Lloyd Ganton loves automobiles. When he was a teenager he saved money and purchased his first car, a 1950 Chevy. What was your first car? He asks everyone!
Lloyd believed in keeping his car clean despite the difficulty of living on a dirt road. To pay for gas and upkeep, he spent his spare time and summers helping his dad plaster.
After graduating from Spring Arbor College and settling down in the Spring Arbor area, he found a car made in Jackson, Michigan. This sparked his interest in the Jackson automobile manufacturing industry. Lloyd’s interest soon became a passion and he began researching and studying it.
In the early years of the automobile industry, Jackson was the largest manufacturer of automobiles in the Mid-West. There were 24 companies that built cars in Jackson. At one time, this industry was the largest employer in Jackson.
In 1974, Lloyd built Ye Ole Carriage Shop, a museum to highlight the great automobile history of the city of Jackson. “Jackson could have been the ‘Detroit’ of Michigan” said Lloyd.
Lloyd loves and collects all autos, but one of his main objectives is to obtain every Jackson made automobile. Ye Ole Carriage Shop houses 18 Jackson-made autos. There are six autos that it does not have; three of which are extinct and three which cannot be purchased. He has been collecting them for 45 years and will continue!
Friends and acquaintances from all over will send information and leads for Jackson-made cars. The longest trip to obtain a car was to Alberta, Canada.
Lloyd continues to attend the International Antique Auto Show in Hershey, PA., where there are many resources for cars including parts available for restoration. He has been doing this for 45 years.
Restoration is an important aspect of Ye Ole Carriage shop. Lloyd owns a restoration shop across the street from the museum where he and mechanics work on cars. He tries to keep all his cars in running condition.
His wife, Judi, assists in helping him plan and implement specials events and tours in the museum. She helps in acquiring memorabilia, researching, and organizing displays.
