When Harold Coker opened Coker Tire Company in 1958, he was hopeful that his business would succeed. Few could have imagined what that business would eventually become. On Sunday November 16, Harold Coker passed away, leaving behind a loving family, countless friends and a remarkable legacy.
Harold Coker was a pioneer in the automotive aftermarket, seeking out molds for obsolete tires and licensing them, virtually creating the collector vehicle tire industry in the process of simply trying to provide authentic tires for antique automobile collectors. Coker Tire Company, the business he started more than 55 years ago, continues to thrive as the world’s largest supplier of tires and wheels for collector vehicles. Harold’s son Corky Coker serves as CEO of the company.
Since his retirement in 2004, Harold has spent his days with his wife Lillian and growing family of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Coker’s contributions to the industry gained him a place in the prestigious Tire Industry Association Hall of Fame just two weeks prior to his passing.
