Bob Fitzgerald celebrates 40 years at the helm of Concours Elite—Chico's

Concours Elite

Celebrating 40 years of quality with a personal touch

Quality with a personal touch—it’s been the motto driving Chico’s premier collision repair center, Concours Elite, since 1982. Focused on customer service above all else, the company has grown year after year, building a rock-solid reputation as the first place to visit after a vehicle has been in an accident. The signature phrase has also been the credo of owner Bob Fitzgerald, who early on decided to live his life by its meaning. Over the years, he has used the company’s success to become one of Chico’s most ardent philanthropists, supporting worthy causes like the Butte Humane Society, a number of local veterans support programs, the Boys & Girls Club of the North Valley, Torres Shelter, and many others. During that time, he and his wife, Linda, have also raised two incredible children, helped build and better our community, and provided jobs to countless individuals. Now celebrating Concours Elite’s 40th year in business, Bob couldn’t be more excited with what the future holds. As any good business person though, he can’t help but credit what brought him here.

“None of this would have been possible without my dad,” Bob reminisced. “He taught me the importance of hard work from an early age and to treat everyone you meet with the same level of respect you expect for yourself.” The advice certainly came in handy, as Bob would have an unusually large number of first meetings over his childhood years. Born into a United States Air Force family, Bob was often on the move, making new friends wherever his father happened to be stationed at that particular moment in time. Though understandably difficult, the lack of permanence forced him to develop a welcoming and outgoing personality, which not only benefited him in making new friends, but also creating lasting relationships later in life.

“My dad retired as a colonel and flew during some of the world's biggest wars,” Bob remembered. “He was on B25s at the end of World War II, B29s during the Korean War, and B52s with nuclear missiles during the Cold War. He was no stranger to sacrifice— constantly putting himself in harm’s way to ensure the security of his family and country. He modeled the importance of selflessness to me in his actions and always put the needs of others above his own. He was truly an incredible role model.”

When Bob’s father returned from the Vietnam War in 1964, his station was changed to Oahu, and the family moved into base housing at Hickam Air Force Base. Bob was just 11 years old at the time, but quickly took to the change in scenery, deciding to become the world’s next surfing phenom. He explained the dream to his dad who imparted a piece of wisdom that would follow him throughout his years. “If you’re going to do something, you have to carry it,” his father said. The simple phrase would affect Bob’s understanding of life from that point forward, both metaphorically and physically. At the immediate moment, it meant he needed to physically learn to carry his 11-foot Velzy surfboard on his own, because the decision to become a surfer was also something he needed to carry mentally. Bob did just that, and soon found he could carry far more if he set his mind to it.

By 14, Bob figured he could carry the cost of his passion for surfing by building surfboards for others. He started a surfboard company, appropriately named Hanalei Surfboards, and set out to make a name for himself on the island. In total, Bob sold 326 surfboards during his time there.

When Bob turned 15 and wanted to learn to drive, his father again reminded him of the need to carry his decisions, suggesting he learn how cars worked before driving a car of his own. To do so, Bob began working at the base’s hobby shop, learning everything he could about car mechanics. When the family cars would break down, Bob would drive them in and learn how to repair them. One of his first projects was repairing the clutch cable on his dad’s 1963 Corvair Monza—a two-and-one-half hour project that he vividly remembers took him two-andone-half days to master. “Anytime something went wrong, one of the base mechanics would be kind enough to help me learn how to fix it,” Bob said. “Those experiences gave me the tools I needed to follow my newfound passion for cars.”

In 1969, Bob and his family were transferred to Woodbridge, Virginia, next to the Pentagon. Though surfing was no longer an option, Bob found ample opportunity to pursue his automotive studies. In high school, he joined the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America (VICA), acquired every book he possibly could on autobody and paint work, and set out to become a body man and car painter. During his time in Virginia, he picked up jobs repairing boats and skis at the marina, worked on cars at a local mechanic shop, and installed 8-track stereos in every car he possibly could. The work rounded out his knowledge of both vehicle mechanics and aesthetics.

After Bob’s high school graduation, his father decided to retire, and the family returned to the West Coast, moving back to their hometown of Vacaville. Bob applied for jobs at the Nut Tree, American Home Foods, and Stith Chevrolet. All three called back the next day with job offers, so Bob decided to follow his passion and took the offer at Stith Chevrolet, working in the body shop as an apprentice painter for “Papa Tone” Tony Perez.

“I did everything you possibly could while working there,” Bob laughed, “I worked on cars, painted them, cleaned toilets, and drove customers home. There was nothing I wouldn’t do.” One of these customers was a woman named Grace Harris who stopped by the dealership with a 1971 Vega. After its repairs were finished, Bob and his coworker Steve delivered the vehicle to Grace’s house and met her daughter, Linda. Weeks later, while out cruising with a friend of his, the two happened to run into Grace’s daughter again. This time, she was with her best friend, also named Linda. “My jaw just dropped,” Bob remembered, “She was stunning! I asked her out, and she said I had to meet her mom first. When I did, her mom said I was harmless, and we went out on our first date two weeks later. We’ve been together ever since.”

Bob was eventually hired away from Stith Chevrolet by another outfit, and it was there that Bob mastered the art of bodywork, repairing, painting, and detailing cars. He began working on high-end rare and exotic cars, quickly making a name for himself in the automotive community. Over the years that followed, Bob would go on to win numerous prestigious awards for his work. He was hired to restore a 1927 Rolls Royce Phantom 1 on his own which garnered him

first place at the Rolls Royce Nationals in Washington State along with Best of Show at Napa Silverado Concours d’ Elegance and at the Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance. “When Bill Harrah, one of the most prestigious car restorers and owner of the Harrah’s Collection in Reno, came up with Clint Eastwood and complimented my work on the Rolls Royce, I nearly fell out of my chair.” Bob beamed, “It was a defining moment for me, and validated everything I had been doing.” Bill passed Bob’s name around, and soon he was doing work for many of his wealthiest friends.

Bob married the love of his life, Linda, in 1976, and the two moved up to Chico in 1978. He continued working on rare cars and winning award after award, including a first place and best of show finish for a 1931 Chrysler Dual Cowl Phaeton.

“I guess you could say I finally realized my value,” Bob said. “That and I wanted to make sure customers always received the level of customer service I believed they should. So I decided to strike out and open my own shop. I didn’t want to call it Bob’s Autobody, or something basic like that, so I called my mom who was French Canadian. We talked, and I asked her for various French translations. When she told me competition translated to concours and élite signified the top one or the pinnacle of excellence, I decided to name the business Concours Elite. After all, the cars I was known for were all concours ones that had placed at the top. I wanted to bring that level of attention to detail to each and every car we worked on, regardless of value.”

With that in mind, Bob opened Concours Elite Collision Center on April 1st, 1982. “It was important that the shop did everything.” Bob said, “I wanted to make sure we were a one-stop shop, so we handled estimates, painting, and body-work right from the start. Linda handled the books and a lot of the operations. I’ve always said the business was built by my hands and her brain.”

While repairing cars in Chico, Bob continued to make waves in the automotive show community by restoring one car after the next, garnering repeated awards. With each car and subsequent award, word traveled further about his workmanship and commitment to customer service, continuously growing his customer base. “We kept meeting celebrities at every event we attended, and each had something wonderful to say about our work. World famous race car driver Jackie Stewart stopped by a Maybach I had restored at Pebble Beach and said it was the most beautiful car he had ever seen. His review was published in the local newspaper, and we were off to the races after that.”

By 1989, the business had reached its capacity and needed to expand. Bob moved Concours Elite to its current location, at 2267 Esplanade, in 1990, and it’s been there ever since. Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Bob couldn’t be more proud of what he and his team have accomplished. “We have had many amazing employees over the years,” Bob said. “Each one has had a hand in making Concours Elite what it is today. Steve Matthai has been with us 18 years, and I’ve watched his kids grow up. They work our car shows all the time. My son-in-law, Ryan Collins, has been with us 20 years and does an incredible job managing the shop. Jon Seeger worked at

Concours Elite for 27 years, and Warren Hallbauer was with us for 28. I couldn’t be more thankful for all of the effort they put into making the business succeed; they were truly my original crew. I could go on and on. Each member of the Concours Elite family has meant so much to me.”

Finally, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the car on the cover and opening photo of this story. Of all the cars Bob has worked on over the years, this 1965 Corvette Roadster is his pride and joy. It has won multiple shows in the International Show Car Association (ISCA) West Coast Nationals including California, Utah, Washington, Nevada, and Canada, along with countless other awards. According to Bob, “It’s a constant reminder of the value of hard work and commitment.”

Asked about what led to the company’s success, Bob responded, “My mom taught me that I’m human and allowed to mess up, but to never let anyone down. We pride ourselves on customer service, providing quality work, and being good stewards of our community. It’s ‘Quality with a personal touch’—our motto since the day we opened, and it extends to everything we do.”

Working on over 1,400 cars per year, Concours Elite has been a pillar of both the business and service community for 40 years. They remain true to their founding principles, and Bob maintains one thing above all—behind every successful man, there’s a woman who deserves the credit. “Linda took care of all of the important operations and finance work in the office, while I was able to go into the shop and have fun with my hands,” Bob said. “Even after we had our granddaughter, she would watch her at home while doing the books remotely. I couldn’t have done any of this without her, nor would I have wanted to.”

If your car is in need of body work, support a company that supports its community. Call Concours Elite at (530) 891-0234 or visit them at 2267 Esplanade in Chico.