Every car collection is a representation of two things: the owners’ means and their interest. Depending on the particular cars that a collector wants to own, either of these factors could be significant roadblocks. However, collectors that are willing to navigate the nuances of acquiring cars and have a deep desire to preserve and appreciate these vehicles can end up with truly special collections. When it comes to Ford cars in particular, not many collections have been as special as that of Gary Thomas. 

Thomas’ pristine collection comes from rather humble beginnings. He was born in the small town of Crane, Texas to parents who had given up on their own educational opportunities to support him and the rest of the family. Thomas worked hard to repay his parents’ sacrifices and ended up with a scholarship for petroleum engineering at UT-Austin. Upon graduating, Thomas began what would become a 40-year career in the oil industry, with thirty of those years spent at EOG Resources and his last three spent as company president. By the end of his career, he had amassed a staggering amount of cars.

For decades, over 200 Ford vehicles sat pristine and protected in Thomas’ climate controlled garage. However, the 2022 Mecum auction in Kissimmee, Florida saw 32 of these amazing pieces of automotive history including Ford trucks, Mustangs, and Shelbys cross the auction block to fund the construction of a new engineering building at The University of Texas at Austin, Due to their continuous and meticulous upkeep and their authentic restorations, these Gary Thomas cars that are now circulating in auctions should not be overlooked or passed up by any person hoping to add a few gems to their garage. 

The bulk of Gary’s cars are the pony cars that you would expect: dozens of Shelby GT 350s and 500s, a handful of 1969-1970 Mustang Bosses, and even a few K-code Mustangs, the world’s first high-performance pony car. Fraction Motors currently owns one of these K-codes that was auctioned off at Mecum Kissimmee. We consider ourselves lucky to have a piece that has been so well-kept by someone who has a passion for preserving Mustangs and their history.

By no means did Thomas stop with the most obvious choices; he has some fan-favorite non-sportscar Fords–like a low-mileage 1982 Ford Bronco and a supercharged 1957 Thunderbird–and also some vehicles from the beginnings of the company, like the 1932 Deluxe Roadster and the 1939 Deluxe Coupe. He even has a 1942 Ford Tractor, which he used to learn how to drive as a child!

Every single piece Thomas has in his garage has been kept as close to original conditions as possible. But when he finds a vehicle that’s in less than stellar condition, there are no shortcuts in his restoration process. Each car is completely disassembled and the body is placed on a rotisserie, which is an apparatus that allows painters and restorers to flip the body in any direction and treat every inch of the vehicle. Faulty parts are replaced, old nuts and bolts are exchanged for authentic replacements, and the product is concours–-very minutely different from the original Ford car.

Gary Thomas did the automotive world an undeniable service by keeping these pieces of incredible historical and sentimental value safe for almost half a century. His legacy and the intensity with which he worked to provide a place where these cars could be cherished have already been carved in the annals of vehicle collection history. We live in Ford’s present and we will live to see Ford’s future, but Thomas has given us a great gift: the ability to see so very clearly into Ford’s past.

References:

Driving American Ingenuity - Giving to UT

Oil Executive's Preserved 1982 Ford Bronco Up for Auction (motortrend.com)

The Gary Thomas Collection at Kissimmee 2023 (mecum.com)

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