KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — For around 40 years, Ron's Import Auto Parts has helped people find accessories and essential components for their imported cars. The business grew to become a well-known venue among a tight-knit community of Volkswagon enthusiasts.
On Friday, Ron Kirby said goodbye to the customers and clients he's helped over the years, as the business shut its doors for the last time. Cars lined up in the parking lot so their drivers could say goodbye to a place they loved.
"Everybody becomes a friend, not just a customer or a client type of thing," said Kirby. "The next chapter hasn't been written yet and I really don't know which direction I'm going to go. I plan to be back on my feet, per se."
He said he first opened the shop when he was just a "little more than a kid," and when it opened he didn't expect it would grow into a business.
"The customers made it a serious type of thing. I mean, it got to the point where you couldn't turn away from it. It got bigger than you couldn't imagine. And like I said, you can't find this type of group of people, and I'm talking about all the customers I've had over the years," he said. "Once you got in, you couldn't get out."
He said he especially loved working with Volkswagon cars because he enjoyed working with the systems behind them.
"This is something that I don't want to do. If I had my druthers, I'd still be turning this key every morning, coming in and doing my thing. You have to understand, it's not like I want to get away from this," he said.
The business' closure was also marked by a tinge of grief. Ron's wife died after a house fire around a year ago, and he had life-threatening injuries. His wife, Rebecca Kirby, was 76 years old. He was treated at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
"He cared for everybody, wanted to help everybody that he could, and he still today would help anyone with anything. Anything you need, you could call him and get it," said one person who went to say goodbye to the business on Friday.