. He had this idea that if he got it on his 15th birthday, he and his pops could work on it for a year before he got his license. He pitched it to his parents as a way to spend more time at home with family; it was “a family project” he kept calling it. He spent most of his 14th year on this planet sketching out an entire plan for the car, how he was going to modify it in stages and what sort of things he could do on his own (with pops help of course): suspension (lower it), cosmetic repairs, etc. and what sort of things he would need to save up for: headers, exhaust, intake.
By the time he was 16, they had created a pretty incredible car. His obsession with performance coupled with his dad’s background restoring lowriders created a match made in restoration heaven. They didn’t realize it at the time, but JOSE and his father were in the midst of creating something totally new, something the world had never seen before.
His father, who knew nothing about imports, became fascinated by this new genre of car culture. The tables had suddenly turned, and now JOSE was teaching his dad about this new space. Together they found a way to blend their passions into a unique and very special thing. This thing would become something JOSE was well known for–not just in California, but around the world.
In the ‘90s, car culture in Los Angeles was booming and JOSE was well ahead of it. He had already become a legend as a car builder before he was even 22 years old, and he was also regarded as one of the top street racers. This last part he didn’t exactly mention to his family, but it wasn’t a very well-kept secret. JOSE was a bit of a local icon. His little sister heard about the street cred he was getting through her school’s grapevine (she didn’t mind – it was actually boosting her popularity). The following Sunday family dinner she started calling her brother Guero el Pilito and everyone howled with laughter. Guero was something she called him when they were much younger, but the el Pilito was a nice addition, and the new name stuck.
Guero el Pilito was a brand he would go on to create, and the brand that would launch him to global stardom in the automotive world. He opened his own garage when he was 27, and it had been thriving ever since–a bespoke shop offering basic services needed for rare imports, modifications or full restomod commissions.
JOSE wasn’t behind on bills because he lost his money, he was behind on bills because he buried himself in his work following CHARLOTTE’S death, taking on project after project until his workload became unmanageable. He fell impossibly far behind, hiding from his grief and ignoring all the glaring red flags he was sinking. His depression manifested itself in many ways, but most notably, it was almost always coupled with anxiety. One day, after years of not taking care of himself, his nervous system failed, and he had no strength to pick up the pieces. He was broken, and it would take a monumental amount of work to recover, if it was even possible.
CHARLOTTE ROMERO
Birthday: August (Leo)
Nickname: Cub
Playlist: The Mamas and The Papas, Townes Van Zandt, Crosby, Stills & Nash
Favorite films: Out of Africa, Princess Mononoke, Blue Velvet
CHARLOTTE grew up in an old Hancock Park family, a fourth-generation Angelino. Her father grew up in Hollywood and her mom grew up in Pasadena. She was an unbelievably smart kid – went to Harvard-Westlake and graduated top of her class – but she never quite fit in. She played soccer, and was captain of the debate team. She always knew she wanted to be a teacher; her parents, though, wanted her to be a lawyer, to go to an Ivy League school and come back to work in the family firm. That was the furthest thing from what she wanted, not that it mattered to them.
She had many hobbies and interests, but mostly CHARLOTTE loved cars. It was something she picked up from her dad; he had a white ‘76 Porsche 911, “Sally,” he called her. He’d put on his yellow-tinted aviators and camel leather driving gloves and take her on Sunday drives through the canyon. These were some of her fondest memories of her dad. He had a special driving set list they’d listen to, it always started with The Mamas and The Papas, “Go Where You Wanna Go,” and as they wound through the canyon, the music moved from Neil Young to The Byrds, each song humming along with the sound of the tires on the pavement.
Constantly tinkering with the 911, you’d typically find CHARLOTTE’S father in his garage. When CHARLOTTE was first born, he renovated the entire garage into his dream craftsman-style shop just for the car. It was more museum than garage, with vintage Porsche posters in gallery frames lining the walls. The space also included his personal library, a loft where he’d work on the weekends and where his vinyl collection was housed. When CHARLOTTE was little she loved spending her weekends with her dad there, and it was obvious that he equally cherished these memories.
Her father was always impressed with how well she understood engineering, from a very early age she understood the mechanics of the transmission, steering and suspension systems. What she didn’t know, she was eager to learn. One of her mom’s favorite stories to tell was when CHARLOTTE was eight years old, her Christmas list to Santa only had two items: Haynes car manuals, featuring all her favorite cars and her very own vinyl of The Mamas and The Papas.
Her dad was honored when CHARLOTTE would join him in the garage. She was such a good kid, generous and so curious, truly a joy to be around. He would quiz her on the different parts and functions of the car, and she would get a piece of candy for every right answer. This might have been the start of her sweet tooth, because to her father’s amazement, she was rarely wrong.
MARGO ROMERO
Birthday: October (Libra)
Nickname: Boo
Playlist: The Mamas and The Papas, The Cure, The Smiths, Arcade Fire, The Cranberries, Florence + the Machine
Favorite films: Out of Africa, Princess Mononoke, Amadeus, Blue Velvet (her Mom’s favorite films)
CHARLOTTE’S parents never accepted JOSE, either into their hearts or, ultimately, into their family. Because of this, they missed out on seeing the incredible person CHARLOTTE would become, and all the good she would do in the world. But perhaps the most damaging side effect of their choices was the little girl they never got to know, the one they abandoned when they chose to turn their back on their daughter rather than embrace her new family.
To CHARLOTTE’S parents, MARGO was an embarrassment. But to the world, she was a marvel. She lit up every room she walked in. Her heart was boundless. Like both her parents, she made the world a better place.
When MARGO lost her mother, she was devastated. She lost one of her biggest champions, sure, but most importantly she lost her best friend. Making things all the more difficult, that day CHARLOTTE watched her father lose his best friend and the love of his life. She watched him lose all hope, all his strength and all his faith. In one day, she watched him lose everything. Ultimately, she worried she might lose both her parents that day, even if only in spirit.
