Counterman’s “Guess the Car” contest challenges our readers to solve an automotive riddle, for a chance to win $100. And each month, we receive hundreds of responses from aftermarket professionals trying to guess the model of the vehicle depicted.
The correct answer for the October/November contest is the AMC Javelin. The winner is George Widmer IV, an ASE P2-certified parts pro at Parts Authority.
Now, let’s get to know the “Guess the Car” champion.
CM: How long have you been working in the auto parts business?
GW: Since 2001. I started off as a stock clerk my junior year of high school and I worked my way up from there.
CM: What do you like most about your job?
GW: The interaction with customers. Building a relationship with our regular customers and dealing with the general public.
CM: What’s the strangest question a customer has asked you?
GW: I had a customer asking for the Firebird emblem for a ‘77 Trans Am. He was restoring it, and [the emblem] was old and it was peeling off. He just happened to call us up. I told him we didn’t have anything like that here, but I’ll see if I can get one. I outsourced one and got it for him. He’s been a customer ever since for the last three years.
CM: What’s the coolest car you’ve ever owned or worked on?
GW: My dad was a technician for a Pontiac dealer for 30 years. I would say the coolest car I’ve ever owned was my first vehicle, which was a 1986 Chevy S-10 pickup that we customized. We lowered it, painted it, put 18-inch wheels on it, added a custom stereo, and it was all done by me and him. It was a father-son bonding kind of thing that was really special.
CM: Do you have any interesting hobbies? What do you do for fun?
GW: I’m a big video gamer, and I collect model cars and model trains. I’m a devoted fan of NHRA; I’ve been to eight different tracks and I’m looking forward to attending a ninth track in 2023. I’m also a world history and football/soccer reader.
CM: What’s your dream car?
GW: We’ll go with my top two. The first one would be a 1971 Pontiac Trans Am in cameo white. The second one would be a 1956 Porsche Speedster in polyantha red; that’s an extremely rare color. The Pontiac was because my dad worked at a Pontiac dealership, and I’ve always had an interest in air-cooled Porches and Volkswagens.
