With each opportunity to spotlight a client’s achievements, we inevitably learn something valuable. The hope is to spread that knowledge and joy to inspire others in their own retirement journeys. Today, the spotlight shines upon Frank Harms and his love for cars.
Frank graduated from high school in 1966 and earned a BS Degree in Industrial Management and a minor in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1970. A governmental hiring freeze put his nuclear submarine service plans on ice, so he headed to Emory University. Computer modeling applications may not be the most typical path to romance, but lo and behold, Frank got an MBA and met his future wife.
Frank’s career spanned Fortune 100 finance, entrepreneurship, and mentorship. After launching and later selling his own biotech firm, he joined a former employee’s startup—a partnership that thrived for 18 years before both men decided it was time to close the chapter. They set February 28, 2026, as their finish line, saying simply, ‘Dayenu’—a Hebrew word meaning ‘enough.’
In classic American fashion, it’s impossible to describe Frank’s journey without mentioning his passion for cars. Initially inspired by The Red Car, a coming-of-age story about a 16-year-old boy who restores a wrecked MG TC sports car, Frank’s own background wasn’t too dissimilar. In fact, when his dad bought him an MG TD that had seen better days, he spent the next two years mowing lawns and trimming hedges to afford the rebuild. As he put it, “With the help of a factory manual and a British family friend who could source parts, it was fully restored. My mother taught me to drive in that car, and I drove it to high school.”
You read that correctly. He completely restored a car before even having a driver’s license.
While at Georgia Tech, Frank discovered Southeastern Sports Cars, a strange four-story building filled with everything from a Facel Vega to a Cross-Ram Plymouth to Ferraris. But buried in a back corner of the fourth floor was the real diamond in the rough: a dust-covered Jaguar XKE. Sure, the brake linkages were broken, the interior was ripped to shreds, and it hadn’t run in years. Still, Frank was in love. When he opened the boot (trunk), he discovered the owner had purchased new parts and wrapped them in a rug. That sealed the deal—he bought it for $1,200 as a 21st birthday present for himself. It carried him through both Georgia Tech and Emory University. Years later, he discovered this specific model was a 1961 flat floor XKE—rare and collectible.
Frank loves the movie Ford v Ferrari. To his mind, Christian Bale perfectly captured Ken Miles’s hunger for speed, and Matt Damon did the same as Carroll Shelby, who built the engines for the Ford GT40 that conquered Ferrari at Le Mans in 1966. Knowing how much his dad would cherish the moment, Frank’s son arranged for him to see one in person, and wow, it did NOT disappoint! The next day, he bought it.
For any current or future retirees with a passion for building cars, Frank suggests making a comprehensive list of expenses. Then, triple it and add at least two years to the estimated build time. He believes there’s no shame in spending money on professional help for high-tech assemblies. The cost of buying all the parts at retail, only to have to buy them again when some don’t fit correctly, can be costly and a giant headache.
But car tips aren’t the only life mechanics Frank wishes to impart. He agrees that a happy retirement is all about following your passions, but says it starts with creating a solid financial base. Constructing a plan and giving it time to work helped him pursue his goals. There was no magic, get-rich-quick strategy, but having a solid portfolio, thoughtfully diversified to help insulate against the market’s vicissitudes, supported his ability to enjoy retirement without overly depleting his nest egg’s principal.
Though Frank’s dream cars are often parked in his garage, his dream retirement is roaring along like that Ford GT40’s engine. Whether you want your retirement to accelerate like an adrenaline-fueled torque monster or to glide down the road with refined poise, let Frank’s journey show you the way. Despite his thanks to us for helping him get there, we know the real credit belongs to him, his hard work, and Matt Damon.
Yours can, too—one thoughtful step, one passionate project, and one plan at a time.
Please note that Frank has provided consent for Capital Investment Advisors to share his background, personal story, and photographs. He has not been compensated, financially or otherwise, for providing these statements. Accordingly, he does not receive any material benefits, incentives, or other consideration in connection with his participation. Capital Investment Advisors does not endorse, sponsor, or have any affiliation with the companies referenced in this content. Any references to specific companies are provided solely for informational purposes.
