Bill Grams, co-founder of the Volo Auto Museum, died Tuesday at age 77.
The longtime Volo resident died of a heart attack at Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington after battling cancer, according to a news release.
Grams was part of a family that put Volo on the map and in the national spotlight, with crowds from near and far visiting the 35-acre attraction annually to see hundreds of collector vehicles for sale and on display, including original cars from movies, like the Batmobile, and iconic TV shows, as well as muscle cars.
In 2017, the History Channel began to air the “Volo House of Cars” TV show, which focused on the Grams family’s tales of rare-vehicle finds.
The Volo Museum idea was a seed planted when Grams and his brother Greg began to work on old cars as a hobby and then sold one for $25,000.
Bill Gram’s father, William, purchased the property on Routes 12 and 120 in 1960 and opened a junk and antique resale shop that later included the auto museum — now a staple in the classic car community.
The Volo Auto Museum is still a family-run business with three generations involved, including its co-founder Greg Grams, Greg’s wife, Myra, and their sons, Brian and Jay Grams.
Bill Gram’s wife, Carolyn, and their daughter Lisa Santiago, manage the Antique Malls side of the family business.
“The car industry is a little less full without him,” Brian Grams said. “He was very well-known and liked by the car community, very much a staple in the collector car world.”
Bill Grams was married for 56 years to his wife, Carolyn, according to the release.
– Original Credit: News-Sun
In recent decades, Bill Grams ran the Antique Malls side of the business, as well as shepherding the pre-war car collection, including Fords, Croswells, Packards and more, from the 1920s and ’30s.
“Something will be missing without him,” Jay Grams said. “We’ll try really hard to make him proud.”
Among Bill Grams’ more recent passions was modifying old Fords, Jay Grams said in the release. “I’m sure we’ll keep one of those on display at the museum as a dedication to him.”
More Top Picks Ratings
The Volo Auto Museum has been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the museum website, there is a reopening planned for June 1.
Along with Bill Grams’ brother, Greg, daughter, Lisa, and nephews, Brian (Lesa) Grams and Jay (Kandie) Grams, he is survived by his wife, Carolyn, his son-in-law, Keith Santiago, a sister-in-law, Marilyn Miller, and granddaughter, Mila.
Arrangements are being handled by Hamsher Lakeside Funerals and Cremations in Fox Lake. Services and burial will be private, with a memorial reception planned for a later date.
An earlier version of this story contained a couple of errors that have since been corrected.