The vision
With the future always being one step ahead of you, we felt the logical next step for hot rodding would be EV conversions. We are in an everchanging and growing world. To keep up with it, you have to constantly change and adapt. EV will be a large part of the automotive industry in the very near future. So, why not take the classics we all love and give them new life in a new world? That is why we want to offer EV conversions as a powertrain option. To allow you and GKR to remain ahead of the curve.
This does not, however, mean you have to change your core values if you choose EV. We still live by the bible of speed and excitement. EV will give you plenty of both, and then some. Cars mean something different to everyone and we understand that. We want to find what moves YOU. So, whether you know the exact car setup you want or want us to complete one of our car personality interviews, we will find YOUR car. EV or traditional ICE drivetrain.
The owner
Tyler Willy grew up in a lot of different places. The farm, the suburbs, a small town(Dearborn), a huge town(Los Angeles) and did plenty of “growing up” during his time at Mizzou. To him, values are most important and he honed them in all of these steps through life. He believes values are not something you only use when convenient. They are something to live by and Tyler believes that is true of the work he does at GKR. To Tyler, GKR is about truly finding what somebody loves. Cars are what you make them. He believes that you don’t have to be a car person to turn your head when a car catches your eye as it drives by. So reach out to him if you ever want to talk cars.
The name
The name of this company is the most asked question we get and it is one of the most important aspects of GKR. It is more than a name and acts as both a reminder and homage to the importance of values. Tyler wanted the name of the company to have a story and meaning. When his wife, Dorothy, casually suggested the GKR idea, it was instant perfection to him. It brought his importance of values front and center. Why? A lot of the values he applies to GKR, he learned from watching a few specific people in his life. These initials represent the names of the men who built him as a person. That is why GKR serves as a reminder to always live by the values you set. These men built him so he celebrates them with the cars he builds today.