#robmyers

— Rob Myers (@robmyers) February 22, 2019

THE EPITOME OF “UNEDUCATED” PASSION

"You build by natural growth, surround yourself with great people, and dream. To do something really good you have to devote yourself to it. You’ve to to be sick for it." "A lot of it is just plain-assed hard work and having balls. You’ve got to lay it out there" 

-Rob Myers 

I find myself constantly gravitating to stories of individuals who are intimately passionate about the auto industry; cars, trucks, or whatever it is with wheels that gives them a rise. I love reading about, relating to, and empathizing with their love for something so near and dear to my heart. To the extent that as a self-proclaimed lover of cars, and forever enthusiastic ambassador, I find myself being more and more humbled by the richness and depth of each story I come across. Im obsessed and knowledgeable, but the more obsessed I find myself, the more I realize I’m but a white belt in a life long journey to master an art. Heavy? Yes, but oh so honest. 

  There are just so many inspiring individuals that keep the auto industry alive, thriving in nature. From a major manufacturers’ engineer obsessing over the material used on the interior door pull of an economy car, simply to make it “feel right” instead of saving a few fractions of a cent with lifeless material we, as such tactile beings, feel and recognize the moment we find ourselves in the cockpit - to the amateur mechanic building their dream car in a dusty back alley garage without the need to share it with a single, solitary soul. The beauty is found in the breadth of those involved in making cars and admiring cars - there is simply so much to be appreciated. 

  Alas, there is one man in particular who I recently stumbled across as a result of my interest in Laurance Yap's career (a fantastic journalist-turned-Porsche-marketer who is now with RM Auctions). This gentleman is Rob Myers, the founder of RM Auctions. RM began in 1976 by Rob…in Blenheim Ontario, Canada, of all places. RM is one of the most prestigious auction and restoration houses in the world, and comes from extremely modest beginnings (so modest, in fact, that Rob spent half of his life broke, and left high school in grade 10). Yet, Rob maintains an incredibly low key presence for someone who could clearly behave as ostentatiously as a Hilton. This, I admire him for - well, that and the fact that he named his son, Shelby Myers (also RM’s Managing Director of their California Division), after the one and only Carroll Shelby himself. That’s steeped passion in cars if you ask me. 

   With all of that said, I highly recommend the interview from The Globe and Mail, who had a chance to spend some time with him (which I am hoping to do sooner than later, for a one-on-one interview…fingers crossed) - its really worth a read. 

  Article credit to Globe and Mail