Upde Designs

Photography, Video, Web Design, and Other Stuff

  • Lightroom
  • Upde’s Gear
  • Web Sites
  • Photoshop
  • About Me

Sunday ~ July 31, 2016

Posted by Dave Updegraff on July 31, 2016
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: Americana Diner, Classic Cars, Copart, Inc., Nashville, Photography, Tenneesse, Willis Johnston.

July-31-2016-07-28-2016-A

Happy Sunday!

This is the venue Bill Fortney called Hot Rod Heaven.  It is actually one of the largest private car collections in the United States.  It is owned by a gentlemen named Willis Johnson.  It was built and owned by Alan Jackson, Country & Western music star who loved cars.

The 19,000 square foot home in Franklin, TN has six bedrooms, two twenty car garages, log cabin, all on almost 140 acres.  The two bedroom log cabin has a beautiful balcony overlooking the Harpeth river.  An old-fashioned kitchen is furnished with vintage appliances.
Also included on Jackson’s former Eagle’s Nest estate in Williamson County is a stocked lake, three ponds and boathouse.  One of the first things Johnson did when he bought the property was to build a 47,000 sq foot garage to replicate a 60s era atmosphere.  It has to be seen to appreciated.

The images I’m showing you today are not so much an art form, but a representation of what I saw.  I must admit when I walked into the building it gave me pause.

July-31-2016-07-28-2016-C

As we were winding our way through the estate I saw crews of men picking up sticks from the grounds.  There were other crews working on some of the wooden fences that surround the property.  They continued their work even in a down pouring rain. The first thing I noticed when I walked in what this amazing replication of a dinner.  It is non functional and simply for esthetics, but complete in detail.

The next thing that hits your senses is how clean and spotless everything is.  You could eat your dinner off the floor.  The hundreds of cars in the building are spotless and shine brightly under the fluorescent lights, which makes them hard to photograph, but no one was complaining.

July-31-2016-07-28-2016-D

The men who work in the building take meticulous care of the automobiles.  They are all registered and licensed.  They are driven once a month by the employees of Willis around the property to keep them in perfect working order.  He does not buy cars to restore.  he buys them at Mecum Auctions already fully restored.  He will take his crew to an auction and they will drive their purchases back to the property.  If he decides to sell one of his cars he will do the same thing and drive them to the auction.

July-31-2016-07-28-2016-B

Willis Johnson is a remarkably interesting man who is a self-made millionaire.  His company Copart was founded in 1982  by Willis J. Johnson, a true American success story. Johnson grew up learning about business from his father – an entrepreneur who dabbled in everything from dairy-farming to running restaurants and building houses. Johnson took that entrepreneurial spirit, along with a strong work ethic and a passion for change, and started Copart with just one salvage yard in California.

In 1994, he took Copart public (NASDAQ: “CPRT”), raising the money needed to expand the company across the United States. Our evolving auction technology has transformed Copart from a salvage vehicle auction company into a technology company offering a global re-marketing platform that links buyers and sellers around the world.

Today, Copart is the premier destination for quality vehicles. Our technology makes it easy to find, bid and win the vehicles our Members are looking for. Members can choose from classics, early and late-model cars and trucks, industrial vehicles and more. We sell over one million vehicles each year, and have thousands up for auction every day.

Copart’s success has earned us a place on the Forbes America’s Best Small Companies list nine years in a row. Copart was also featured on the television show World’s Best as “The World’s Best Remarketing Company.”  You can find out even more about the history of Copart from founder Willis Johnson’s book, Junk to Gold. Available through Amazon.com, Junk to Gold is the inspiring narrative of Willis Johnson’s journey from one auction location in Vallejo, California, to global, multi-billion dollar business.
That’s it for today.  I have a lot of images to show you from the car collection including some from his garage that is dedicated only to Corvettes.

Thanks for stopping by.  Enjoy your day and be careful.

 

 

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Posts navigation

← Saturday ~ July 30, 2016
Monday ~ August 01, 2016 →
  • July 2016
    S M T W T F S
     12
    3456789
    10111213141516
    17181920212223
    24252627282930
    31  
    « Jun   Aug »
  • Upde.net

    Visit My Photography Web Site

    Visit My Photography Web Site

  • Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 379 other subscribers
  • Archives

    • December 2022
    • November 2022
    • August 2022
    • July 2022
    • June 2022
    • May 2022
    • November 2021
    • October 2021
    • September 2021
    • August 2021
    • July 2021
    • June 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • July 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • September 2016
    • August 2016
    • July 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • January 2016
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
    • October 2015
    • September 2015
    • August 2015
    • July 2015
    • June 2015
    • May 2015
    • April 2015
    • March 2015
    • February 2015
    • January 2015
    • December 2014
    • November 2014
    • October 2014
    • September 2014
    • August 2014
    • July 2014
    • June 2014
    • May 2014
    • April 2014
    • March 2014
    • February 2014
    • January 2014
    • December 2013
    • November 2013
    • October 2013
    • September 2013
    • August 2013
    • July 2013
    • June 2013
    • May 2013
    • April 2013
    • March 2013
    • February 2013
    • January 2013
    • December 2012
    • November 2012
    • October 2012
    • September 2012
    • August 2012
    • July 2012
    • June 2012
    • May 2012
    • April 2012
    • March 2012
    • February 2012
    • January 2012
    • December 2011
    • November 2011
    • October 2011
    • September 2011
    • August 2011
    • July 2011
    • June 2011
    • May 2011
    • April 2011
    • March 2011
    • February 2011
    • January 2011
    • December 2010
    • November 2010
    • October 2010
    • September 2010
  • Search The Blog

  • Meta

    • Register
    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.com
Blog at WordPress.com.
  • Follow Following
    • Upde Designs
    • Join 369 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Upde Designs
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Copy shortlink
    • Report this content
    • View post in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: