Former Auroran is all about classic cars, charities
Regular attendees at local car shows will no doubt recognize the voice of Danny Oberg. The former Auroran has made a name for himself as the voice of those shows and through his business, Knucklehead Garage, he is supporting the ever-growing car community built around shows and is also helping fund local charities.
Oberg says the interest in classic cars has skyrocketed since he was a teenager.
“I don’t know if we knew back in the 60s how big it would be in the 2000s, but cars were just a really big thing then,” he said.
Oberg’s passion for cars began in those early years when he growing up in Aurora with his parents, Jack and Bethel (Strotman) Kolar and stepfather, Robert Kolar. (He also has several siblings and other relatives, some of whom still live in Aurora today.)
“I fell in love with cars and started learning the different body styles and manufacturers and things like that,” he explained. “And there’s no one in the family who really has that passion about cars. It’s just something that happened probably because of the timeframe that I grew up in and the people that I was with as I became older.”
Oberg spent several years of his childhood moving from place to place with his family, but came back to Nebraska a year before graduating from Grand Island Senior High School in 1972.
In the years since he has become a familiar face in the local car community. Much of that notariety came from previously owning car businesses such as AutoWorld and Auto Outlet and “selling old and antique cars before it became the phenomenon it is today.”
“There are people from the 80s and 90s that remember me having these old classic cars that are having them for sale,” he commented.
“I’ve been in a few different car clubs and helped them promote events,” he said. “Then I decided, probably 15 years ago that it would be a good avenue to start raising money for different charities. That started at the Fonner Park Car Show. I worked with Bruce Swihart at Fonner Park and started doing some fundraising in April every year.”
In order to build a brand identity that would support charities and local events beyond Fonner Park, Oberg founded Knucklehead Garage in 2020.
“When I created Knucklehead Garage, not only I was promoting myself, but I’m also promoting everything else,” he said. “That kind of took off a whole lot bigger than I ever thought it would. I thought it’d be some people with some attention, but it’s almost a full time job at this point.”
Oberg said the name “Knucklehead Garage” originates from an old comedy routine performed by the Three Stooges.
“I think the reason I came up with that, I’ve heard the name elsewhere, but I was talking to somebody and I go, ‘I think I’m going to call it Knucklehead Garage’”, Oberg recounted. “He goes, ‘That sounds like a couple idiots that have no idea what they’re doing,’ and I go ‘Exactly.’”
Humorous name or not, the business has become prominent in the Nebraska car show community, which Oberg credited for the business’s growing success.
“I’ve learned to be successful in anything you have to immerse yourself in what you’re doing,” Oberg said. “This one thing that excites me is years ago, I started making T-shirts with Knucklehead Garage on them and in the 40 shows I went to last year, every show I attended, there was at least one person wearing the Knucklehead Garage T-shirt.”
Oberg said he enjoys being involved in car events because they bring people together to support others within their own community.
“I just think that the car community (is) a very generous community if there’s a good cause,” Oberg said.
He said his biggest fundraiser last year was for Habitat for Humanity and brought in just under $30,000.
Returning for a second year to help out at the Giltner Daze Car Show , said along with admiring the car community’s generosity, he also enjoys small town kindness from communities like Giltner which have given him the drive to continue his business.
“When I go to a place like Giltner, a place like Henderson, Central City, Stromsburg, it’s always the same,” Oberg said. “The small town feel in the Midwest, it’s just something that warms your heart and it makes you glad you’re there. There are days I get somewhere and I go, ‘Man, I wish I didn’t have to do this today,’ but by the end of the day I’m like, ‘Man, I’m glad I was here.’”
In addition to Knucklehead Garage, Oberg also operates Oberg Properties in Grand Island and is an active member of the First Presbyterian Church where he sings in the praise band.
“It’s a bucket list thing,” he commented. I have never really been in a band, so I like to aspire to maybe do something like that musically.”
Oberg is married to his wife, Julina, who is currently working on getting her visa from the Philippines.
Having found career by pursuing his lifelong passion, Oberg shares his optimism for others to find ways to discover their dreams.
“I think we’ve all been blessed with a gift and a talent that we’re passionate about,” Oberg commented. “I would like to inspire people to discover that piece and I’m positive and optimistic. I have a saying from a friend, ‘Every day is a good day, some are better than others.’”
For information on upcoming car shows that Knucklehead Garage will be hosting or making an appearance at, check out the Knucklehead Garage Facebook page.