Keeping it Classic

Gerald Work

STORY BY MICHAEL KINNEY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KENNON BRYCE

Gerald Work is an extraordinary vintage automobile collector. He’s got an impeccable eye for classic cars, yet he isn’t worried about enjoying them: he doesn’t believe they should be put on a pedestal only for show. Work likes nothing more than to slide behind the wheel of any one of his ten classics and go for a spin. “I love old cars because you can drive them anywhere,” Work said. “You don’t have to be afraid of going out and driving the car.” His collection is filled with breathtaking classics. Perhaps his most-loved is his 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS, the embodiment of his belief that classics are meant to be driven and not just admired. After trading a 1969 Camaro for it eight years ago, he restored the classic to its original style, with no intention of hiding it in a garage.

Work enjoys the process of restoring his stable of classic cars, but unlike less daring collectors, he’s not precious about it. “I want them to be nice,” Work said. “But I don’t want them to be so nice that I can’t drive them.” That encapsulates Work’s Chevelle perfectly. When he turns the key in the ignition, the engine roars with a ferocity that can be felt by anyone standing nearby.

With a black interior, black rims and tinted windows, his Chevelle makes a distinctive impression when Work takes it out to run errands or go to the gym. “If you jump in the Chevelle and you go down to the gas station, everybody loves it,” Work said. “You don’t have to be afraid of going out and driving the car.”

Like many enthusiasts who find themselves enthralled by classic cars, Work’s fascination began when he was a young boy. His father was a painter and car builder, so he was introduced to the car culture at an early age. Because of that, Work knows the feelings of joy, and a little bit of awe, that he sees on the faces of onlookers get when he pulls up in his Chevelle. “I think part of it is because it has a universal appeal and takes you back to your childhood,” Work said. “These are the cars lots of us wanted in high school, and we still love them today.”

Work sees his classic car menagerie, including that sexy Chevelle, as great investments because they don’t depreciate, like today’s exotic cars, which lose value the minute they are driven off the lot. Muscle cars will never depreciate. “So, to me, these cars are like my 401(k),” Work said. “But I get to look enjoy them every day instead of waiting for a statement to come in the mail.”