About Spence & Frye GM Specialist of Pasadena, CA

Meet the business owner

A Pasadena story. Art’s journey.

I grew up in the San Gabriel area, graduating from Rosemead High in 1975, then moving on to Pasadena City College where I earned an A.A. degree in automotive technology as well as a welding certificate.

Thereafter, I was recruited by Spence and Frye Co. in the summer of 1977 as a technician to work for just the summer since I was already enrolled at Cal State Los Angeles for the fall to pursue an industrial arts teaching credential.

That September, the owners asked me if I would be interested in managing the shop, employees, and operations with a substantial salary increase. Needless to say, I agreed at the young age of nineteen.

Two years later, in 1979, they approached me with a contract to purchase the business, which I agreed to.

As the business owner, I am a firm believer in having knowledge, the latest information, and the right tools, which will allow you to succeed in this industry. This is what I convey to all my employees in order for us to continue to have success.

The original Spence and Frye started in the mid-1940s, run by two individuals that specialized in repairing Cadillacs until 1979.
I purchased the business in 1979 after working for them for two years at our current location. Afterward, I expanded the business to repairing all General Motors vehicles since they are similar and I had received training at the General Motors training center in Burbank.

Since then, ACDelco has been providing us with training to remain current on new technologies for repairing vehicles.

Today, we have an established clientele in the Pasadena area and are always welcoming new customers that are looking for an independent repair facility offering an alternative to dealership service. We also provide maintenance on import vehicles, as many of our customers own them as well and have asked us to repair them.