UT-Austin Hosts Vintage Car Show

AUSTIN, TX — The University of Texas at Austin is scheduled a vintage car show in front of Gregory Gymnasium on Tuesday, showcasing Shelbys, Cobras and Ford GT40s from the collection of UT benefactor Gary L. Thomas and other Central Texas owners.

Thomas is donating a portion of his car collection to the university as part of a $25M commitment to benefit the construction of the new Gary L. Thomas Energy Engineering Building.

When: 1:45-6:15 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 5. Car procession down Speedway starts at 2 p.m.

Where: Gregory Gym Plaza, 2101 Speedway.

Background

Thomas organized the on-campus car show to give students the opportunity to see up close a collection of vehicles that in his words “reflect the spirit of American engineering ingenuity.”
UT Austin officially named its newest engineering building the Gary L. Thomas Energy Engineering Building in honor of Thomas, alumnus and former president of EOG Resources. Thomas has one of the largest private collections of Ford cars, including 50 Shelbys – at least one of every model, and seven Cobras and GTs. He is donating part of his collection to the university for the 184,000-square-foot facility’s construction.

Related story: UT-Austin Alumnus Donation Spurs Engineering Building Work

Following the show, UT and 20th Century Fox are hosting an advance screening for students of the film "Ford v Ferrari" starring Academy Award-winners Matt Damon and Christian Bale. The movie is based on the true story of the visionary American car designer Carroll Shelby (Damon) and the driver Ken Miles (Bale), who build a revolutionary race car for Ford and take on the dominating cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1966.