St Louis has many choices of dealerships and private collections when it comes to buying a classic or collector car with well over 100 classic car clubs in our area which means some outstanding knowledge and car collections.
St Louis is known as the Gateway to the West. We are centrally located in the middle of the United States which allows for buyers on both the East Coast and the West Coast to save on shipping a classic or collector car after buying it. Additionally, we are centrally located North and South. Although we get our fair share of snow, rain and adverse weather, we are not so fair north that our snow and ice usually isn’t bad enough to salt the roads heavily, and we are fortunate about that and so is our vehicles. Much further north such as Chicago or Des Moines and salt starts to eat away at the undercarriage of cars (even the brand new ones).
The majority of buyers of classic or collector cars in St Louis come from the East and West Coast. I assume that our prices are a bit lower than other areas or we just happen to have better cars. We also get a fair share of buyers from Dallas and Houston, Texas. Regardless of where buyers are from and buying a classic or collector car in St Louis, they often find they need a pre-purchase inspection, and that is where Test Drive Technologies comes into help.
With today’s age of technology and the internet finding a classic or collector car has gotten much easier than it was 20-30 years ago. With a few clicks of a mouse on a website you can see cars across the country narrowed down by your budget and trim level. I have put together some of the dealerships and private collections to buy a classic or collector car in St Louis. These are in no particular order and do not represent a partnership nor an agreement. This is simply just a list of places to buy a classic and collector car in St Louis
Gateway Classic Cars – O’Fallon, Illinois – 618-271-3000 – Many of Gateway’s classic or collector cars are there on consignment. We have had the pleasure of inspecting countless cars at Gateway over the last 10 years. They are always helpful for us and are always able to make a vehicle ready for inspection. A couple notes however, make sure you call them and check if the vehicle is in this particular showroom. Sometimes past clients have mistakenly secured inspections for vehicles located in other showrooms across the country. Also, test drives are limited to their very large parking lot. Most of the time I have been able to get vehicles up to 45-50 MPH but they are not fully road tested due to the nature of the vehicles being on consignment.
St Louis Car Museum – St Louis, Missouri – 314-993-1330 – One of my favorite places to visit due to the true museum feel and write up of each vehicle on their showroom. The staff here are very knowledgeable about the cars they sell. St Louis Car Museum has lifts on site and make it easy to schedule and inspect any of their vehicles. Test drives here are easy. There is a nice route that enables good road testing in the city as well as some highway speeds.
Daniel Schmitt & Company Classic Cars – St Ann, Missouri – 314-738-0323 – Located near St Louis Lambert Airport this is another classic or collector car dealership to visit. Daniel Schmitt grew up around cars and has been in business for many of years, his staff knows cars very well and their research is done very thoroughly on each vehicle and many of them own classics themselves. This dealership also has lifts available to inspect the undercarriage of the vehicles here. I have been fortunate to inspect many beautiful cars here including Triple Crown Corvettes and some very rare collections such as those from Carroll Shelby. Road test here are easy, there is a good route for a nice test drive and the technicians in the shop are always willing to help.
Hyman LTD – Westport, St Louis, Missouri – 314-524-6000 – If you are looking for a rare collector car or antique that has a great history and has been gone through with a fine tooth comb you need to visit Hyman LTD. Mark Hyman has selected some of the most knowledgeable and enthusiastic “car guys” in the nation this also goes for his classic car technicians in the shop. The collection here is top notch and I urge you to give them a visit even if you are not in the market for a collector car. The road test route here allows for some great city driving as well as some highway driving. One time Shawn the sales manager and I ended up on a 20 mile test drive in 30 degree weather with a Kessel Bug because we missed our turn.
Classic Car Studio – Brentwood, Missouri – 314-567-4200 – Classic Car Studio is well known for their hot TV show “Speed is the New Black” on Velocity. If you are looking for a hot, fast and impressive muscle car this is the place to check out. Classic Car Studio has everything from the fully restored frame off original muscle cars to vintage restomods that will not disappoint. There is usually a lift available for an undercarriage inspection. We always schedule in advance. Road test are done here a little different because of the area but the cars are always fully tested and brought up to speed.
MotoeXotica Classic Cars – Fenton, Missouri – 636-600-4600 – It is easy to get excited about classic and collector cars at MotoeXotica. They have a large selection to choose from and a lift onsite to inspect the undercarriage of vehicles they offer. The staff is friendly and always easy to work with. Test drives here can sometimes be a challenge due to location however I always do our best to get the vehicles up to highway speed.
Fast Lane Classic Cars – St Charles, Missouri – 636-940-9969 – Some of the hottest classic and muscle cars in the area are offered for sale at Fast Lane. David the owner is an avid vintage car racer and has a great love for the Shelby as well as many other vehicles. The staff has always been helpful and offer a lift here and vehicles are able to be test driven up to highway speed as well as on city streets.
Country Classic Cars – Stauton, Illinois – 618-635-7056 – You may find some very rare and affordable classic or collector cars for sale at Country Classic Cars. The staff are very helpful, the owners have been in business for a very long time. The classic or collector cars at Country Classics are often there on consignment and of varying condition from original to partially restored.
I would be happy to speak with you about the possibility of inspecting a classic or collector car at any of the above locations as well as private sellers or other dealerships in the area. Please feel free to give me a call or send a text message day or night at 636-388-8378 or send an email at steve@testdrivetech.com
Steven S. Paul, Owner & Operator, Test Drive Technologies
