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Ringbrothers will have an unprecedented unveiling of four separate custom builds at the 2022 SEMA show on November 1st.

SPRING GREEN, Wis. – Ringbrothers, the world-renowned custom car builder and parts manufacturer, is set to unveil four custom builds for the first time ever at the 2022 SEMA Show.

Representing nearly 35,000 combined build hours, each vehicle has been extensively modified to showcase the full breadth of automotive design, production and craftsmanship Ringbrothers is known for. The highlight of the show is expected to be the 1948 Chevy pickup. Codenamed “Super Truck,” the ’48 represents more than 10,000 build hours and promises to be like nothing else on the road.

A sneak peak at the chassis of “Bully”

Ringbrothers

“BULLY” 1972 K5 Blazer: The 1,200-horsepower, big-tired and purpose-built Blazer is meant to dominate on or off the road. BULLY is equipped with a supercharged Wegner Motorsports-built LS3, a triangulated four-link suspension with off-road racing coilovers and a fully custom bespoke interior.

BULLY will be unveiled on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 10 a.m. at the HRIA booth #23295

A glimpse of “Strode”

Ringbrothers

“STRODE” 1969 Chevy Camaro: With a widened, fully carbon-clad body and extended wheelbase, the Camaro exemplifies stance and the remarkable work of digital design. Under the hood is a Wegner Motorsports-built LS3 topped with a 2.9-liter Whipple supercharger producing 1,000 horsepower, while the Ghost White paint pays homage to STRODE’s origins.

STRODE will be unveiled on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 11 a.m. at the Keystone booth #21249

A snippet of “Patriarc”

Ringbrothers

“PATRIARC” 1969 Ford Mustang: The high-revving Mustang is built to play in the wind, minimizing rear-end drag with groundbreaking aerodynamic innovation. Power from a Ford Performance Aluminator 5.2 XS engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission and a fully bespoke interior makes this one unique Pony.
PATRIARC will be unveiled on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 11:30 a.m. at the Centerforce booth #23813

“Enyo”

Ringbrothers

“ENYO” 1948 Chevrolet Pickup: With the original steel cab narrowed, lengthened, chopped and wedge cut, ENYO’s body was crafted with extensive use of carbon-fiber components, including a single-piece carbon-fiber belly pan. The design incorporates cantilevered independent suspension at all four corners and is powered by a 1,000-horsepower big-block marine racing engine. It’s a ’40s work truck meets Formula 1 racer for Ringbrothers’ most extreme build yet.
ENYO will be unveiled on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. at the Mothers booth #22357

Ringbrothers LLC – (www.ringbrothers.com) – Based in Spring Green, Wisconsin, Ringbrothers has established itself in the automotive aftermarket as a premium parts builder and world-class car designer. Among its many accolades are several Chevrolet Best in Show awards, Goodguys Street Machine of the Year awards, Mothers’ Shine awards and a SEMA Battle of the Builders win in 2019. Ringbrothers has also been featured in some of the world’s largest automotive and mainstream news outlets. Ringbrothers proudly designs, fabricates, packages and ships its products from its headquarters in the United States, focusing on quality materials, craftsmanship and customer service. Revolutionizing the way resto-mods are done, Ringbrothers continues to innovate its products and builds every year with the goal of unveiling at least one new car at each SEMA Show. Learn more about Ringbrothers products and builds at Ringbrothers.com.

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An in-depth look of what’s to come at the October 28-30 Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance to be held at the Wynn Las Vegas.

Car Enthusiast Jay Leno Will Serve as Grand Marshal and Appear at the Event Hosted at the Only Resort Golf Course on the Las Vegas Strip.

Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance

LAS VEGAS – The third annual Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance™, one of the world’s most prestigious automotive events, debuts at Wynn Las Vegas on Friday, Oct. 28, through Sunday, Oct. 30. The luxury automotive experience pays homage to remarkable cars of the past, present and future at Wynn Golf Club, the 129-acre championship golf course at Wynn Las Vegas.

“The Concours d’Elegance and its legendary display of design, craftmanship and grandeur is precisely the type of elevated experience that our guests will thoroughly enjoy for years to come,” said Brian Gullbrants, President of Wynn Las Vegas. “Rare and priceless automobiles displayed upon the fairways of our Wynn Golf Club is a perfect match for this annual Wynn Las Vegas event.”

Hypercars add to the excitement in 2022

A Superior Set of Supercars Join the Event’s Lineup, Some Debuting at the Resort Prior to October 28. photo – Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance

More than 60 ultra-elite hypercars join the previously-announced 2022 Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance™ lineup at Wynn Las Vegas. Wynn Las Vegas will display a small selection of the 200 antique and contemporary vehicles being showcased during Concours weekend leading up to the event.

Many of the appearing hypercars are limited-edition, showcasing sleek and seductive design from the world’s most sought-after manufacturers – such as McLaren’s open-rooftop Elva, the Bugatti Chiron Pur R6.002, the Bugatti Divo, and the four-seater Koenigsegg Gemera, among others. Some of the featured vehicles are also traveling to Las Vegas from prestigious museum collections, including The Nethercutt Collection, Petersen Automotive Museum, Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, Mullin Museum, and the National Automobile Museum (The Harrah Collection). In addition, the event will feature four McLaren Speedtails, a must-see for any automotive enthusiast.

Now through Oct. 28, a variety of vehicles – some modern hypercars and other vintage classics – will be on display at the resort, including:

  • 2020 McLaren Elva, named after the lightweight open-top race cars developed by Bruce McLaren. The 2020 model celebrates vintage speedsters, features an open-cockpit design and can go from 0-62 mph in under three seconds. The McLaren Elva is currently on display at Wynn’s main entrance.
  • 2018 Bugatti Chiron, the fastest, most powerful, and exclusive production super sports car in Bugatti’s history. Each produced is one-of-a-kind. The Bugatti Chiron is currently on display outside of Jardin, in the Encore Esplanade.
  • 1960 Maserati Tipo 61, commonly referred to as the “Birdcage” because of its then-unique light spaceframe construction when it premiered in 1959. This model is one of the most original Birdcages in existence. It will be on display in front of Terrace Pointe Café, near Wynn Golf Club, starting Oct. 19.

The Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance will also pay homage to remarkable cars of the past, present and future at Wynn Golf Club, with hypercars joining the previously-announced classes of Sports Racing, Race Cars, and more. The 2022 event kicks off on Friday, Oct. 28 with its annual gala at XS, followed by the weekend’s centerpiece exhibition on Saturday, Oct. 29. Renowned car enthusiast Jay Leno will serve as the grand marshal of the Tour d’Elegance, the grand parade of automobiles on the Las Vegas Strip that closes out the weekend on Sunday, Oct. 30.

As part of the Concours weekend experience, guests may choose from a variety of food-and-beverage experiences such as the Chairman’s VIP Tasting at the Grand Rotunda to the lively Concours Cookout. Room packages that showcase the resort’s newly re-designed accommodations are also available. For additional event information, please visit www.lasvegasconcours.com.

The lineup of weekend events will include:

  • The Gala Concours Dinner, kicks off festivities on Friday evening and offers live entertainment, tasting stations and curated cocktails at Wynn Las Vegas’ premier nightclub, XS. The exclusive evening will showcase the Helene Awards™, a ceremony signature to the Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance that honors visionaries in the automotive industry.
  • The centerpiece of the weekend, the Concours d’Elegance exhibition on Saturday, Oct. 29 will display a collection of rare and unique automobiles from around the world. The event is expected to showcase more than 100 exceptional collector cars from both pre- and post-war periods. Each year, Concours d’Elegance highlights a different Marque, which is a distinctive automobile model or brand. The 2022 Marque is the Ferrari F40. The event also consists of nearly 20 judged, non-judged and contemporary classes, such as British Post-War Sports and Sports Racing, American Luxury (1925-1942), European Luxury (1925-1942), Antiques (pre-1924), Race Cars, and more. Starting at 2 p.m., an esteemed panel of judges will present Best of Show winners and standouts with the coveted Helene Award statuette.
  • The Chairman’s VIP Tasting on Oct. 29 is a premium lunchtime tasting experience underneath the grand rotunda on Wynn’s event lawn, and features select hosted bars alongside a range of tasting stations designed by executive chef Kelly Bianchi. Assorted tasting stations include: a sushi station with sashimi and assorted rolls; a beef tenderloin carving station; a slider station featuring Maine lobster and surf and turf, among others; a made-to-order pizza and pasta station; and a whimsical donut station.
  • The Concours Cookout will feature a variety of grab-and-go options and select hosted bars amid the beautiful greenery of Wynn’s event lawn, also on Oct. 29. Grab-and-go offerings include a salad and sandwich station, a kebab station, a taco bar, backyard-inspired barbecue such as wagyu beef hotdogs and a spicy fried chicken sandwich, as well as desserts like custom ice cream sandwiches and caramel corn.
  • Guests may also purchase a VIP experience that combines Concours d’Elegance exhibition viewing with entry to the fairway tasting tents. The Concours d’Elegance + Hosted Bar includes a selection of the fine- and casual-dining options Wynn Las Vegas is known for, as well as select beverages.
  • The weekend of festivities conclude on Sunday, Oct. 30 with the Tour d’Elegance, a motorcade down the famous Las Vegas Strip where Jay Leno will serve as grand marshal.

For additional event information, to buy tickets, or to apply for entry, please visit www.lasvegasconcours.com.

About Wynn Las Vegas

Wynn Resorts is the recipient of more Forbes Travel Guide Five Star Awards than any other independent hotel company in the world and in 2022 was once again honored on FORTUNE Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies list. Wynn and Encore Las Vegas consist of two luxury hotel towers with a total of 4,748 spacious hotel rooms, suites and villas. The resort features approximately 194,000 square feet of casino space, 21 signature dining experiences, 11 bars, two award-winning spas, approximately 513,000 rentable square feet of meeting and convention space, approximately 155,000 square feet of retail space as well as two showrooms, two nightclubs, a beach club, and recreation and leisure facilities, including Wynn Golf Club, an 18-hole, 129-acre championship golf course. For more information on Wynn and Encore Las Vegas, visit press.wynnlasvegas.com

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Fourteen prized vehicles from the John White/Ramshead Collection will go under the hammer at Bonhams’ January 26th Scottsdale auction.

Rear L-R 1962 Chrysler Ghia L6.4; 1957 Chrysler Ghia Super Dart 400; Front: 1954 Chrysler Ghia GS-1 Coupé

Bonhams

Bonhams – A trans-Atlantic trio of rare mid-century Chrysler Ghia show cars, offered from the prestigious Ramshead Collection, will bring a touch of La Dolce Vita to Bonhams in the New Year as highlights of the Scottsdale Auction on January 26, 2023.

Leading the glamorous group is the unique 1957 Chrysler Ghia Super Dart 400 concept car which was displayed at that year’s Torino and New York Motor Shows and most recently won a class award at the esteemed Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. This striking, futuristic one-off showcased what was to come in automotive design and was equipped with Chrysler’s powerful 400hp Hemi V8 powerplant.

1957 Chrysler Ghia Super Dart 400

Bonhams

This highly original and preserved example has covered just 49,000 miles with three owners from new.

Also displayed at the New York Auto Show was the 1962 Chrysler Ghia L6.4, which in later life was a Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance entrant. Largely hand built in Italy at Ghia’s Carrozeria, the L6.4 had a limited production run of just 26, with owners including Frank Sinatra. Stunningly preserved, this treasured collector car – one of just 17 surviving – is another low mileage example with just 33,000 miles recorded.

1962 Chrysler Ghia L6.4

Bonhams

Completing the automotive triptych is the 1954 Chrysler Ghia GS-1 Coupé, its striking turquoise over tan livery complementing its lines, inspired by Virgil Exner, the Chrysler designer known for creating the marque’s ‘Forward Look’. The elegant show car was one of nine examples produced, of which only five remain. The subject of an exceptional restoration, the GS-1 is a three-times class winner at Pebble Beach.

1954 Chrysler Ghia GS-1 Coupé

Bonhams

The three showstoppers are the headliners of the Ramshead Collection of 14 cars, curated by the late John White of California, a renowned and respected collector and frequent exhibitor at Pebble Beach and other prominent events.

CARS OF THE JOHN WHITE/RAMSHEAD COLLECTION

  • 1957 Chrysler Ghia Super Dart 400
  • 1954 Chrysler Ghia GS-1 Coupé
  • 1962 Chrysler Ghia L6.4
  • 1961 Chrysler 300-G Convertible
  • 1948 Dodge D24 Custom Coupé
  • 1953 Buick Skylark Convertible
  • 1941 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible
  • 1953 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible
  • 1992 Wayne Davis Custom Trailer
  • 1962 Lincoln Continental Sedan
  • 1960 Dodge Dart Phoenix Convertible
  • 1955 Chrysler Imperial Newport Hard Top
  • 1953 Ford Mainline Ranch Wagon
  • 1949 Dodge Wayfarer Two-Door Roadster

The son of a Dodge automobile dealer, Mr. White was a ‘petrolhead’ from an early age. His childhood collection of model cars developed into the curated Ramshead collection of mid-century Americana which was kept in a private museum that resembled a showroom of the era.

The impressive collection offers 13 collector cars, representing the great names of the American automobile industry, from Buick and Cadillac to Lincoln and Ford, mostly offered at No Reserve.

The 2023 Bonhams Scottsdale Auction will be the eleventh sale hosted at the prestigious Westin Kierland Resort and Spa in Arizona. Further important collector cars are being invited through December 1. Contact motors.us@bonhams.com for more details.

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest and most renowned auctioneers, offering fine art and collectables, motor cars and a luxury division, including jewelry, watches, wine and whisky. The main salesrooms are in London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris and Hong Kong, with auctions also held in Knightsbridge, Edinburgh, and Sydney. With a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 22 countries, Bonhams offers advice and valuation services in 53 specialist areas. For a full list of forthcoming auctions, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, please visit bonhams.com

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A rare and private look at Kansas’ Nobody Else’s Auto salvage yard.

One of several complete cars at Nobody Else’s Auto is this 1950 Studebaker Champion Regal Deluxe Starlight coupe. It sports the first-year “bullet nose” styling.

Having had a father who dragged home Pontiac and Buick parts cars when he was a kid, it’s not surprising Old Cars reader Chad Ehrlich eventually made the parts business a career. Always being around cars while working with his dad eventually led Ehrlich to start a yard in Great Bend, Kan., in 2011, which goes by the unique name Nobody Else’s Auto. Until she recently left for college, Ehrlich’s daughter, Addie, was also a big part of Nobody Else’s Auto, making it a three-generation hobby.

The inventory of Nobody Else’s Auto contains nearly 2,000 vehicles, mostly vintage and mostly ranging from the 1940s to the 1980s, but there are many vehicles from the 1920s and 1930s, as well as 1990s and 2000s. Cars and trucks are neatly arranged in rows spread over 20 acres. The yard is not open to browsing, but much of the inventory can be seen on Ehrlich’s YouTube channels (Nobody’s Show) and Facebook page (Nobody Else’s Auto). If a customer sees a part they need, they must call him by phone to complete their purchase and verify their part need.

“There are so many variables with these old vehicles that a short phone call is the only way I can ensure you are looking for the right part you need,” Ehrlich says.

Customers calling with a part request must identify their car’s year, make, model and body style, and the specific name of the part they need. In addition to parts sales, Ehrlich also sells whole cars and trucks.

A desirable 1970 Dodge Challenger has been picked of some components, but retains many additional donor-quality parts.

Besides his phone sales, Ehrlich sells many parts on eBay with as many as 1,400 items listed at one time. As a result, he’s well equipped to ship parts to customers all over the world.

Ehrlich also hosts a popular weekly YouTube video program that provides further insight into his business, as well as the hobby in general.

Nobody Else’s Auto
522 Morton St. (mailing address)
322 N. US Hwy 281 (physical address)
Great Bend, KS 67530
https://www.youtube.com/c/NobodysShow
www.facebook.com/nobodyelsesauto
620-793-3557
620-786-4428 (mobile)
cse2@yahoo.com

Even the 1934 Ford truck is famous among the hot rod crowd, but this Model BB V-8-powered tanker truck is near complete and deserves a restoration to its original form.
Suffering glass damage, there’s enough remaining of this 1957 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer four-door hardtop to see it made road-worthy again.
The much-maligned Chevrolet Vega is represented in the yard by this near-complete 1976 two-door station wagon partially hidden by tall grass. It sports the $53 optional roof rack.
Finned late-’50s and early-’60s Cadillacs of all body styles are hot, and this 1960 Cadillac Series 62 six-window sedan deserves to return to the road.
At the time of our visit, yard owner Chad Ehrlich said he had three of these original Dodge Red Ram Hemi V-8s in inventory.
This 1959 Ford Custom Ranchero pickup has suffered rust-through around its lower rear body panels, but retains donor-quality unique parts, such as its doors, tailgate and rear window.
Another near-complete car is this 1958 Rambler Custom Cross Country station wagon that would be a fitting restoration project for a young family to undertake and then use on vacations.
Another prime restoration candidate in inventory is this 1955 Buick Special Riviera two-door hardtop. It lacks only minor trim items.
The Nash Metropolitan has a devoted following among car collectors, and this 1960 coupe example is complete, but needs a cosmetic overhaul.
Complete down to its hubcaps is this 1959 Plymouth Belvedere four-door sedan that appears as if it could be driven out of the yard.
Vintage trucks are abundant in Nobody Else’s Auto inventory, including this 1946 Chevrolet Model DP pickup that’s seen hard use.
One of several old-timers in the yard is what’s left of this wood-spoke, late-1920s International truck.
Representing the 50th anniversary year of Willys, this 1953 Aero Falcon Super Deluxe four-door sedan is near complete and rare. Just 3,116 were produced.
Still sporting lots of donor-quality parts, including its grille, is this 1958 Ford Fairlane 500 Club Sedan four-door.

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Without Packard the automotive world would not be what it is today. Packard had a history of innovation.

In 1948, fancy top-priced Packard Custom Eight convertibles were the cars of choice for popular band leader Spike Jones and singer Dorothy Shay

What if there had never been a Packard Motor Car Co.?

Let’s say that, if Packard had never existed to innovate certain features and improvements in its new cars year after year for more than half a century, perhaps no other car company may have offered the same advancements. Granted, this is a real stretch, and, logically, most of the advancements pioneered by Packard were likely to have eventually been introduced by other car companies. But simply for the sake of fun on what might not have been, let’s take a jaunt through the list of Packard improvements for the industry.

No Packard? No steering wheel. The advancement was popularized and added to production Packards for 1901. Imagine if no other company had come up with the idea. What would have been the substitute? Levers? Individual hand grips? Imagine driving a car today using levers!

Automatic spark advance was another introduction. Today, with the rise of electric cars, and even in the steam-car era before World War II, spark advancement seemed beside the point, unless you had an internal combustion engine. No Packard, no spark advance? Perhaps.

Packard was a master builder of straight-eight motors and pioneered the first successful production Twelve. The year was 1915 for the latter. When that massive engine block bowed, it was a “zippity-doo-dah day” for the industry. In some respects, it marked the advent of a horsepower craze that continued to recent years. Imagine, no Packard, then perhaps no horsepower race as we knew it.

Air conditioning. Yes, another Packard first. The company was first to introduce air-conditioned comfort to production cars in 1940, and motoring has been a cooler experience since. The innovation caught on and by the end of the 1960s, half of all new automobiles sold were equipped with air conditioning.

The H-shift pattern was a choice Packard promoted. It took some time before it became widely used. A simple invention? Yes, but logical and handy, and it caught on.

Hydraulic shocks. Yes, if there was no Packard, who knows what cars would have used to cushion road shock.

Torsion-Level ride graced many fine Packards in 1955 and 1956. No one seems to have stepped forward to say Packard was not the perfecter and promoter, even though the idea arose from a Hudson man who offered the idea to that company before sliding it to Packard. Still, it was Packard and select Clipper models that “wowed” the public with the slick-ride principles of smoothness. Chrysler went with partial torsion bars, General Motors liked its air suspension motif. But it remained to be realized if any other car company in the New World ever greased the track with this Torsion-Level invention.

Firsts are not readily proven, and some are substantiated over time. Someone may have invented a feature or technical advantage, but kept back from realizing it in production. So Packard’s firsts can be seen in this light. In simple words, the Torsion-Level invention existed some years prior to Packard’s redesign and application, but the fact of the matter is that Packard was the first domestic car maker to make it happen in production.

This leads to more inventiveness, such as the revisions to Rolls-Royce motors for military use, thus avoiding slowdowns in hand-finishing parts and assembly. Tens of thousands of those power plants were mass produced, thanks to Packard advances. Imagine being in the South Pacific or the European Theater of War in the early 1940s and one of those necessary motors conked out. Who could fix it beyond a handful of artisans and master technicians in England? No time to fly them overseas just to fix one unit. Multiply that notion time and again, and the necessity for mass production and exchange of parts for speedy repair and you get the point.

Also, Packard’s involvement in marine motor production scooted numerous Patrol-Torpedo (PT) boats around coastal waters as the Axis Powers were on the defensive. So, was World War II won thanks to Packard? Not totally, but Packard did provide a crucial element toward victory. Think of the lives that were likely spared as a result!

Beyond firsts, Packard made its mark on society. Significant numbers of specialty cars were offered in conjunction with the Henney company of northern Illinois. Generally, Packard produced the majority of parts, and Henney completed lucrative numbers of funeral cars and ambulances. More than 1,900 were made in the late 1940s, which was a truly high mark. Rushing people for medical attention and honoring the dearly departed were services provided by Packard vehicles. Even presidents and other heads of state liked the Packard brand in open and limousine forms. Imagine if these aspects had not been available. For a good number of car hobbyists, watching historical news clips or old movies and seeing a Packard seems to make the whole story seem special and more enjoyable.

Packard also brought a feeling of good self-worth to its employees. Some plant employees felt they had made it to the top of their mechanical or assembly-line jobs by being hired by Packard. The same for designers and technicians. A high number stayed many years with Packard. Much more can be said of the sales force across the land. Selling other good brands of cars was proud work, but selling Packards was a step even higher, according to what dozens of workers told this writer.

Ultimately, Packard more than pulled its weight in the business. And even as some of its firsts were launched, there were feelings that those advancements were steps on the path toward greater success for the entire industry.

Packard played its part well.

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Was it a coincidence or a “sign?” An unexpected find at the Hershey swap meet reconnects one man with family history.

What once was lost now is found! Deb and I stumbled upon tangible family history at the 2021 AACA Eastern Fall Nationals in Hershey, Pa. To our amazement and delight, the neon “B GAS” sign that hadn’t been seen by family members since the early 1990s was on display in Chocolate Field North.

Long before old-car hobbyists connected on the internet and social media to buy and sell cars, parts, and automobilia, they met in person at swap meets and flea markets. Certainly, online commerce is popular and efficient, but nothing beats the in-person experience of swap meets. And the largest automotive flea market, the annual AACA Eastern Fall Nationals in Hershey, Pa., is a yearly family reunion of vintage-automobile fans. The vehicles brought them together initially, but it is the lasting friendships that keep them coming back to reconnect.

“Family” is what makes Hershey so great, and it’s why I keep attending, but of all my trips, the 2021 visit ranks as the most personally moving Chocolate-town experience. To convey this Hershey moment properly, I first need to relate a little of my family history.

A close-up view of the double-sided neon “WEBB CUT PRICE GAS” sign as it appeared at Mathiowetz Body Shop in 1960. In this original configuration, the sign was approximately 12-13 feet long and had a flashing neon arrow on each end pointing to the word “GAS.” “WEBB” and “CUT PRICE” were painted and not illuminated.

Webb Oil Co. and Mathiowetz Body Shop

In 1930, my grandfather, Wendelin Mathiowetz, known to family and friends as “Stutz,” built and operated a small gas station in Sleepy Eye, Minn. The little wooden station was a part of the fledgling Webb Oil Co., an independent chain created in 1923, based in Minnesota, that offered “Cut Price” fuel and lubricants. Unfortunately, a fire in 1932 leveled Stutz’s building, but the site was quickly redeveloped as a bigger, better Webb Cut Price service center. Soon thereafter, Stutz provided body and fender work, wheel alignment, headlamp alignment, and tire mounting and balancing in the building, thus expanding his business to better serve local motorists.

Stutz ran his Mathiowetz Body Shop for many years, and was well known for his neatness, perfection, and business acumen. He continually upgraded the building with the latest Bennett gas pumps, painted-metal and neon signage, and new body-shop equipment. In the early years, the station used several visible gas pumps, a large double-sided neon “WEBB GAS” sign on the canopy covering the pump island, and other homemade signs pointing out various promotions. By the 1950s, modern, short electric pumps replaced the tall visibles, and a new, longer, double-sided neon “WEBB CUT PRICE GAS” sign replaced the first sign.

Family Tradition

Tragedy struck the Mathiowetz family and business in 1960. In October, Stutz was killed in a single-car accident east of Sleepy Eye. He was survived by his wife (Rose, my grandmother, who passed away in 2009) and two sons (Bob, my uncle, now 89, and Charles, my father, who passed away in 2020). Bob assumed ownership of the business, and, for the next 25-plus years, he operated the gas station/body shop with great success. Two of Bob’s sons, Lowell and Marv, became owners of the business in the early 1990s after Bob stepped away from daily duties. Today, Lowell, Marv, and Lowell’s son, Jeff, continue the family tradition of providing excellent body repair in the same brick building Stutz erected in the 1930s.

As for Webb Oil Co., time wasn’t kind. In the early 1980s, the small Midwestern chain was purchased by a larger corporation, and Webb became an oil industry footnote. Because of this business change, Bob discontinued offering any gasoline in the late 1980s/early 1990s and focused exclusively on collision work. Soon, the underground tanks were unearthed, the gas pumps were taken away, the concrete pump island was razed, and the neon sign removed.

I photographed the body shop in July of 1988 during a visit. The modified, weathered “B GAS” sign hangs over the Webb gas pumps. Note that the supporting poles and pump-island light fixtures are the same ones pictured in the 1960 image.

The “B GAS” Neon Sign

A few of the Webb items from the station remain in the personal collections of Bob and Marv, but other pieces were sold or scrapped. One of the items, the double-sided neon “WEBB CUT PRICE GAS” sign, was sold to a local antique dealer in the early 1990s.

The sign, which Stutz put into service around 1950, was originally about 12-13 feet long with red neon tubing for the word “GAS” and a flashing arrow on each end pointing inward. At some point in the late 1960s or early 1970s, the sign was shortened, which eliminated the ends and flashing neon arrows. The alteration left an unusual and distinctive appearance, which, for many years, had me perplexed.

Because the sign wasn’t repainted after its modification, on each side one could read the letter “B,” the word “GAS,” and a portion of the letters “C” and “P.” In all of my visits to the station when I was young, I often wondered why the sign read “B GAS.” Later, of course, I could see that the “B” was the last remaining letter of the word “WEBB,” and the faint “C” and “P” were leftovers from the words “CUT PRICE.” After the sign left the building, we never saw it again, and I often wondered what had happened to it.

A close up shows the truncated sign that read “B Gas”

Unbelievable Discovery

In 2021, my girlfriend, Deb, and I traveled from our home in central Wisconsin to Hershey to take in all of the AACA action and display our 1964 Amphicar in Saturday’s car show. As we were walking through Chocolate Field North of the flea market, a large Firestone neon sign on a trailer caught our attention. As Deb was examining it, I walked around the trailer to look at the other signs that the vendor had for sale. Immediately, I recognized a sign that I had seen so many times before. When Deb joined me, I exclaimed, “This is the sign from the body shop!” Its distinctive appearance was a dead giveaway. It was almost too unreal to comprehend. How could our family sign from Minnesota be at Hershey? It was 1,200 miles away from home, and about 30 years after I had last seen it.

The vendor walked toward me and said, “I think the sign was cut down at one time.” I replied, “Yeah, my uncle did it. This sign is from my grandfather’s gas station.” I quickly followed with, “Where are you from?” His response? “Minnesota.”

The vendor, Mike Wegleitner, was closing up his space for the night, but we quickly made a handshake deal. I was certain that the sign was, indeed, the sign, but because the item was rather expensive, I asked if the sale could be contingent upon confirmation from my cousin, Marv, back home. Mike, fascinated by the whole story, was extremely cooperative and agreed, and we met the following morning, my 60th birthday, to close the deal.

We e-mailed pictures of the sign to Marv at the body shop. He quickly called me and said, “Keith, that’s the sign!” I had to ask, “Are you sure, Marv?” Without hesitation, he proclaimed, “I’d bet my life on it! Unbelievable! Congratulations!”

Mike explained that he had recently “picked” the sign from a warehouse in Duluth, Minn. The warehouse was full of signs collected over many years; the signs were destined to decorate a bar/restaurant in the Canal Park area of the city. The business never materialized, and the signs sat untouched. Except for broken neon tubing, the extremely weathered “B GAS” sign looked exactly the same as it did at the body shop in the 1980s.

After careful repair and conservation, the “B GAS” sign now hangs proudly over the collector cars in our garage. The sign retains the identical weathering patterns that it had in 1988.

Conservation and Display

Because Deb and I were tight on space in our tow vehicle and trailer, Mike graciously transported the 7-foot sign back to Minnesota, where Deb and I retrieved it a few weeks after Hershey. A difficult decision had to be made. Do I restore the sign as originally configured, or do I just replace the broken letters and let it be? In the end, I decided to just replace the letters, as the unusual appearance is how I always remembered the sign and was the clue to its discovery.

A short while later, we delivered the sign to Gail Schroepfer of Northern Advertising, Inc. in Antigo, Wis. A seasoned neon craftsperson, Gail crafted the replacement neon letters based on vintage photos that I had. She also replaced the non-working transformer and brittle wiring to make it a safe and reliable unit. In the process, we located the flasher device that once controlled the neon arrows, and we learned that the old transformer dated to 1950.

The sign now hangs proudly over the collector cars in our garage, and it is literally the center of attention. Interestingly, three of the five cars in the garage had been beneath the sign before, when they were being fueled with Webb Cut Price gasoline back in the 1970s and 1980s.

Don’t let anyone tell you that swap meets are only about rusty parts and tools. They are family reunions, and, at Hershey, I was uniquely reunited with family members past and present.

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Barrett-Jackson to auction 2022 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Heritage Edition donated by renowned philanthropist George Shinn to support Hurricane Ian relief efforts.

Barrett-Jackson will auction a highly-desirable, limited-production Heritage Edition Mustang Shelby GT500 with 100 percent of the hammer price benefiting two nonprofits supporting those tragically affected by Hurricane Ian in Southwest Florida.

Barrett-Jackson

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. ‒  Barrett-Jackson will auction a highly-desirable, limited-production Heritage Edition Mustang Shelby GT500 with 100 percent of the hammer price benefiting two nonprofits supporting those tragically affected by Hurricane Ian in Southwest Florida. American businessman and philanthropist George Shinn has generously donated this high-performance vehicle to support relief efforts from both Samaritan’s Purse and the Florida Disaster Fund. The GT500 Heritage Edition will cross the auction block during Barrett-Jackson’s Houston Auction, Saturday, October 22, at approximately 4 p.m. CDT.

“We’re proud to once again team up with George Shinn to support those currently suffering from unspeakable tragedies,” said Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. “Earlier this year during our Palm Beach Auction, we auctioned one of George’s vehicles to support humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine, helping raise over $1.7 million for the cause, and we look forward to answering the call once again alongside George next week as we support those in need here at home.”

The 2022 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Heritage Edition (Lot #3001) offered will be driven onto the Barrett-Jackson auction block by Shawn Shelby, grandson of Carroll Shelby and an American racer and entrepreneur. Carroll Shelby and Ford developed the first-generation Shelby GT500 based on the second-generation pony car for the 1967 model year. The car utilized a modified 428ci V8 engine inspired by his team’s 1-2-3 finish at Le Mans in 1966. 

Paying homage to the original 1967 Shelby GT500, this limited-production 2022 GT500 Heritage Edition fastback is finished in Brittany Blue with Wimbledon White racing stripes. Ford Performance designed and engineered the 2022 GT500 as the most powerful street-legal Ford ever built, utilizing a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 engine known as the “Predator,” rated with 760 horsepower and 625 ft/lbs of torque. It’s paired with a TREMEC 7-speed dual-clutch transmission with race-bred control strategies and advanced drive modes. 

The sale of the Heritage Edition GT500 will benefit Samaritan’s Purse and the Florida Disaster Fund with their ongoing hurricane relief efforts. Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease and famine. Currently, Samaritan’s Purse has three Disaster Relief Units in Florida – Fort Myers, Englewood and Punta Gorda – where volunteers are helping thousands of families. Samaritan’s Purse Vice President of Operations, Edward Graham, the youngest son of Franklin and Jane Graham and grandson of Billy Graham, will join the car on the block for this charitable auction.

The Florida Disaster Fund is Florida’s official private fund established to assist the state’s communities as they respond to and recover during times of emergency or disaster. Donations to the Florida Disaster Fund are made to the Volunteer Florida Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and the Florida Disaster Fund distributes its donations to service organizations serving individuals within their communities with disaster response and recovery.

Collector car enthusiasts interested in registering to bid for this 2022 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Heritage Edition charity vehicle and the entire 2022 Houston Auction may do so here.

To purchase tickets and VIP packages to the event, click here. Join Barrett-Jackson’s online conversation with #BarrettJackson and #BJAC on FacebookTwitterInstagram and YouTube.

About The Barrett-Jackson Auction Company
Established in 1971 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Barrett-Jackson is a leader in collector car auctions and automotive lifestyle events, which include authentic automobilia auctions and the sale of private collections. Welcoming over 500,000 attendees per year, Barrett-Jackson produces live collector car auctions in Scottsdale, Arizona; Palm Beach, Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Houston, Texas, where thousands of the most sought-after, unique and valuable automobiles cross the block in front of a global audience. With broadcast partner A+E Networks, Barrett-Jackson features live television coverage of its events on FYI and The HISTORY Channel, as well as all the cars, all the time via its produced livestream on Barrett-Jackson.com. Barrett-Jackson also endorses a one-of-a-kind collector car insurance for collector vehicles and other valued belongings. For more information about Barrett-Jackson, visit www.barrett-jackson.com, or call 480-421-6694.

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Big names, excellent racing and impressive cars delighted attendees at the 2022 Chattanooga Motorcar Festival.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The third annual Chattanooga Motorcar Festival sponsored by Millennium Bank excelled in The Scenic City this weekend as it celebrated Oktoberfest with dynamic and exciting events for families and racing and car aficionados alike.

With a backdrop of pumpkins and hay bales on the drive-up podium in front of the Westin Hotel Chattanooga, the 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton, owned by Laura and Jack Boyd Smith Jr., won Best of Show in Sunday’s Concours d’Elegance. Approximately 125 judged (21 classes) and exhibition cars were on display in West Village, including a number of the world’s most significant cars.

Best of Show went to this stunning 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton owned by Laura and Jack Boyd Smith Jr.

Chattanooga Motorcar Festival

Full Concours results may be found HERE.

At the second annual Pace Grand Prix at The Bend on Friday and Saturday, approximately 89 cars in seven groups of vintage, historic and some contemporary race cars competed on a purpose-built 2.75-mile race track that stretches along the Tennessee River. This year’s Grand Prix, named for Jim Pace, the former COO of the Festival who died in 2019, debuted the Alley of the Greats, a loop through a skeleton of an old manufacturing building draped with banners commemorating racing legends.

Race results for the two sprint feature races per class held on Saturday may be found at: RACE 1 and RACE 2

Other events over the three-day weekend which boasted near-perfect weather included V8s in the Village, Gathering of the Greats–Ferrari Edition, Mecum Auction Chattanooga, RADwood, Concours d’Lemons, light shows, evening street parties, panel discussions, the winged cars of NASCAR, plus an array of racing and car collector celebrities that may never be seen together again in one place.

Car Clubs were strongly represented, including some uniquely named ones such as Choo Choo Bimmers, Choo Choo Corvairs, Cruisin to End Alzheimer’s, Drive Electric Scenic City and the Soddy Daisy Mustang Club.

Familiar names from auto racing and car collecting, such as Donnie Allison, Justin Bell, Wayne Carini, Corky Coker, Tom Cotter, Ray Evernham, Chip Foose, Ken Gross, Jeff Hammond, Tommy Kendall, Keith Martin, Brian Redman, Bill Rothermel, Lyn St. James, Mike Tillson and Linda Vaughn participated in panel discussions, interviews and presentations.

Lyn St. James, the 1992 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year served as Grand Marshal, racing champion Brian Redman was the Grand Ambassador, and local hero Corky Coker was Grand Marshal Emeritus.

Former NASCAR crew chief Ray Evernham curated a collection of NASCAR winged cars, and hosted a panel discussion with famed NASCAR racer Donnie Allison and another former crew chief and TV commentator, Jeff Hammond.

NASCAR driver Joe Nemechek competed at the Pace Grand Prix in a NASCAR 2006 Toyota Camry, winning each of his group’s two feature races on Saturday.

The Torque Show live-streamed more than 30 hours of coverage during the three-day weekend, which included the Canossa Rally Chattanooga, the racing action at the Grand Prix, the Concours d’Elegance awards presentation, and the Torque Show each day with Justin Bell and Tommy Kendall.

WATCH DAY ONE COVERAGE

WATCH DAY TWO COVERAGE

WATCH DAY THREE COVERAGE

About Chattanooga Motorcar Festival: Proceeds from the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival support neuroscience research through Fifty Plus Foundation, Inc. Approaching 12 years of supporting Alzheimer’s and neuroscience research, Fifty Plus Foundation created the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival to bring both local and global support to back research that is already making a difference in saving lives. Learn more at chattanoogamotorcar.com

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A sweet ’66 Mustang GT has its happy owner seeing red.

1966 was the second year for the GT version of Ford’s hot-selling Mustang. This beautiful example belongs to Jenny Kramm of Ringle, Wis.

“Someday” came a little early for Jenny Kramm.

“I always thought I would get an old car, I just didn’t expect to get an old car so soon,” laughs Kramm, gazing at her gorgeous 1966 Mustang GT fastback. “I felt like I went through the mid-life crisis before I was 30!”

The Mustang unexpectedly came in through the side door of Kramm’s life in 2010 when the last thing she was thinking about was buying a car built long before she was born. She had plenty of doubts at the time, but 12 years later, she’s liking her decision more every day.

“I had liked old cars since I was little, but I wasn’t planning on buying an old car,” says the resident of rural Ringle, Wis., “But then I was working a night shift and talking to a friend and she was saying, ‘One of my buddies is looking to sell his car.’ And I’m thinking it’s probably a piece of junk, but I said, ‘OK, here’s my email and have him email me with pictures and information on the car. And then when I got the email, I was like, ‘OK.’ I thought, ‘Oh, shoot, do I pass this up? Do I give it a try? I’m not really looking for a car at this time.’ I decided we’ll look at in person.”

“So we went and looked at it and he gave me a price and I decided to pass on it, and he said, ‘What could you do for a price?’ And I told him a number and he said, ‘It’s yours.’ He wanted it to stay in the states, otherwise he had a buyer in Australia. He was a local guy and he wanted to keep it in Wisconsin. It was kind of a fell-into-my-lap type of thing, and I decided I couldn’t pass it up.”

A look at the iconic fastback

At that point, Kramm and her boyfriend, Jason Londerville, had a bit of a dilemma. They both had old cars — Londerville was restoring an older Chevelle — and they only had a one-car garage between them. 

“We decided that this one had to go in the garage and we needed to go find some storage for his,” she chuckles.

The couple has put more than 10,000 miles on the Mustang in the past decade-plus, and the car still looks freshly restored. With blazing chrome and hot CandyApple Red paint, it is a stunning ride by almost anyone’s standards.

The car has been almost trouble-free for more than a decade, as well. It runs as good as it looks, except for a little black smoke occasionally when it starts.

 “It smokes a little — I think the guy who owned it was a little hard on it,” Londerville notes. “We think there’s some rings that might be missed up on that bank, but it’s nothing we’re going to worry about now. It runs good.”

The biggest challenge in owning the Mustang so far for Kramm might be fending off offers to buy the car. She has had some persuasive guys try to get her to hand over the keys. 

“We took it to a car show about a month after I bought it and I had people coming up to me saying, ‘Are you ready to sell this?’ I just bought it a month ago, I’m not ready to sell it yet!”

“Every year at [the Iola Car Show in Wisconsin], there is for sure one or two guys that come up and ask me if I will sell them the car. They know the car and know who I am …they come up with business cards [laughs]. Are you ready to sell this year?’”

Three-pedals and a stick grace this beauty. Inside, the Interior Decor Group — generally called the “Pony interior” — was a desirable option with running horses on the seat backs, “pistol grip” style inside door handles courtesy lights on the doors and other goodies.

A HOT CAR GETS HOTTER

Though it was far from the fastest car of the ’60s, the Mustang GT played a big role in building enthusiasm for muscle cars and rarely gets full credit for its contribution to muscle car history. As Car Life magazine put it, “Ford started a round-up of its state-of-the-Total-Performance art to produce the Mustang GT.” But before getting into the go-fast details, let’s review Mustang history a bit.

It is not often that a car comes along and gets to create its own market segment, but that is what happened when Ford introduced the Mustang sporty compact on April 17, 1964. Mustang initiated the all-new “pony car” segment, and the market for the cars was large and long lasting.

There is argument among purists over whether the Mustangs produced prior to September 1964 are 1964 1/2 or 1965 models. However, when it comes to the interesting and collectible GT equipment group, there can be no question, as it was introduced for the first anniversary of the Mustang’s introduction on April 17, 1965.

The Mustang had already become a desirable commodity. Its standard equipment included bucket seats. It had the immediately popular long hood, short deck look. At first it came as a sport coupe (two-door hardtop) and a sporty-looking convertible. In the fall of 1964, a fastback model called the 2+2 was added to the lineup. From the outset, the options list was important in marketing the Mustang. Buyers could add lots of appearance and convenience extras, plus some bolt-on high-performance hardware. However, being based on the low-priced compact Falcon, there was some room for improvement in the go-fast department.

A 289-cid V-8 resides under the hood.

Combining available mechanical features with new visual pieces made the GT package a fairly thorough upgrade. First, the buyer had to order an optional V-8 engine, which, at the time, included the 225-hp Challenger Special 289 at $157, or the high-performance 271-hp/289-cid engine for $430.

The GT option included quick-ratio steering, disc front brakes, chromed dual exhaust tips that exited through the rear valance panel, a new grille bar with fog lamps built in and GT instrumentation — which replaced the Falcon-based instrument panel with five round dials. Throw in GT badging and lower body striping and you had a bargain for around $150.

For 1966, little change was made to Ford’s hot-selling Mustang. You don’t mess with success. Minor updates were all that were needed. A revised instrument panel that looked less like that of the Falcon was used. The grille retained its now-familiar shape, but had the Mustang horse emblem “floating” in the “corral” in its center, with no horizontal or vertical dividing bars. A wind split ornament was added at the end of the “cove” on the body sides.

Federally mandated safety equipment that was formerly optional—including seat belts, a padded instrument panel, emergency flashers, electric windshield wipers (with washers) and dual padded sun visors—were made standard features. To cover the added cost of these must-have items, prices increased $44 for the two-door hardtop, $18 for the 2+2 and $49 for the convertible.

No doubting this is a GT

The GT Equipment Group continued to be available in 1966 as a $152.50 option package for Mustangs with high-performance V-8 power plants. The GT Equipment Group included a dual exhaust system, front fog lamps, special body ornamentation, front disc brakes, GT racing stripes (in place of rocker panel moldings) and handling package components. The handling package (normally $30.84 extra by itself) included increased-rate front and rear springs, larger-diameter front and rear shock absorbers, a steering system with a 22:1 overall ratio and a large-diameter stabilizer bar.

The Mustang’s base V-8 engine for 1966 was the Code “G” 4.00 x 2.87-inch bore and stroke 289-cid with a 9.3:1 compression ratio and an Autolite two-barrel carburetor. It generated 200 hp at 4,400 rpm. The performance options included the Code “A” 289-cid Challenger V-8 with a 10.1:1 compression ratio and four-barrel Autolite carburetor, which produced 225 hp at 4,800, and the Code “K” Challenger High-Performance V-8. This version of the “289” featured a 10.5:1 compression ratio, a four-barrel Autolite carburetor and solid valve lifters, which helped it to make 271 hp at 6,000 rpm.

A Mustang 2+2 with the Challenger High-Performance V-8 could do 0-to-60 mph in 7.6 seconds and needed about 15.9 seconds to make it down the quarter-mile.

The GT package proved to be twice as popular as it had been in 1965 and its sales increased from about 15,000 the earlier year to approximately 30,000.FROM WEST COAST TO MIDWEST

According to the history that was passed on to Kramm, her ’66 was a California “barn find” before it ever touched Wisconsin soil. It isn’t clear how long the car sat, or how many previous owners it had, but the previous owner brought the Mustang from California and had it restored at Kuyuth’s Body & Custom in Stratford, Wis. The car was obviously repainted and given new interior upholstery. The 289 V-8 was punched out to push the horsepower up closer to 325 hp and had a slightly hotter cam installed, along with some growling Flowmasters. Otherwise, the GT is stock, down to its factory red color.

According to the documentation Kramm received, the car was originally ordered with the 289 four-barrel, four-speed and front disc brakes. It has the Interior Décor Group with “Pony” interior and console, fog lamps, GT Rally Pac and GT rally wheels.

“It was almost like a points restoration. You look under hood and they put all the correct markings on it and everything,” Londerville notes. “There is an aftermarket radio in the trunk.”

“But the dash radio still does work!” Kramm pointed out. “It’s AM/FM radio, which is a little uncommon for that year.”

Even after having the car for 12 years and taking it to plenty of shows, Kramm knows the question is still coming: “Is that your car?” She doesn’t take offense. She knows she is often the only female car owner at the shows and cruises she shows up at, and certainly the only one that usually shows up in a hot red Mustang. “It’s a lot of fun to see people’s reactions, especially if I’m driving. ‘Is that her car, or did she steal it?’ That type of thing,” she says. 

“I got it a lot when we went to car shows. People would be talking to him and asking, ‘Who’s car is this.’ And his sister had a sweatshirt made for me that said, ‘Not my boyfriend’s car.’ Nobody believed that I could have a car like this.’ I think sometimes it gets awkward, because I didn’t work on it. I didn’t make it look like this, unfortunately. I got it like this. So sometimes people will start talking over my head [laughs].”

Kramm says after a dozen years of good times with the car, she can’t ever see herself parting with it “unless something horrible happened.” These days she says she’s just as happy riding in the passenger seat and letting Jason drive as she is taking the wheel herself. “I really like riding in it, so I can enjoy the ride. Plus it’s got no power steering, so that’s kind of a lot sometimes, too. You baby it a little bit, and you go out driving and you’re cautious, because you don’t know about everybody else on the road.

“You don’t want anything to happen to it, because you’ll never get another one just like it.”

Jenny Kramm with her stunning ‘Stang

View the 10 images of this gallery on the original article

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Three WyoTech students were recipients of the Jessi Combs Foundation (JCF) scholarship, which empowers young women to pursue careers in trades and other male-dominated fields.

WyoTech

LARAMIE, Wyo., (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – WyoTech, a leading U.S. automotive, diesel, and collision trade school, announced that three of its students—Maggie Daskam, Jade Bovee, and Kaygen Bogle—were recipients of the Jessi Combs Foundation (JCF) scholarship. The scholarship program is one of many ways JCF fulfills its mission to educate, inspire and empower the next generation of trailblazing and stereotype-breaking women.

Maggie Daskam

WyoTech

Maggie Daskam is a member of the Women of WyoTech group, which she describes as very special as it “brings the few females here at school together and helps us get to know each other better.” 

Daskam adds: “From a very young age, my grandpa would always talk to me about the cars he used to have, which made me want a car of my own. So I just started working till I could afford to get a goal car for me. And once I did, it seems I’ve been fixing things on it ever since. Not only did I learn a lot from it right away, but it also helped me realize I liked working on vehicles. Deciding to go to WyoTech was a lot of things for me. I learned lots through my diesel core classes and have been loving my specialty classes—High Performance Power Trains and Chassis Fabrication.” 

Jade Bovee

WyoTech

“I feel honored receiving the support from a very inspirational and well-known name,” said Jade Bovee, who enrolled in WyoTech in September 2021 and began classes in October. “The Jessi Combs Foundation thrills me and very much inspires me to explore and get my name known the same way Jessi did with ‘the fastest woman on four wheels.'”

According to Bovee, her creativity sparked her interest in the automotive field and to seek out WyoTech to pursue her interests. 

“Especially going into the auto body field, I can show and express my own creative ways with cars. I chose to attend WyoTech because their curriculum stands out from other trade schools and programs for my specialty,” she added.

Kaygen Bogle

WyoTech

Kaygen Bogle said she was excited about the recognition and ready to work with women like herself. 

“My family has always worked on cars, and we spend Sunday mornings watching car-building shows like the ones Jessi starred in. WyoTech offers everything I want in a school. This is a hands-on learning environment, and I didn’t want the ‘normal’ college experience. I wanted to be with students like me,” she added.

The trades have seen a modest but steady increase in diversity among men and women in the past few years. According to a 2018 study by the Center for American Progress, 7.3% of people who completed apprenticeship programs were women. According to data from the U.S. Department of Labor, the number is up roughly 4% in two years, with women making up 11.6% of those who completed apprenticeship programs in the 2020 fiscal year.

The Jessi Combs Foundation was founded in 2019 in honor of the late Jessi Combs, a renowned race car driver and WyoTech graduate.

For more information, please visit https://www.wyotech.edu.

To learn more about the Jessi Combs Foundation, please visit www.thejessicombsfoundation.com.

About WyoTech

WyoTech, formerly known as Wyoming Technical Institute, is a for-profit technical college founded in Laramie, Wyoming, in 1966. WyoTech provides training programs that prepare students for careers as technicians in the automotive and diesel industry with nine-month training programs that focus on hands-on experience.

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