Fire Injuries Take Long-Time Auto Journalist/Car Collector
by Walter R. Haessner
Sacramento, Calif., January 25, 2004: William L. Finefrock died at 5:15 PM
of injuries sustained in a garage fire Thursday night, January 22. At home
when he smelled smoke coming from the garage, Bill opened the garage to
find a fire which engulfed him. He ran to his neighbor next door, Doug
Chandler, who put the fire out and called 911. Bill was airlifted from his
home in Auburn, California to the very highly regarded Burn Unit at Univ.
of Calif. Davis, in Sacramento. Burns covered his back, face and head. His
lungs became infected from the burns, and his body gradually failed. Friend
and business associate John Sweeney spent much time with Bill and kept us
informed of his condition until the end while close friend and neighbor
Carl Thornton handled insurance and personal details.
Well-known as an auto journalist in the 1960s through the mid '80s,
particularly for his involvement with Competition Press and AutoWeek (now
AutoWeek, part of Crain Communications), Finefrock devoted most of the past
20 years to his car collector activities, including displays at the San
Francisco Auto Show and as proprietor of the Reno Swap Meet. An avid
historian, he was frequently called upon by today's auto writers as a prime
resource.
Highly respected by many throughout the automotive world, Bill will be
missed for his cheerful, easy-going manner, joie de vivre,
professionally-produced productions, and willingness to share his knowledge
and love of the automobile.
Bill was born November 8, 1930 in Alliance, Ohio. In his early childhood he
moved with his mother, Kay (Kathleen) Matticks and step-father to Port
Angeles, Washington, where he subsequently graduated from high school. Bill
returned to Ohio to attend Antioch College in Yellow Springs, graduating
with a B.A. in English/Journalism.
After graduation, he worked as a police reporter for the Cleveland Plain
Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio. August 20, 1953, he entered the U.S. Army and was
assigned to Stars & Stripes, Asian Edition, in Japan. Bill rose to the
grade of Tech Sergeant; he was released from active duty June 2, 1955 and
continued to serve in the Army Reserve.
Upon release from the Army, Bill settled in San Francisco, Calif.,
eventually setting up shop as an advertising/marketing firm known as
Finefrock, Goebel and Bice. Among the firm's accounts were the San
Francisco-area SCCA, for which they did the SCCA event programs; and Qvale
import car distributors.
The company moved more heavily into publishing with the acquisition of a
weekly newspaper from Road & Track magazine. Jim Crow was editor at the
time Competition Press & AutoWeek was purchased. Finefrock, Goebel and Bice
moved to Walnut Creek, Calif., with this new enterprise. Bill was editor;
Russ Goebel was publisher. Bill and Russ bought out Bice's interest, and
eventually Goebel bought out Bill's interest.
While editor of Competition Press and AutoWeek, Bill hired the late Leon
Mandel, who went on to become editor and publisher of what is now AutoWeek.
Always the entrepreneur, Bill took on another publication, Women's Sport.
His editor was Sally Ride, who went on to become a NASA astronaut.
For awhile, Bill published the SCCA's national member magazine, Sports Car.
During this period, circa 1970, he and Walter R Haessner worked together to
publish race programs for the Can-Am, Trans-Am and Continental 5000 SCCA
events nationwide.
Later, Bill tried his hand at general newspaper publishing. He bought a
paper in Dillon, Montana; with a human population of about 200, Bill tried
diligently to teach the 20,000 members of the four-footed population to
read, but to no avail. After a couple of years, he returned to California
to thaw out.
Bill's last publishing involvement was Coast Car Collector, which he
produced for several years in the mid-'80s.
Always a car enthusiast, particularly for sports car racing and antique car
collecting, Bill had numerous involvements in these types of activities.
For several years, Bill participated in the San Francisco Auto Show,
providing cars for the collector car display. During this period he also
put on a number of swap meets in California, and eventually revitalized the
Reno Swap Meet in Reno, Nev., which for years had been run by the late Bill
Harrah. With the commencement of Hot August Nights in Reno, Bill moved the
Reno Swap Meet dates to the same period. Bill personally ran the Reno Swap
Meet until 1998, when he brought in John Sweeney as an associate to do the
actual running of the event.
In 1996 Bill became actively involved with the International Automotive
Media Awards, held first at the Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino and later
at the SEMA Show, both in Las Vegas, Nev. Bill remained active in IAMA
until it relocated to Sardi's in New York City in November, 2002, though he
continued in an advisory capacity through the 2003 event.
Bill's last promotion was the La Conner Festival for collector boats and
cars, held in the Fall of 2003 in La Conner, Wash.
Best known for his editorial, entrepreneurial and collector car interests,
Bill also enjoyed remodeling houses--and bought, remodeled and sold several
quite successfully. One of the first was in Placerville, Calif., where his
mother lived and did business for many years. Others were in Santa Maria,
Calif. (a multi-year, live-in project), and several in the Port
Angeles-Sequim area in the state of Washington.
At the time of his passing, Bill owned four boats, harbored at the marina
in Laconner; and three collector cars: a 1936 Cord convertible, '41
Cadillac convertible and '41 Lincoln convertible. He also owned a '97
Cadillac El Dorado and two pick-up trucks.
Bill's "family" was those three cars and his friends and acquaintances
throughout the auto journalism and collector car arenas. He was a walking
history book on the subject, and always willing to share that knowledge.
Though there is no record of when or why Bill became an autophile, it
appears to have been a life-long passion--one that may have caused his
death. He was in the house when he smelled smoke, and it is thought he
entered the garage to try and save his beloved cars. Bill was not married,
had no children, and has no known heirs.
Therefore, if anyone wishes to make a donation in his name, it is suggested
that donations be made to the Burn Unit, Univ. of Calif. Davis Medical
Center, 2315 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento, Calif. 95817; or to the National
Automotive Museum, Attn: Exec. Dir. Jackie Frady, The Harrah Collection, 10
Lake St. S., Reno, Nev. 89501.
As per his instructions, Bill Finefrock is to be cremated and his remains
taken care of by the Nautical Society. A Celebration of Life is tentatively
scheduled for February 21st at the Yacht Club at the Lake of the Pines,
Auburn, Calif. Those wishing to attend, or to be kept up to date regarding
this, are asked to contact Walter R Haessner at isvp@earthlink.net so your
e-mail address may be added to the register.
