Country Classic Cars, a mainstay along Route 66 near Staunton, Illinois, for almost a quarter-century, has new proprietors after the previous owners decided to retire.
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Josh and Candi Laurent bought out longtime owners Russ and Anita Noel, who plan to travel around the country.
The business’ Facebook page made the announcement about a week ago:
The Noels, finding they had a knack for finding and reselling old cars, set aside their farming operation and began their business in earnest in 1999, quickly building it to an inventory of more than 600 vehicles.
Josh Laurent, who counts more than 20 years in the auto industry, told the newspaper he and his wife plan to modernize the business and focus on restored vehicles.
Over the next few years, they plan to build a new indoor showroom, restoration shop and eventually reduce inventory to 300 or 400 cars. The Laurents also want to make Country Classic Cars a destination for Route 66 tourists. This spring, they hope to host customer events, such as car cruises and swap meets.
The industry is changing, Laurent said, from those who liked having a project to work on to folks who are seeking restored, top-end models.
“They’re a lot higher dollar amount,” he said. “The values are rising drastically.”
Country Classic Cars survived a big fire in 2017 in one of its storage buildings that destroyed dozens of cars and a tornado nearly 18 months later that also damaged buildings and cars.
Visitors who want to gawk at the classic rides, including a fair share of Route 66ers, are allowed onto the property for a $1 admission payable at the main office.
(Image of three vehicles inside one of the storage buildings of Country Classic Cars near Staunton, Illinois, by Marcin Wichary via Flickr)
Sounds like the new owners have a better plan. After going thru that place last fall, most of the cars there weren’t worth nowhere near what they were asking for them. A lot of them were pigs that had some lipstick put on them and had been there for a long time. I don’t see how they made any money.