Today we’d like to introduce you to Russ Bahri.
Hi Russ, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My passion for automobiles started at birth. Two days after I was born, I was brought home in a 1970 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible, a car that remains in my family today. Growing up, I spent much of my childhood in my family’s automotive shop located at 7 Mile and Woodward in Detroit, Michigan. The business was founded in the early 1980s by my grandfather, Jerry Bahri, and it became the foundation of my lifelong passion to cars.
Some of my earliest memories revolve around that shop and the creativity and enthusiasm my family shared for the automotive world. When I was eight years old, my dad even made me a fake driver’s license because he jokingly told me I could drive if I had one. I was so determined that I convinced him to install a steering column on the passenger-side floor of our Aerostar van so I could “drive” while my mom and sister rode in the back seat.
At 15, I purchased my first classic car, a 1976 Corvette Stingray. Unfortunately, when I was 17, my family retired the shop while I was still in high school, and I wasn’t able to continue the family business. Even then, I knew the automotive industry was where I belonged. After graduating high school, I pursued a pharmacy technician position at Beaumont Hospital because it offered financial stability, while I studied business at Macomb Community College. Although I valued the experience, I realized my true passion was still in the automotive field.
One day, while searching Craigslist for automotive opportunities, I came across a posting for a “Parts Guy” position at Jack Frost Auto Museum. The moment I drove onto the property, I knew it was where I wanted to build my future. After meeting Dale Wells, we immediately connected. Our first interview lasted six hours, and the second lasted three. From that point on, everything fell into place.
Today, Jack Frost Museum is the destination for the collector car enthusiasts, specializing in the restoration, service, and sales of classic and collector vehicles. We also host several charity events throughout the season, including our big annual charity car show held on the first Saturday of every August.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No real bumpy roads to note.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Jack Frost Museum is a historical automotive museum set on a 62 acre campus in the heart of Washington, Michigan. We are the Destination for the collector car enthusiast. We specialize in the restoration, service, and sales of collector and classic vehicles. We are most proud of our 5-star service that we pride ourselves on.
We host several charity events on-site the first Saturday of every month, with our big annual celebration car show the first Saturday in August.
We are open to the public, our hours are by appointment Monday – Friday 8am-4:30pm.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Integrity.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Jackfrostautomuseum.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackfrostautomuseum?igsh=YjMxbW5mZncyNTA0&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18dsbrhTn5/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@jackfrostautomuseum?si=oU9iNTmzexuinwo2
- Other: http://jackfrostmuseum.org/
