Bart’s automotive and towing

Auto mechanic Bart Hickey has been obsessed with cars since he was a child, but he’s never been able to see one.

He was born two months prematurely and only weight slightly over three pounds.

His underdeveloped lungs were unable to provide enough oxygen to his body, causing severe vision impairment.

Despite not being able appreciate the visual aesthetics of cars, he was able to read about them in the Braille edition of Popular Mechanics, and learned how to work on them from his father, who was a mechanic.

Unfortunately, Bart’s father died when he was just 11-years-old, and he had to learn how to fix his mother’s lemon of a 1969 Impala to help her avoid costly repeated trips to the dealership.

Bart helped put with the household bills by doing basic vehicle maintenance for others, which only helped fuel his passion for cars further.

He eventually turned his pastime into a career when he bought Bart’s Automotive and Towing, or BAAT, which his family joking refers to as “Blind As A Bat.”

The business became a family affair, with his mother and brother helping launch the shop in 1993, and his son Brendon eventually decided to work by his side, just like Bart had with his father decades before.