Custom car company owner Tom Martin has watched many an auction in which a custom vehicle donated to benefit disabled veterans was bid for at a price outside of his means. “Each time, I watched and would say, ‘I wish I could do that,” he says.

Martin, the son of a World War II paratrooper, has long had a heart for the military. So in January 2016, as he watched a custom Jeep Wrangler pass across the signature red carpet at the Mecum Auction in Kissimmee, Fla., he knew it was his turn to bid. “This year, everything lined up where I had the funds available, and this particular vehicle really caught my eye,” Martin says. “It’s a win in so many ways because purchasing it helped the veterans. I can also display it at my business, play around in it with my 14-year-old twins and take it to my shows to bring awareness to the cause.”

The 2014 Jeep Wrangler customized with a carbon fiber dash and vehicle wrap and 38-inch Falken Wild Peak tires was donated by Jim Rydell and Matt Halbur.

Nearly all of the proceeds from the $66,000 sale of the Jeep at Mecum benefited Paralyzed Veterans of America, a 70-year veterans service organization dedicated to veterans service, medical research and civil rights for people with disabilities. “With all our veterans have sacrificed, the least we can do is give back to them and help their rehabilitation,” said Halbur, general manager of Rydell Auto, of himself and his father-in-law, Jim Rydell. “I wasn’t a veteran nor was my father-in-law, so that is what draws us to help veterans because they’ve fought in our place.”

Rydell and Halbur, who collectively have more than 40 years in the car business, have long contributed to local and national organizations supporting veterans and people with disabilities including the Honor Flight Network and Waverly, Iowa-based Retrieving Freedom so stepping up to donate the Jeep to Paralyzed Veterans of America was a natural fit, Halbur said. “It was mostly Paralyzed Veterans of America and the veterans who had the input on the design,” Halbur said. “Outside of donating the Jeep, we had little involvement in it until the end, which was fun because it was a big surprise. For us, it meant a lot more to have the veterans call all of the shots on the design.”

Jeep owner Martin a former professional hot rod driver who owns and operates Classy Chassis Trucks and Auto Body in Valparaiso, Ind. was drawn to the Jeep’s design and customization with accessories he personally offers and sells at his business. Aside from putting the Classy Chassis logo on the door as well as Weather Tech floor liners and tactical custom seat covers Martin intends to keep the Jeep as is and leverage his ownership of it to continue raising money for Paralyzed Veterans of America. “It’s hard to describe the feeling I had when I bought the Jeep, but I did it in honor of my father,” Martin says. “It’s a great cause, and we’re going to try to raise even more money for the veterans with the Jeep if we can.”

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tommartin@classychassistrucks.com