History

"Mike doesn't put a car together, he restores it. Restoration and assembling a car are two different things. Some people restore cars and some people restore cars of a higher quality. Mike is of that caliber. He does not want to do shoddy work and will turn away any projects that head that way."

- Paul Landis of Waynesboro, owner of a completely restored TR3A.

Waynesboro, VA - For most people, the first bicycle, first house, first love, and certainly their first car is something to be remembered. Many in the 60's and 70's had a ride that occupied a special place in their heart. For others, the allure of a sports car was put on hold while the family situation made driving a family sedan or even worse, a station wagon, the necessary mode of transportation.

Now, 30 years later, the kids are gone and for many the desire to relive some of those past experiences behind the wheel could be a reality. Very often, however, those cars have become victims of the ravages of time. That seventy-something MG that you remember so fondly has become a haven for rust, rot, and rodents.

For over 16 years, Gassman has been returning some of the finest classic cars to the highway at a surprisingly low price. "Once the kids have gone, people that had fun in owning a sports car are looking to go back," Gassman said. "One thing I tell a lot of people, the car that you owned as a teenager, that you could not wait to get rid of to get a better one, is the one that you want when you can afford anything. Everyone tends to return to the 'good old times' in their life."

A tour of the 13,000 square foot facility in Waynesboro on Bayard Avenue grants visitors a glimpse of nearly 100 finely crafted and desirable sports cars ranging in conditions from original and unrestored to show quality. Porsche, Jaguar, MG, Triumph, Morgan, Lotus, BMW, Austin Healey, and many more classic cars fill the two large storage and display areas of Gassman Automotive. However, the cars in store are not limited to foreign names in sports cars only. Dotted through the rows of cars have been a '57 Chevy, Mustang, and many other American beauties.

Gassman's garage was not always this large. Like many automotive businesses, he started with humble beginnings. In this case, it was a three bay vacant body shop, with a fourth bay acting as a paint booth - 1500 square feet.

The year was 1992 and Gassman had been selling cars locally and restoring classics in his small garage at home in his spare time. Realizing his true calling was not in sales this New River College graduate in Machine Technology took the plunge into professional automotive restoration.

The 27-year-old mechanic bought the land and building with the hopes there was room for future expansion down the road. After completing a 1969 TR6 that won a 1992 National Vintage Award, Mike's phone started ringing. Can you restore my TR? Can you find a part for my Triumph? Can you store my Morgan or Ferrari? Those were questions being asked on a daily basis. Throw in Gassman's activities in club auto-crossing a super-charged 1959 TR3 and the racer's interest grew further in the Waynesboro shop's abilities.

The three-bay shop eventually became inadequate to handle the increased workload, so in 1996 a body shop area and a 50-car storage building was erected. Even this addition proved to be too small and two years later an additional 20-car showroom and another 40-car storage area was built. As it stands currently the shop is one of the most unique one-stop shops in the country.

Here, car owners can bring their prized possession to be restored and be assured that all of the work will be done under one roof. At Gassman's Automotive a client can bring in the car regardless of the condition and the staff will perform their magic in an average of 6 months. The only operations not done at Gassman are the fine machining of parts, performed by Valley Auto Machine, also in Waynesboro. All assemblies, fabrication, painting, and other functions are done on the Gassman premises.

Along with the company's heavy involvement in classic restorations is a steady flow of racecar prep and fabrication. Gassman's attention to detail landed him the responsibility of the bodywork for the G&W Motorsport Shop of Waynesboro that finished third in class at the famous 24 Hours of Daytona.

Partial or full-blown restoration is typically underway on 10 cars at any one time with a customer base of 240 clients annually. Customer cars consistently win awards and their owners are more than pleased with the final outcome of restoration.

Many of Gassman's clients have broadened their social life by becoming part of local car clubs and participating in events that they would not ordinarily be a part of with a normal sedan. "Wine tasting festivals, air shows, whatever the case may be these cars now become an element to get to these events and let you get together with these people. So, camaraderie is a huge factor and the fact of being able to own something that makes you unique," says Mike.

Although Mike is skilled in all the trades of restoration, he could not perform all this magic alone and over the years has assembled a group of professional craftsmen to meet the high standards of Gassman Automotive and its customers. Those include Neils Schroeder, shop foreman, Tom Doyle, mechanic, Kenny Gregory, assembler, Dee Newcomb, certified BASFMaster Refinisher, and George Folks, custom upholsterer (see Gassman Services for examples of these craftsman's fine work). There are also support people that include Glinda Gassman, office manager, Bob Shiflett, parts manager, and Ian Lamb, web wizard.

When the 70's gas crunch reared its ugly head, the popularity of two-seat sports cars took a nose dive in favor of high efficiency, "no fun" small cars. While Porsche and Corvette survived, it's only been in the past 15 years or so with the introduction of the Mazda Miata, Lotus Elan, and BMW Z3s that a renewed interest in driving a two-seater has returned strongly.

Gassman's clientele are sports car enthusiasts in it for fun, for investment, or a combination of both. Keeping the classics out of the junkyard can be fun and profitable at the same time. "In most cases, a five year term of owning one of these classics will allow you to sell the car for as much or more than you paid for the restoration. It's a really unique investment opportunity. Invest in a fun and safe return of your money, if not an actual profit situation," says Mike.

Michael really loves the cars and attends shows and visits collectors on weekends. Mike has a son, Tommy, a Radford University graduate, and a daughter, Amanda, at James Madison University who get their dad away many weekends to Smith Mountain Lake for relaxing and water skiing.

Despite record new car sales, interest in restoring the classics is on the rise. Whether you are a first time enthusiast or trying to relive some glory days, driving on a sunny day with the top down in a two-seat classic is no longer a dream. With Gassman Automotive it's a reality.