Ashley Thomas gasped and clutched her chest when she realized that she was receiving the Autos of Love car on Thursday afternoon at Auto Experts of Colleyville. Tears flowed – not just from her eyes, but from everyone attending the ceremony — joyous tears of love and caring. A friend, knowing how desperately she needed transportation to drive to work and school, nominated her, realizing that reliable transportation could transform her life. Little did the selection committee know how desperately Thomas needed wheels.
Earlier this year, she had bought a used car from an individual, and within just a few months, the car was no longer running. Such is the risk when purchasing a car without the backing of a car dealership. Her entire payment was worthless. Which made Thursday even more special. She called it an unexpected blessing and an answer to prayer.
Approximately 40 people joined her in celebrating the moment. Among those were community partners who helped solicit nominations, the selection committee, community leaders, and the 10 members of the Auto Experts of Colleyville service center, which created the program.
Dane and Cathy Bailey, owners of Auto Experts of Colleyville, launched the program in 2024 under the leadership of Jerry Maxey, their general manager. He had reached out to customers of the business to ask if anyone would donate a pre-owned car that Auto Experts would refurbish and give away.
The first two cars given away in 2024 were a 2006 and a 2008 Lexus sedan. This year’s car was a 2013 Toyota Prius, donated by Mike Blumberg of Colleyville. He attended the ceremony and beamed with joy as he saw his donation uplift a life.
“Our intent from the start has been to inspire and encourage someone to know that strangers care about them,” said Cathy Bailey. “We wanted to provide the car to the individual who could put it to the greatest use, so helping Ashley be able to drive to work and school and provide safe transportation for her one-year-old son was an ideal choice.”
Dane Bailey added, “There’s a real sense of freedom and purpose when you have the means to travel, and we are committed to solving a real need for someone. When our selection committee read Ashley’s nomination, they knew immediately she was the ideal candidate.” Ashley Thomas received more than the vehicle. She also received one year of free maintenance from Auto Experts of Colleyville. The criteria for receiving the Toyota Prius were fourfold. The recipient must be a Tarrant County resident, hold a valid Texas driver’s license, not currently own a reliable vehicle, and must be able to pay for car insurance. The program has caught on with suppliers. The Baileys paid for all parts for the two Lexus vehicles, but when their suppliers discovered their generosity, the suppliers either donated parts or sold parts at cost.
Where does the Autos of Love program go from here? “To begin with, we will continue to refurbish and give away cars that are donated to us,” says Cathy Bailey. “We also hope that other independent repair shops will be inspired to duplicate what we’re doing.”
“While we have given away three cars so far, we hope to receive more donated cars,” says Dane Bailey.” We aim to give away several cars each year and uplift lives, and our only limitation is the number of vehicles we receive. We appreciate the support of local nonprofits that nominated candidates, and we are grateful for our partnership with the Colleyville Chamber of Commerce, which sent a lot of eblasts out to bring awareness to Autos of Love.”
Anyone who would like to donate a car to a deserving recipient or donate to help underwrite the costs of the refurbishment may visit www.autosoflove.org. There is no cost to apply or nominate a potential recipient.
About Autos of Love (www.autosoflove.org): Autos of Love was established by Dane and Cathy Bailey, the owners of Auto Experts of Colleyville, in the spring of 2024. Their independent service center has served the Colleyville area since 2013. Inspired by friends in California who created their own version of the program, the Bailey family leads a team of 13, plus their Client Liaison Specialist, their dog Sophie.
