Owner Terry Paulsen’s had an interest in cars – cool cars – since high school, when he owned a 1972 Chevy Nova in Griswold, Iowa.
In 1980, Terry’s passion for building, rebuilding, and fixing cars led him away from construction (“that lasted less than a year”) straight to employment at Kelley’s Body Shop in Elliott, Iowa. If you love what you do, you learn fast – and Terry loves what he does!
Terry left Kelley’s in 1984 to move with a friend to Steamboat Springs, where they worked together at Weber’s Auto Body (formerly Russell’s). In 1988, Russell Drobney returned and reclaimed the Body Shop, renaming it Russell’s Auto Salon as it is known today.
Being a true expert in his trade by this point, Paulsen, along with partners Phil Spahr and Don Gittleson, soon purchased Russell’s Auto Salon in 1990 and have continued and furthered it’s reputation of experience and excellence throughout Northwest Colorado.
Terry still loves to rebuild and fix old cars; it remains a beloved hobby to this day. He recently rebuilt 
and revamped a 1990 Geo Tracker and is currently working on an even bigger project to debut this summer.
When he’s not at the Salon, he loves to spend time at his wife’s cabin near Elkhorn Mountain, which he also caretakes. During the winter months, Terry often snowmobiles with his 15-year-old son. They also love to ATV and jet ski during the summers, and fish year-round. Being from Iowa, Terry knows a good steak, and so you’ll likely find him eating at Steamboat’s Ore House – his favorite!