Wheels of dreams
No toying around, this car collection is for keeps By Jason Brady
W
Above and top | What began as a few toys in 1951 has blossomed into a true passion. Fayetteville builder Buzz Loyd has created
a collection some 500 cars strong – and still counting.
52|Special Issue • 2009
hen Fayetteville developer Buzz Loyd takes one of his favorite cars out on a sunny Sunday
afternoon, he doesn’t use gas, leave a carbon footprint or emit an iota of carbon monoxide. In fact, it’s likely these sedans, coupes, convertibles, pickup trucks and limousines will never leave the house. Loyd is the proud owner of more
than 500 scale model cars, some of bygone years, others that are still on the American scene. In the vernacular of the car dealerships, they are referred to as “promos.” “They started out in dealer showrooms to show the colors that were
available for that year,” Loyd said. “They became so popular, dealers would start ordering them and they would come to the dealership in crates.” Loyd started collecting models on
Christmas morning of 1951, when at age 7 he found his first three cars under the tree: a 1951 Ford, a 1951 Pontiac, and the venerable 1951 Studebaker. His early models were toys. “I played with them when I was a child; they were not ‘touch- me-nots.’ I became more fascinated with them as time went by.” Fayetteville car dealerships in the
1950s and ‘60s were concentrated downtown. There was Lafayette Ford on Russell Street along with M&O Chevrolet (now Reed Lallier), Yarborough Motors and – within a stone’s throw – the Oldsmobile dealership. Loyd knew and
