Emotions are at an all time high on the grounds of Coker Tire and Honest Charley on this cloudy day in March. We started the day by putting the final touches on a 1912 Thomas Flyer, and revealing it to the car's new owner. You see, this Thomas Flyer was our founder, Harold Coker's last project car, before he passed away suddenly in November of last year. It was a long way from being finished at the time of his passing, but Corky Coker encouraged the guys at Honest Charley to complete it in time for the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance coming up this weekend. The car was passed down to Corky's brother, David Coker, who saw the finished product for the first time this morning. Lill Coker was also on hand for the reveal, and it's safe to say there wasn't a dry eye in the house when the Coker's saw the tag that Howard Horn hand-lettered to finish off the build. Keep reading for a touching video of the reveal and a bunch of pictures of Harold's Last One.
[caption id="attachment_5687" align="aligncenter" width="740"] Corky Coker, Coker Group President Wade Kawasaki and Harold Coker at The Tire Industry Association Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony November 3, 2014.[/caption]
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Harold Coker. Harold is loved and respected across our community and throughout the collector car community the world over. His passion for collector cars and people have influenced so many over the years, and while we are saddened to lose him, we rejoice that he is now at the throne of our God in heaven surrounded by angels.
Continue to lift the entire Coker family up in your thoughts and prayers as we all mourn the loss of this great man.
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The Tire Industry Association has named three inductees to its Hall of Fame in 2014 and three recipients of the Ed Wagner Industry Leadership Award. This years Hall of Fame honorees are Harold Coker, founder of Coker Tire Co., Charles Cornell, the late founder of Tech International, and Juanita Purcell, executive vice president of Purcell Tire & Rubber Co.
We gave you the lowdown on the 68th Revival Glidden Tour in our previous post and let you know that part of the festivities involved a great visit to Harold Coker's barn here in Chattanooga, Tennessee. For those that don't know, Harold Coker is the founder of Coker Tire and he's the father of Corky Coker. He's been a car guy all of his life, and he's still fooling with cars on a daily basis. His car collection is very cool, and it's all packed in a barn just like you see all over the Southern portion of the United States. Check it out!
Hey, that's not a bad thing, right? We've been working hard this year, and barely took the time to realize this is Coker Tire Company's 55th anniversary! The company has come a long way from its early beginnings as a BFGoodrich tire dealership, as we are now the world's leading supplier of tires and wheels for collector vehicles!
