tom jones
Curator | Art Director | Automotive Preservationist
Guest Intro:
Tom Jones is the curator and art director of the Auto World Museum in Fulton, Missouri, where he has spent nearly two decades preserving and sharing a rare collection of historic automobiles.
What began as a private collection built by a passionate collector has grown into a nonprofit foundation dedicated to keeping automotive history alive. Tom plays a central role in that mission, managing over 150 vehicles, coordinating preservation efforts, and working toward the goal of bringing the entire collection under one roof.
But this conversation goes beyond cars. It is about legacy, stewardship, and the responsibility of protecting something meaningful for future generations. From sourcing rare vehicles before the internet era to maintaining and rotating cars across storage locations, Tom shares what it takes to preserve history and why it matters.
Links
Topics That Discussed on Podcast
➤ The story behind the Auto World Museum and its founder’s vision
➤ Managing and preserving a collection of over 150 historic vehicles
➤ What it takes to maintain rare and valuable cars over time
➤ The challenges of storing, rotating, and protecting a large collection
➤ Why collecting cars before the internet era required deep knowledge and instinct
➤ The importance of preserving original vehicles versus modifying them
➤ Stories behind unique vehicles and how they were acquired
"Every car has a story, and our job is to make sure it lives on."
PRESERVING HISTORY, ONE STORY AT A TIME
A conversation about legacy, craftsmanship, and what it takes to protect something meaningful long after it was created.