Long time Lancia enthusiast Gary Byrd, center, at his garage with friends Steve Patrick and John Dimock. Photo courtesty John Dimock.
By Brandes Elitch
People started arriving early at Woodley Park in Burbank on Sunday, November 2, for the annual Best of France and Italy car show.
Cars of every description streamed through the front gate, including some real surprises: an Abarth found after being hidden in a barn in upstate New York for decades, one of 5 Chrysler Ghia show cars from 1953, a couple of ISO Rivoltas, a Maserati 5000, a SIATA bare chassis and frame, about to be restored, next to two perfect Fiat 8-V’s. French cars were there in profusion, including two show-quality Facel Vega HK 500’s. Jay Leno showed up in a fire engine. But, the “most outrageous†car was parked in the Lancia section. It looked like a Model A hotrod, which indeed it was, except that back in the thirties it was fitted with a Lancia Lambda motor. It was being shown for the first time, the subject of a long and authentic restoration by the owner John Dimock, assisted by his friend Gary Byrd.
Polishing up the Lancia Lambda “Airway” at John Sexton’s Italian Villa, two years ago. Photo by John Sexton.
As the Lancia Club people started to mill around the cars, word got out that Gary had passed away the previous evening. Only a few weeks before, he had embarked on a Lancia Club tour called “Appias Across America,†but when they got to the Rockies, he had trouble breathing at the high altitude. He returned home, where he had a bypass, and then succumbed to heart problems.
Even in car crazy Los Angeles, Gary was larger than life. I first met him 15 years ago, when his best friend from childhood, the late Chris Dickel, took me to his house. Gary hosted a cocktail party every afternoon at his garage, and car guys from all over Southern California would show up. It was the place to be. On one occasion, he even had a portable dyno there. You never knew who would show up. For one thing, Gary was the most knowledgeable Lancisti on the West coast, having owned and restored just about every model, including 2 Lambdas, a tourer and the famous London show car, the Airway, which he showed at Pebble Beach and Quail Lodge. Gary also raced at Laguna Seca and Sears Point, in his 3 wheeled Morgan, his Lancias, his MG K3 replica, and others. Other cars I remember in his garage were a Corvette, a Maserati, a Fiat Abarth, and an Austin Seven. Over the last year or so he restored a Bugatti Brescia, and raced that only a couple of months ago. He recently acquired a Citroen Traction Avant, to show you how catholic his tastes were.
Having lunch—from left to right, Paul Tullius, also a Lambda owner, Byrd, Bill Green and VT’s Brandes Elitch.
Gary’s father was the Byrd behind Byrd Homes, even today a mark of distinction in Los Angeles real estate. Gary was trained and worked as an architect, and this gave him some unique advantages when it came to plotting out how to restore an old car. But what made Gary unique was that he did the work himself. I remember him cursing out some British parts he had bought for some project, saying that they were made out of the finest British “butter metal!†He also drove his cars everywhere, everyday. When Gary restored them, they were meant to be driven, not sit in the garage. He brought his Airway to Italy two years ago for the Lancia Centennial, and I will never forget him taking me up a mountain pass at full speed – probably trying to scare me, and he succeeded!
The Lambda Airway and the Sexton Villa. Behind the Airway is Tullius’s Lambda.
Everyone wanted to come to Gary’s garage because they knew that he was someone who had devoted his life to restoring some of the most desirable cars ever made, and he knew everything about them. He was never shy about stating his opinions, and that made him even more irresistible to his many friends and admirers. His friends know that no one can take his place.
Brandes Elitch will have a report on the Best of France and Italy show next week.
I didn’t know that Gary has passed away. I sold him a fully restored Citroen 2CV a couple of years ago. He was very happy with the car and the work I did on it. He came to Reno, picked up the car and drove back to L.A. with his wife and son aboard. He was a great guy to know.
Please tell me when he passed away and is there an obituary in the L.A. Times or somewhere?
thanks,
John Peterson
Gary,
I am so sorry I missed you!
After many casual meetings at Jennifers, I now know how important they were to me!
Now I’m late.
Meanwhile, YOU are missed!
Rich
I met Gary several years ago through his wife, Tina. Tina and I knew each other from high school. Gary & Tina welcomed me when I visited from Canada several years ago, showed me around L.A. and treated me to sushi. I always looked forward to receiving my annual Christmas card in order to see which vehicle had been restored that year.
Open roads in heaven await you, Gary. Drive on!
Darla Middlebrook
Gary was such a young man when he left this earth plane. I knew him quite well back in the early 1980’S as he was transitioning to his new life in Studio City.
To say the least , Gary was a gentleman, had a wonderful sense of humor and treated people with respect. Yes he was an ardent car enthusiast. More importantly he was a good man and I am glad that I had the opportunity to know him as I did.
Kevin Barry
Orlando, Florida
I only learned of Gary’s passing when reading this website today. I remember Gary as a fine man, friendly and knowledgeable. I first met him at Laguna Seca in the early eighties when he was racing a jewel like BNC-or was it an Amilcar…?
My best memory of him though is when he and friends drove up to stay with us at our historic inn on a tiny island off Vancouver, BC. Gary came in his Vauxhall 30/98, accompanied by friends in a Talbot 105. I had a very similar car to Gary’s at the time and we had fun comparing the performance of the two cars on a private road. Subsequently the group of them went fishing and caught the biggest salmon of the season! They had to leave it with us since they then drove across Canada and down the East Coast before returning to LA!
Gary invited me to his ‘Cocktail Party’ at his garage and I am so sorry I missed it-he was a true enthusiast and a good man.
David Birchall, Vancouver, BC
I met Gary only couple time through 90s in his California house (Garage). A Great guy. Was my privilege had the chance to know Gary. Till today I still carry the “America Lancia club” badges on my Lancias in Switzerland which he gave to me many years ago. It’s sad to know Gary passed away. R.I.P Gary.
I’m very sad to learn that Gary Byrd passed away.
I’m located in Belgium and owning his ex Supercharger CGSs 1927 Amilcar he used for racing in the early 80’s. Looking for some more history about my Amilcar, I sent him a letter a few year ago to get more info about works he did on the engine. He had the great courtesy to send me back a few pictures, and to ring me and talk about the car. He was happy to lear that the Amilcar was still existing and running. I can say that he did the best job I ever seen on an Amilcar engine, it’s for sure the most powerful CGSs in existance. I will remind him each time I will start the car. Some pictures of his ex Amilcar can be seen on my “cyclecars” website http://www.lecyclecaristebelge.com or even a test drive on YouTube. You will probably enjoy to hear the sound of a supercharged Amilcar with Gary magic touch.
R.I.P
Marc Hendrix/ Belgium
I was sorry to hear that a Gary had passed away, I had been going through old photos and came upon the aluminum bodied a Three Wheel Morgan I had re bodied for him. I began looking for him only to hear he had passed. Now he and Al Moss are racing in heaven.