Jim Maibach is well known in Arlington and the surrounding area. He just might hold the record for the most appearances in our magazine … he is a busy man and a great ambassador for the city. His incredible history of accomplishment has garnered much-deserved praise and recognition. 2026 will mark 44 years of work contributing to the Arlington story of success.
I met Jim about three years ago during a search for some commercial real estate. I certainly found the right guy because he has probably sold and developed more property in the Arlington/Mansfield area than anyone. Millions of square feet of commercial property for Kroger, Summit Racing, Federal Express, AISD, and the list goes on. Peyco Southwest Realty is a very busy place.
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Somewhere, Jim finds the time to be deeply involved in all kinds of activities to help our growing city. Dedicated service to the Convention and Visitors Bureau for over 16 years, Planning and Zoning Commission for six years, Parks and Recreation Department for four years, Levitt Pavilion Board for 12 years, and various other city boards and commissions.
Jim credits his wife, Tricia, for keeping him grounded. Tricia is also very active in the family business interests, plus numerous local service organizations. Together they share two beautiful homes, Arlington and Steamboat Springs, two independent daughters, Lauren Carter and Meghan Holpuch, each of whom has two children, and, during our visit, I think I saw two cats!
Seems logical that Jim would have two very special cars … one red and one green … the perfect colors for our December issue. CORVETTE CHRISTMAS.
I may not share much in common with Jim in the world of real estate, but we can surely talk about America’s sports car, the Chevrolet Corvette … and he has two of the best.
The 1965 C2 is a second-generation roadster and universally considered the most beautiful and valuable of all the eight different versions produced since the Corvette was introduced in 1953.
The 2024 C8 is the most dramatic and revolutionary version and places the Corvette at the pinnacle of the world’s short list of truly exotic supercars. It is a remarkable engineering accomplishment that provides more performance, quality, reliability, and value than any other high-performance car on the market.
Ironically, America’s sports car was nurtured and developed under a Russian engineer named Zora Duntov. A racing and performance enthusiast, he convinced GM to hire him after he saw the first production Corvette in 1953. Beautiful to see, but not a sports car. He is known as the Father of the Corvette. His goal was to build a world-class, mid-engine sports car that would be exactly what the C8 is today. His dream has finally been realized.
The C2 has a conventional front engine/rear drive layout with a 327 cubic inch, 365 HP V8, 4-speed manual transmission, and an independent rear suspension. The C2 marked the beginning of Duntov’s quest, a true performance sports car. Jim’s green beauty is a “straight-line” beast with open exhaust pipes running the length of the wheelbase, exposed and hot along the side. No mufflers! Careful exit recommended! And that was a factory option. Try that in today’s world.
The 2024 C8 has a 378 cubic inch, 500 HP V8 mounted immediately behind the passenger compartment to create perfect balance and “racecar” level handling. The only transmission available is an 8-speed, dual-clutch automatic. Some enthusiasts miss the manual shifting, but the automatic shifts much faster, and when equipped with the ZR 1 option, the performance is almost unbelievable … 0 to 60 in 2.2 seconds, quarter mile in under 10 seconds at 149 MPH.
1965 and 2024 … two completely different cars, 6 decades apart, that remain unmistakably Corvette.
The evolution from a boulevard cruiser to an incredibly fast yet comfortable, reliable, exotic machine that just happens to be one of the world’s fastest cars is a tribute to Duntov’s vision and GM’s commitment to excellence that is fostered by building cars that push the boundaries.
After our photo session, we hopped into the green 1965 for a ride on a beautiful fall afternoon in far southwest Arlington. Off we went in a 60-year-old car that looks better than anything on the road today. It is loud, fast, and simple by today’s standards. No navigation, just road maps in the glove box. No backup camera, no air conditioning, no power seats, etc.
It was a wonderful ride, and my thoughts were on 1965, the year my wife, Joy, and I were married, and we bought a 1965 Chevy Impala convertible … our first new car. And it just happened to be the same gorgeous green as Jim’s Corvette.
Thank you, Jim … and to our readers … Please join me in wishing the entire Maibach family a wonderful Corvette Christmas!
