Patterson Auto originated in Bellingham, Washington in the mid 1930’s. Great Uncle Thorp, originally a cabinetmaker by trade began specializing in automobiles. Once in the auto trade he began doing body and paintwork.
In the 1940’s Kevin’s granddad Perry Patterson and his brother Bill got an apprenticeship from Uncle Thorp, working under him until they made journeymen. Bill opened Patterson Auto Body, and Perry had Patterson Auto Paint Shop. These two worked for many years as partners. Perry was known for his glass lacquer paint jobs, had cars brought to him from as far as Seattle, and this was all before the freeway came to town!
Gary Patterson, Kevin’s father and Perry’s oldest son, kept the tradition alive. Working out of a shop behind his home painting quality lacquer jobs in his spare time until Kevin graduated Auto Body Tech School. Gary grew up around the business and helped with body and paintwork since childhood. His passion is cars; he and a few buddies started a car club named Whatcom County Cruising Association, W.C.C.A. Gary always took Kevin to car shows when he was little. Even at a young age Kevin would critique the body and paintwork…he had the Patterson eye.
In Tech School Kevin got a job working for an airbrush artist, painting Custom motorcycles. He had a lot of custom paintwork experience by the age of 18. Once Kevin graduated Tech school, he went to work for a collision shop in town. He was unimpressed with that type of work. Therefore, Kevin decided to go back to Tech school and study computer networking. To pay for his school, he took in restorations at his fathers shop. He found himself dreaming of his restoration project throughout the day. Everything fell into place once he realized that restoring cars was his true passion.
Kevin’s specialty is making a bodyline arrow strait and turning a body panel into a mirror finish. He has spent a lot of time with a paint gun in hand, and continues to impress even his biggest critic and best friend, his wife.
Patterson Auto Paint shop was reopened in 2000, keeping the tradition alive. Kevin and his wife Melissa, operate out of a shop on their property in Bellingham, Washington. We are in our early thirties now adn are very ambitious and look foreword to producing first class work for many years to come.
