My name is Jonathan Thomas Burkard. I am widely known in the
automotive circle by my initials JT. I feel it is important
not to only trust who you are purchasing your special vehicle
from, but also get to know who they really are. I have been
a car guy my entire life and even my first word was "CAR".
Right from birth my obsession started but I have a feeling it
was a culmination of factors that follow that made me who I
am today. The first 6 years of my life I lived only a half mile
from Englishtown Raceway Park drag strip. I remember hearing
the roar of the cars on the weekend as I sat in my kiddie pool
in the back yard. The next piece of the puzzle was my parents
purchasing a 1975 Datsun 280Z in 1977. It was my first taste
of a what a true sports car was, even though I was only 5 at
the time. With movies like Smokey and the Bandit and the TV
shows like Dukes of Hazzard and Knight Rider, the love was only
being reinforced. In 1984 my father purchased a Porsche 944.
I was 12 and very impressionable. I remember the salesman taking
my mother and I on a test drive at over 100 mph on the back
roads. She was not thrilled about this but I was. That's the
crucial moment when I became a fan of German cars, especially
Porsches. Like many teenage boys, my bedroom walls were covered
with pictures of cars and lots of car magazines on my shelf.
I remember when I was 15 on vacation with family my mother said
she would give me $20 if I wouldn't talk cars for a full 24
hours. I didn't make it 4.
When I got my license at 17, my first car was the very
same 1975 280Z my parents purchased in 1977. I drove that car
for about 6 months and then the muscle car bug hit me. I looked
for a 1964.5 - 1966 Mustang coupe for months but eventually
I sold the Z to purchase a 1980 Firebird Formula, February 22,
1990, which I still own to this day. I got a job at a gas station,
then as a entry level mechanic at a local shop. I then went
to work a Honda dealership followed by Firestone as a General
Service tech. My next move was to get a job in towing, which
I enjoyed. I purchased my first wrecker in 1997. Meanwhile between
all these jobs I was buying and selling 77-81 Firebird and Trans
Am parts and cars under the name JT's Restoration Services.
I developed an excellent worldwide reputation for myself. In
2000 I landed my dream job. The one I was preparring for my
entire life. I was selling at one of the top classic car dealerships
in the country. For 15 years I went from Sales to Internet Sales
Manager to Director of Operations. When the owner retired, I
took my excellent reputation and formed Jonathan Thomas Motorcars
at the end of 2015.
As an enthusiast, I have the same infliction as you with the
need to own and collect vehicles. The most important vehicle
in my personal fleet is my 1980 Firebird Formula which was my
High School car. In addition to this, I have a 1977 BMW 320i
(e21), a 1986 Alfa Romeo Spider Graduate, my wifes 1990 Ford
Mustang GT which she bought new and is the original owner of,
1993 Mercedes 190e 2.6L and 1987 Chevy R30 Rollback. I am also
a motorcycle enthusiast with a 1975 Honda Z50 which I got when
I was 12 years old, 1976 Harley SS175, 1981 Honda CB900c, 1989
Suzuki Katana 750, and 2006 Honda VTX 1300c. I feel a diverse
collection is the right collection.
I have proudly worked with productions companies to provide
vehicles for TV, Movie and Commercials. For example my personal
1977 320i was in the film Blue Collar Boys. Some notable mentions:
Saturday Night Live, 48 Hours, and a Cialis Commercial to name
a few. I am fortunate to have well known rock stars and athletes
as clients. Many have become good friends.
I am also an independent automotive journalist with a monthly
newsletter column in the NJ BMW CCA chapters publication. I
write two blogs, one focusing on cars and the car business,
the other is focused on classic trucks I own and the story behind
my journey into the world of antique trucks and restoration.
I look forward to working with you to find the car of your dreams
and remember, it's not a collection if you only have one.
~
JT Burkard ~
President
Jonathan Thomas Motorscars LLC.
