SALISBURY — Steve Ohlinger celebrated 42 years last week as a mechanic with a special touch for Volvos, building a wide following among Swedish-car aficionados in the Northwest Corner and beyond.
The Auto Shop sits on a quarter-acre lot behind LaBonne’s on Railroad Street, marked by a row of vintage Volvos parked nose-in along the property.
Ohlinger took over the shop in 1984, the same year a fire destroyed Salisbury Town Hall. He kept the name used by the previous owners.
Ohlinger had moved to town from Yorktown Heights, New York. His wife knew Salisbury a little, and he was familiar with the racetrack at Lime Rock Park, so he responded to an ad in Autoweek.
Little by little, his customer base grew as his wife made connections through the library and church and he joined the church bell choir. It was his first attempt at running a business.
“My father thought I had a lot of nerve,” he said.
“My reputation grew, and business slowly took off, and I’m still in the bell choir,” he said.
For years, Ohlinger used the business to support his interest in auto racing. He competed at Lime Rock Park, winning two events in his class.
Ohlinger is also known for speaking his mind. Beside the row of cars outside the shop, a large sign reads “No War,” accompanied by other political messages.
“I was told back in the beginning, when Reagan was president, ‘Don’t put up political signs.’ But I did anyway,” Ohlinger said.
Although Volvos are his specialty, Ohlinger services a variety of makes. Karen Kellogg, a customer for 15 years, pulled into the shop recently in her Honda Element.
“Steve’s always good with the answers,” Kellogg said, noting that he had cared for her previous car, a Volvo 240 station wagon, for years.
Ohlinger said most older Volvos can still be repaired and that the 240 models remain fully capable of cross-country travel.
“I got a part from Sweden the other day. I just called up, and they said they had the part,” he said.
“A lot of people are thrilled we’re still here,” Ohlinger said.
