my visit to Country Classic Cars
I have visited this company's web site many times, but never had the chance to visit their facility which is near Staunton IL, along I-55 about 40 miles northeast of St. Louis. Yesterday I was in the vicinity, so I dropped in. I was there about 1 1/2 hours I thought some of you might be interested in a report.
This company is, at its roots, a buyer and seller of old cars. It might be a stretch to say they are "collector" cars; more on that in a moment. The most amazing thing is that they have over 600 cars for sale!! I guess the back story is that a local farmer started buying up old cars from the area, and a couple decades later, the result is an eclectic mix of mostly American vehicles.
I have to give the guy credit for trying to preserve old cars. Much of the inventory is just that, old cars. They are all over the range of collectability; when thinking about the old car hobby as a whole, some have decent collectability, while others might appeal just to the person who grew up with one in the family, if you get my drift.
With my Ford hat on, let me give you an example. They have 16 Ford Galaxies from the 60's. I consider these to have medium collectability in the big picture. The cars they have are mostly coupes and convertibles, which does fit the collectability angle. Meanwhile there are cars which I consider to be further down the scale, such as a 64 Falcon 4-door, a 65 Fairlane, and a 73 T-Bird. No Boss 429's here, for sure.
Now here is where it gets tricky: the condition of the cars. There are quite a few cars which look to be unrestored. Now, don't get confused by equating "unrestored" with "well preserved." There are also lots of cars which look to have had some work done to them, e.g. I saw many low-quality paint jobs. Some look like partial restorations or older restorations, and some have been modified. Remember, this is a bunch of old cars, not show cars.
And now it gets even trickier: the presentation. About three-quarters of the cars are CRAMMED TOGETHER in five buildings, only one of which is climate controlled. Often the bumpers are touching, and there is barely enough space to open doors (which, by the way, is forbidden via posted signs: You Are On Camera. Do Not Open Hoods Or Doors. If You Do You Will Be Asked To Leave). Some of the buildings have gravel floors. There are a hundred or so which are under awning-type structures, with another group out in the open. The way they are arranged, one might have to move a dozen cars to reach a given car.
Thus, I did not sense any effort to keep the cars in any sort of running condition. We all know how cars deteriorate when not operated. Most of the cars are filthy. The ones outside, of course, are cleaner but are in worse condition. I suspect many of the inside cars have not been moved in years.
It was nice to see a short grease pencil description on the windshield of most of the cars. At least it gave some basic info on the car (sometimes I did not know what I was looking at). But many say "runs and drives good." Well, at some point, maybe.....
And, there is a price on the windshield. The prices are sky-high. Talking to a few other guys who were there (including a guy who is friends with the owner), they don't really negotiate much.
The facility includes minimal repair bays (one or two), so they can't be doing much work on cars. And we all know how much work one old car requires, let alone 600. There is one open area with tables where the sales staff works.
Finally, if all of this is intriguing to you, check out the web site. Each car has a series of pictures. But beware, these pics may be years old. For example, there is a picture of a decent looking 79 white/tan Cougar on the web site. Actually that car is outside and has rust streaming down its sides. Also there is a pic of a Bronco II with a snow plow. Actually that vehicle was sitting nearby, looking forlorn on its four flat tires.
I will let you google "Country Classic Cars fire" to learn about a devastating fire they had last year.
So, I hope I have painted a picture of this strange and interesting place. It is certainly worth a visit. It's definitely not a junkyard, but (to me) it operates on a lower level than e.g. the local independent used car lot, where the cars are kept in running order. If you have been there, or perhaps have even dealt with them, I'd love to hear your comments.
Reply With Quote
MUCH worse than how many cars Ted has at South Beach Classics.
Connect With Us