Collins Andrews III: Principal and Family Patriarch

Collins Andrews III graduated college as a mechanical engineer and evolved to a long career in the corporate world. He had targeted the auto industry for employment but ended up starting work as a metallurgist in the aluminum business. After a few years, job changes and circumstances led him to an opportunity to work for a new IT company from Little Rock, Systematics, Inc. That led to a long career with Systematics and subsequently Alltel as an executive for that large, international banking IT firm. In 2016 Andrews was asked to come out of retirement and work with fintech companies as the Executive-in-Residence at The Venture Center, a nonprofit that supports the startup business community in Little Rock.

Collins remembers a lot of great cars that he owned and wished he still did – 1965 Corvette Coupe, 1965 Sunbeam Tiger, 1966 Turbocharged Corvair Corsa, 1980 Mazda RX-7, 1989 Ford Taurus SHO, 2011 BMW 335is and even a Manx Clone Dune Buggy he built in his garage. But in his words the favorite is his first car…a 1962 Autumn Gold Corvair Monza Coupe which he modified with a Bill Thomas 4 carb setup, Spyder cam, Fitch Sprint rear springs, camber compensator, front anti-sway bar and for the time revolutionary Michelin X tires! And he longingly says, “Who remembers details!” Collins claims to have drag raced the Corvair a few times at the Little Rock drag strip. He claims he beat a Falcon handily, was edged out by a newer Corvair Spyder and was hammered by a modified Chevy Impala.