STORY BY SCOTT MEAD • PHOTOS BY DAVID NEWHARDT I t’s quite likely that just about all of today’s active car enthusiasts and collectors spent some time in their formative years dreaming up their ideal garage squad, culling the list of dream cars that would one day line the walls if the stars would only align in their favor—from the GTs, Shelbys and Boss Mustangs to the more exotic fare, shaped as convertibles, fastbacks, coupes and more. Youthful hearts skipped beats imagining those cars all neatly lined up with the overhead lights gleaming off the polished paint and chrome, and all of them waiting, begging, to be driven. As adults, all the world’s dreamers eventually have to face reality, and as car-loving kids become car-collecting grown-ups, they soon learn that assembling a group of jaw-droppers isn’t as easy as manifesting a daydream. Many collectors will testify that finding the “exact” car or cars takes patience, persistence and many a time, a dose of luck as well. Wayne Davis is one of those tenacious and lucky kids who dreamed big and managed to make that dream his reality. Davis was bitten by the car bug at an early age, allured by horsepower and sleek curves. He was so smitten with the mechanics, he restored his first car—a 1956 Chevrolet Nomad— before he graduated high school. A born entrepreneur, Davis set up his own shop after graduation, buying, selling and trading cars. By 1977, he had added restorations to the mix, opening Thunderbirds, Etc., specializing in first-generation “baby birds.” His interests then expanded to encompass everything from prewar vehicles to American muscle cars and 1950s Street Rods. To say the operation was a success would be a gross understatement. His restorations (incredibly meticulous and exacting) have made him a legend in car collecting circles, as well as on the fairways of Pebble Beach. Coming to Dallas this October 15-17, the 12 world class vehicles in the Wayne Davis Presents: A High Performance Ford Collection represent the apex in specialty Ford muscle, and many have been “off market” for more than 12 years and restored by some of the best hands in the industry. Davis is a long-time admirer of Shelby American, so it’s no surprise that this collection presents seven examples, including three first-year 1967 GT500 fastbacks, a ‘67 GT350 fastback and three GT350 convertibles, two from 1968 and a ‘69. The Wimbledon White ‘67 GT500 fastback with blue rocker stripes and callouts carries Shelby No. 02498 and has undergone a world-class restoration by none other than John Brown of Thoroughbred Restorations of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. One of only 256 GT500s to roll off the assembly line with factory air conditioning that year, it’s powered by a 428 CI Police Interceptor engine and is backed by a 3-speed C6 “Select Shift Cruise-O-Matic” gearbox. MECUM.COM • 27
