Tom Long
President
GMP

Collecting diecast farm tractors and NASCAR transporters, Tom Long wasn't thinking of making money on his casual hobby. Until he decided to give it a try with Ertl re-paints. And that got him thinking about transporters. With not even a photograph to show, he advertised for $20 deposits on his transporter model. Lo and behold, collectors gave him his seed capital.

And then he launched the first of their own molds, Vintage Sprints. That's when customers started calling him to confess how much these models meant to them. Hundreds of models later, GMP still retains a flamboyance and sense of adventure from their early days.

We appreciate the originality Tom has brought to the hobby. From the spirited and inventive versioning of basic images to the playful culture of Pork Chop to the saucy diorama girls. What a hot rodder does when a hot rodder starts a company!