© 2024 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Auto Shop Spans Generations

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-893461.mp3

Kansas City, Mo. – Last month on KC Currents, Wesley Lona talked about his life and history in Kansas City, just after he turned 100 years old. Lona was a mechanic, and founded an automotive business on the Westside more than 65 years ago.

After we aired this interview with Wesley Lona, Susan became curious about visiting the next generation of his automotive shop.

Wesley Lona's grandsons were crazy about "lowriders," and have brought some new ideas to the car business. The Lona's now transform ordinary cars into attention-grabbing showpieces, using special paint, hydraulics, over-sized wheels and custom upholstery.

KCUR's Susan B. Wilson stopped by the shop on Southwest Boulevard, where the lot was full of old Impalas and Cutlass's, each waiting its turn. She spoke to Wesley Lona's son Charles and grandsons Tim and Chris Lona, who all work together in the family business Lona and Sons Automotive on Southwest Boulevard.

This story was produced for KC Currents. To listen on your own schedule, subscribe to the KC Currents Podcast.

A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Susan admits that her “first love” was radio, being an avid listener since childhood. However, she spent much of her career in mental health, healthcare administration, and sports psychology (Susan holds a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Bloch School of Business at UMKC.) In the meantime, Wilson satisfied her journalistic cravings by doing public speaking, providing “expert” interviews for local television, and being a guest commentator/contributor to KPRS’s morning drive time show and the teen talk show “Generation Rap.”
KCUR serves the Kansas City region with breaking news and award-winning podcasts.
Your donation helps keep nonprofit journalism free and available for everyone.