As the sun rises over the horizon, you can hear a Ford Mustang GT350 roaring down the track at Ozark International Raceway. That’s the sound of the First Annual GKR Motor Cars Track Day. This event isn’t just a marketing play — it’s part of a much bigger plan to build a community around GKR.
“We just want to get some camaraderie, community, cars on the track, and have a good time,” said Tyler Willy, owner of GKR Motor Cars.
GKR is a relatively new automotive business located just outside the city of New Bloomfield. The name GKR comes from the men who have inspired Willy along the way. The “G” refers to his Grandpa Gary, who showed him how to be genuine and have grace. The “K” is in honor of his Uncle Kyle, who taught him about work ethic. Lastly, the “R” comes from his two dads, Roger and Randy, but also his Uncle Rod. Rod taught Willy confidence; he got creativity, building, and design from his father Roger; and he learned calmness from his father Randy.
Before starting GKR Motor Cars, Willy worked at Veterans United. It was inspiration from his wife and the Discovery Channel’s hit show Fast N’ Loud, though, that prompted Willy to set sail on his new business venture. At GKR, he and his crew restore cars to their former glory — and oftentimes beyond it. To him, spec builds are more rewarding; however, they can grow to be stressful because of the time and money commitment. Custom cars provide a more consistent cash flow for the business.
“Growing up on a farm, I didn’t have access to many cars, just trucks and tractors. As I got older and could afford more, I started enjoying cars,” Willy said. “Having the shop lets me drive some of these cars before selling them or delivering them to customers, which is a perk.”
GKR has built several notable cars so far. A few to mention are a 1977 Ford Bronco, a Shelby Cobra replica, and a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am, called The Bandit. Famously, this car was originally featured in the hit film Smokey and The Bandit.
“Yeah, I mean The Bandit Trans Am last year was by far our biggest-bill, huge success, went to a customer in L.A. But right now, we’re getting ready to finish up a ’69 Camaro that’s gonna even top that car and … should establish us as the premier car builder [and show] that people can trust us with their pride and joy,” Willy said.
Beyond building cars, GKR has been working since May on creating “car condos” for car enthusiasts across mid-Missouri. These private luxury garages are a relatively new concept, and their popularity has risen quickly. Car condos are now being built in many places across the country. Kansas City and St. Louis have their own take on car condos, and now The Toy Box Lux Lofts are being built at the Lake of the Ozarks as well.
For the average person, this probably doesn’t mean much. However, for a car lover in mid-Missouri, the GKR car campus is an opportunity to build a community around their hobby. Consider it the auto enthusiast’s equivalent of a neighborhood built on a golf course or near an air strip.
The project is set to be constructed in phases. During phase one, the first nine condos will be built, each with 1,000 square feet of “blank canvas” with which owners can create their own dream garage. GKR will own one of the nine condos, and five of the remaining units are already spoken for. That leaves three condos still up for grabs.
Prices start at $205,000, well below the average home price in Columbia. If the upfront cost is out of reach, each unit can be split among three owners. As more condos are built, the price is set to go up.
Once complete, the campus will have a total of sixty-six condos and include an “Autorimessa,” which will allow customers to rent space to store a car or an entire collection. The space will be temperature-controlled and provide power for battery tenders. In addition, the campus will feature a 12,000- to 14,000-square-foot event center and partner shops that will enable other automotive entrepreneurs to provide services for the automotive community.
“Community is definitely the forefront of what we’re doing out here,” Willy said. “These aren’t just storage facilities to hang out in. We want people to interact with each other.”
