TR Truck and Auto

Fabric Buildings  Flex Muscle in Wisconsin

Jon Matthias, owner of TR Truck and Auto, often hears his customers say, "I used to have a car like that." Long gone are the days when soda cost a nickel, when the Andy Griffith Show had new episodes and when muscle cars were sold for just a few thousand dollars. The enthusiasm and passion for muscle cars, now labeled classic and sold at significantly higher prices, still exists today. Matthias shares this passion with his customers. "That was a fun time in life. It was such a short period of time when these cars were worth something all by themselves," recalls Matthias when thinking about his 1962 Chevy Super Sport convertible.

TR Truck and Auto is located in Newton, Wisconsin and sells over one hundred classic cars every year. Since opening over twelve and a half years ago, Matthias has bought and sold classic cars to every type of buyer, including a few celebrities. "These cars are appreciating in value. The market is strong and we’re trying to take care of the, the best we can," explains Matthias.

"I wanted to get something that was affordable and able to handle a lot of cars. It saves us a lot of work keeping them clean and the atmosphere is really nice for the cars."

Wanting to keep his cars clean and damage free, Matthias bought two fabric covered steel truss buildings. Using one fabric building as a showroom has really benefited Matthias’ business. He says, "This building has been working out really well. I wanted to get something that was affordable and able to handle a lot of cars. The cars show off really well in the building. It saves us a lot of work keeping them clean and the atmosphere is really nice for the cars. People are in awe when they see the inside of the building. They can’t believe how bright it is. It really is comfortable in warm weather and we do open the doors and it’s like being in the shade under a tree."

The fabric building protects the cars from the sun and rain, reducing the amount of cleaning and maintenance to the cars, which maintains their overall value. "The facility is saving us a lot of labor by keeping the cars clean and almost dust-free," says Matthias. "We’ve had winds up to 50 miles per hour and we’ve had hail. By storing the vehicles inside, the fabric building sure takes the liability out of having cars damaged by hail."

With customers from all over North America, as well as the United Kingdom, Matthias likes that his cars are always presentable. "It’s nice that if customers want a picture sent out, we can walk out here in the middle of winter and the cars look sharp and clean. We don’t have to be pushing snow off them. We’re trying to take care of the cars the best we can and this facility is doing an excellent job with that."