Secrets of the Barn Find Hunter
Harold Osmer reviews the book
The name Tom Cotter and the term "BARN FIND" have long been seared into the psyche of every red-blooded (young or old) old car nut.
By Doug Stokes & Harold Osmer
Thu, Feb 22, 2024 01:57 AM PST
Tom Cotter is the Vasco Da Gama of the old car world, with some sort of magic/magnetic powers that lead him to old cars far more often than any average mortal out there.
Here's a bit more from the agency that represents him:
Tom Cotter had long been involved in nearly every facet of the automotive and racing industries before writing his first book. From mechanic and auto salesman to heading the public relations department at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Cotter formed his own racing and automotive PR and marketing agency, Cotter Group.
That agency represented some of the largest clients in NASCAR, IndyCar/CART, drag racing, and road racing. He has written biographies of the legendary Holman-Moody race team, Tommy Ivo and Dean Jeffries, but is best known for his series of barn find books, such as Cobra in the Barn, 50 Shades of Rust and Barn Find Road Trip.
Cotter also appears in the Barn Find Hunter video series, which is distributed by Hagerty. He teaches public relations at Belmont Abbey College, sits on the advisory board of the McPherson College Auto Restoration program, and is a member of the prestigious Road Racing Driver's Club. He lives in Davidson, North Carolina.
(-Whew!)
Here's just a partial list of some of this remarkable author's "Barn Books":
The Hemi in the Barn
The Cobra in the Barn
The Vincent in the Barn
Route 66 Barn Find Road Trip
The Corvette in the Barn
The Harley in the Barn
Motor City Barn Finds
Barn Find Bonanza
Secrets of the Barn Find
50 Shades of Rust (+ any that he might have written whilst this list was being compiled...)
Harold Osmer's Video Review
AND: YOU CAN GET ALL OF THESE BOOKS (AND MORE) AT LOS ANGELES' OWN AUTOBOOKS IN BURBANK, CALIFORNIA
About The Authors
Doug has a long and wide-ranging history in the motoring business. He served five years as the Executive Director of the International Kart Federation, and was the PR guy for the Mickey Thompson's Off-Road Championship Gran Prix. He worked racing PR for both Honda and Suzuki and was a senior PR person on the first Los Angeles (Vintage) Grand Prix. He was also the first PR Manager for Perris Auto Speedway, and spent over 20 years as the VP of Communications at Irwindale Speedway. Stokes is the recipient of the American Autowriters and Broadcaster’s 2005 Chapman Award for Excellence in Public Relations and was honored in 2015 by the Motor Press Guild with their Dean Batchelor Lifetime Achievement Award. “… I’ve also been reviewing automobiles and books for over 20 years, and really enjoy my LA Car assignments.” he added.
Together with
Harold Osmer works as a writer as well as a publisher in whatever spare time he can find. He’s authored award-winning books about auto racing in Los Angeles, has a Masters degree in geography, and holds a black belt in karate. He’s a regular at local car shows and race venues where he’s often seen setting up a table and selling books. His show ride is a 1951 Chevy pickup, dressed to emulate a Spec truck, complete with graphics, numbers, and sponsor decals.
