2020 Nicola Bulgari Award

Presented to Bill Parfet

Bill Parfet is an almost life-long collector car enthusiast. When his grandfather founded the Gilmore Car Museum, Bill was 15 years old. Just about every summer, he would spend hanging around where his grandfather and his friends were restoring old cars. As Bill got older, his grandfather would let him drive the vehicles around town while in the so-called “junker” stage.  From such memories evolved an enthusiasm for collecting old cars that today mirrors the passion of his grandfather.  

As an economics major at Lake Forest College in Illinois, where he enrolled in 1967, Bill Parfet did a bit of prep-schooling himself in the economics of older cars. He’d search want ads for some likely prospects, arrange to have them restored, and sell the refurbished models for a profit. His first fix-up project was a 10-year-old Mercedes, but he soon zeroed in on “exotic” cars.

Bill’s fondness now extends to what could be grouped under the heading of what “The Great Gatsby” would drive, classics such as Cords and Duesenberg’s from the 1920s and 30s. Brass and gas cars from the second decade of the 20th century are also amongst Bill’s favorites because they trace the origins of the automobile and its impact on American society.  

Parfet is a frequent visitor and participant at car extravaganzas that attract thousands of onlookers. Many times he is called upon to judge or auctioneer.  As for Bill’s personal favorite, “Whichever car I happen to be driving at the time.”