The Smith & Co. ’23 Ford Model T A/SR

Lyn Smith majored in education at Akron University but says he would have wound up in jail had he taught full-time. He describes himself as “mostly a derelict,” but his self-deprecating humor does little to hide his boundless intellectual gifts and wonderful nature.

Smith’s first job out of college was running the housekeeping and maintenance department for a hospital. He soon realized that a middle management career did not suit his demeanor, so he bought out a friend’s service station in 1968 and went to work on what he truly understood, automotive mechanics. He also tested and qualified as an ASE-certified master automotive, medium and heavy duty truck technician.