New turn in road for auto expert

Tommy Eneberg has been a La Crescenta resident for over 30 years and has no intention of leaving the area, even though he recently stepped down from his business, Tommy’s Verkstad, the well-known local automotive repair shop.

Tall, soft-spoken and droll, Eneberg recently reflected upon his years as an immigrant, area resident and business owner.

Eneberg came to the United States in 1960 from Sweden, arriving in Baltimore where he settled and worked for a year or so. When the company went out of business, one of his fellow employees asked him if he wanted to go to Hollywood. As a young man of 18, he was up to the adventure and responded with a resounding “Yes!”

“I was sick of the snow, sick of the cold, so I was ready to leave,” remembered Eneberg.

He worked for various car dealerships in the Hollywood area, finally landing a job with Bill Young Sports Cars. Later on he got a job with Bob Smith Porsche in Hollywood and discovered La Crescenta, where Bob Smith had other dealerships. It was here that Eneberg got his Porsche training and eventually decided to go out on his own.

“When I tried to get a loan from the bank to start my business, the bankers all wanted collateral,” Eneberg said. “I had none, so I had to rely upon my credit cards to get me going.”

During this time, he also got married, and he and his wife, Rut, rented a small house in Montrose. It was a tough time as they waited for their business to grow while balancing the credit card debt. “This was very hard on us, but we persevered and eventually the business picked up,” he said.

As Eneberg tells it, it was touch-and-go for a while, and when business was good, the family was well-cared for. During all the trying times, Rut stood by him.

They went on to buy a home in La Crescenta (where they still live) and had three sons, Michael, Paul and Jonas, all of whom graduated from Crescenta Valley High School.

Having boys led Eneberg to being an avid Scout leader and all three of his sons became Eagle Scouts. Michael, the oldest, is a scout leader whose own son is working towards being an Eagle Scout. Middle son, Paul, is single and lives in Idaho where he enjoys outdoor sports, all year long. Jonas, the youngest, is getting his feet wet with Tiger Cubs, going to their meetings to prepare him for the time his own son will enter the Scouting world.

Although Eneberg never owned a Porsche himself — “It wasn’t practical with a family and I got to drive one everyday” — he did buy one for Michael when Michael attended UC Santa Barbara.

Eneberg now owns a BMW 740 and Rut tools around in a BMW 535. “My business catered to BMWs as well as other foreign cars — not only Porsches,” he explained.

During his years as owner of Tommy’s Verkstad, Eneberg served as the president of the Swedish Hollywood Club and on the Automotive Service Council for 25 years. He reminisced that his heart-strings would get pulled when young men from his scouting troops would come into his shop with their children to introduce them to him.

“ I have about six young men from my troops who are serving in Iraq now,” said Eneberg. “I am so proud of them and the strong young men they have become. All these boys come from my heart’s favorite — Troop 319 from Dunsmore Elementary School.”

Although he hasn’t been active in Boy Scouts for about four or five years, he is still a strong advocate for scouts and the values the organization teaches children.

When asked how it feels to be retired, Eneberg said that it felt “funny,” but he is getting used to it. “When I was away at scouting events, my wife took over at home and I was away a lot. It is now my intention to support her in all her interests. She is an artist who has taken part in the Art Walk held in Montrose and has had her paintings sold locally. I also want to spend time with my grandchildren, taking them to ball games and supporting them in all they do.”

Eneberg is an avid photographer, particularly in black and white, like Ansel Adams whom he greatly admires. Eneberg takes the photos and his wife paints them.

According to Eneberg, he will never leave this area. He loves his home, his neighbors and La Crescenta.

“My family is here and we have so many friends here. Why should we leave?” he said.

The Enebergs are looking for a recreational vehicle, however, so they can go on little excursions or maybe something as ambitious as travelling across the US or heading up to Alaska. Rest assured, though: They will always return to La Crescenta.