PHILADELPHIA – In honor of its 90th anniversary, Pep Boys was featured on an episode of HISTORY’s hit series, American Restoration. The episode, titled “Tall Order,” shows host Rick Dale restoring a special 80-year-old fiberglass and plaster marquee statue of founders Manny, Moe & Jack that once stood atop a Pep Boys store dating as far back as the 1930s.
Pep Boys Executive Vice President of Merchandising and Marketing Scott Webb delivered the statues to Rick Dale and his team in the fall of 2011. After an intensive restoration, Dale and his team at Rick’s Restorations in Las Vegas presented the refurbished statue to Webb as part of the episode.
This is the first time a commercial piece has been featured on the HISTORY series. After Pep Boys learned that Rick Dale had been a customer of Pep Boys since he was 12 years old, the company was thrilled by the opportunity to work directly with American Restoration and HISTORY.
When approached, Rick was also excited to undertake the restoration job, noting the first time he visited a Pep Boys was when he bought a can of spray paint to modify his childhood bicycle.
“Rick Dale and his team did an amazing job with the Boys,” said Webb. “To see the statues go from the faded, weather-beaten and damaged items to the like-new condition they’re in today is simply amazing. American Restoration provided us with a one-of-a-kind museum piece that the Petersen Automotive Museum and its visitors can enjoy for years to come.”
Following the episode, the Manny, Moe & Jack statues will finish their 90th anniversary trip across country to Los Angeles, Calif., where they are to reside as a donation from Pep Boys to the permanent collection of the Petersen Automotive Museum.
“The Petersen is thrilled to be the recipient of such an incredible piece of automobilia and automotive art,” said Buddy Pepp, the Petersen Automotive Museum’s executive director. “Southern California is one of Pep Boys’ largest markets, they are synonymous with automotive parts and service here. We’re proud to display these statues so enthusiasts can enjoy them for decades to come.”
American Restoration airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on HISTORY. Viewers should check local listings for specific dates and times for encores of the “Tall Order” episode.
In addition to being featured on American Restoration and inducted into the permanent collection of the Petersen Automotive Museum, Pep Boys also celebrated its 90th anniversary with a number of other hallmarks. Notable 90th anniversary events included ringing the closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange and induction to the Route 66 Cruisin’ Hall of Fame in San Bernardino, Calif. The company is also in the process of donating a series of collectible memorabilia to the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C.
