[DeTomaso] R.I.P. Bud Williams

The DeTomaso Registry Guy detomasoregistry at gmail.com
Mon Feb 20 19:44:30 EST 2017


Sad news indeed.  Wonderful guy.

His car:

http://www.provamo.com/Members/Registry/RegistryImages/RTHPNNK06556/RTHPNNK06556.asp

and you might find this one interesting:

http://www.provamo.com/Members/Registry/RegistryImages/RTHPNMC03469/RTHPNMC03469.asp

as this is the "Fun Rally Raffle" car.

Chuck



-----Original Message-----
From: DeTomaso [mailto:detomaso-bounces at server.detomasolist.com] On Behalf Of Mike Drew via DeTomaso
Sent: Monday, February 20, 2017 3:09 PM
To: julian_kift at hotmail.com; detomaso at server.detomasolist.com
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] R.I.P. Bud Williams


In a message dated 2/20/17 2:29:01 PM, julian_kift at hotmail.com writes:


I have just learned from a Facebook post and confirmed in a thread on the 
Tiger Club forum that long time Pantera owner Bud Williams passed away some 
time early February. I have no further information on the circumstances, but 
Bud was getting up in years.


I recall meeting Bud at one or more Fun Rally's in years past, he came 
across as a true gentleman.

>>>Damn.

I wish I could say that I knew Bud well, but I really didn't.   Sure, we 
would see each other at the Fun Rally every year, and would usually have a 
long talk at one point during the weekend, but that was about it.

He was an unusually friendly and gracious fellow though--even though we 
weren't close friends, he always made me feel like we were.   Some people (few 
people) have that particular gift.   I also remember he was unusually 
empathetic when my longtime girlfriend died of cancer in 2010.

He had a small but terrific car collection that was very Ford-centric, 
including a genuine 289 Shelby Cobra, a flawless '65 Shelby GT350, and I think 
he had some Thunderbirds and other lesser (but still fun and interesting) 
cars including an original Mini Cooper.   He had a plastics business with a big 
plant in the Los Angeles area and set aside one of his buildings to store 
his cars and memorabilia.   He also hosted an all-De Tomaso Pantera parts 
swap meet on a few occasions.

He had a really, REALLY nice Pantera, which was featured in the 2007 No. 1 
POCA Profiles.   It's worth pulling it off your shelf to take a look at it.  
 He did a really nice job with it--as, it's fair to say, he did with all 
his other cars as well.   His Pantera was a time machine for him--when he 
rolled into the POCA Fun Rally, he was usually wearing 20+ year old Fun Rally 
shirts and an old 1970s custom-made black nylon jacket with his Pantera 
emblazoned upon it.   

He was one of those guys who was much older than he looked (or acted).   He 
smoked constantly, which was worrisome, but he was always trim and fit.   
When I first got to know him, he was already well past normal retirement age, 
but he was still working hard every day.   

I'm going to miss seeing him every year..

Mike



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