Anthony is in the black jacket, the Ford is right there

Anthony Schmidt takes photographs of classic cars that wow thousands of fans

“The first things he learned to say were the different makes and models of cars,” his mother Ramona Schmidt tells us. “We just assumed we had a genius on our hands. We couldn’t believe it. We were just in shock that he was that smart.”

He’s smart alright, but Anthony has also been diagnosed with autism.

“For him, it’s really the sensory stuff that is through the roof,” his mother said. “It’s almost as if the dial has been turned up on everything –the sights the sounds and the smells can be so overwhelming.”

At age 6, Anthony found a release: taking pictures of his cars.

“He sees details that others don’t see,” his mother adds. “It’s really fun to see things from his perspective, you know?” Anthony doesn’t have favorites. “I like every car in the way it looks,” he says. “Every car in the whole world.” And people like the way his photos look. Anthony has thousands of followers on Instagram and Facebook.

Members of the Woodinville community gathered, cruised their cars, held a small car show, and presented (local-celebrity) Anthony Schmidt with, what can only be described as a dream car for a 13-year-old, a 1957 Ford Custom 300 named “Betty.”

As we waited in the parking lot of Leota Middle School for the cruising cars to arrive, the rain was coming down off and on, and suddenly the cars began to appear. I’m pretty sure Anthony heard them before the rest of us saw them. He took off down the street to watch as they rolled in.

More and more cars were coming, for a brief moment I didn’t know if they were all going to fit in the parking lot. After the cars all rolled in, we waited for Anthony’s car’s grand entrance and reveal. Finally, she came rolling down the street and Anthony greeted her by running towards her, his arms in the air in excitement.

As his car rolled into the parking lot it was surrounded by people who cared about Anthony and his family. Anthony climbed in and could just see over the wheel, obviously a few years away from driving Betty on his own. As the trio of him, his little brother, and his friend, climbed in and out of the car countless times I could only stand there and imagine the memories the car has already witnessed and the new memories that will be made with her as well.

Sources: