Collier Motors

Collier Motors
Private
Industry Car dealership
Founded 1955
Founder Robert Collier
Headquarters Pikeville, North Carolina
Products General automotive repair and parts
Vehicle inventory in the front lot
The dealership as of February 2011
The front lot as of January 2012
Rambler vehicles, surrounded by overgrown vegetation

Collier Motors was an American Motors (AMC) franchised dealership located on business U.S. Route 117 in Pikeville, North Carolina.[1] Owner Robert Collier still sells AMC and Jeep vehicles and parts, as well as scrap that are kept at the original location of the business.[2]

Background

Robert Collier established Collier Motors in 1955 as a single entrepreneur while in his 20s.[3] His father was also in the automobile business and continued working until he was in his 80s.[3] The Collier family had a longstanding relationship with AMC from the 1950s until the company was partially purchased by Renault in 1979.[4] After AMC started importing Renaults, Robert Collier decided he preferred to sell only domestic-designed and built AMC cars.[3] Rather than selling new Renault-derived passenger cars, such as the Alliance, Collier continued to sell the pre-Renault stock he already had on the lot and focus on older AMC cars and Jeep vehicles. American Motors was bought by Chrysler in 1987.[5]

The 5-acre (2.0 ha) property is on the west side of old U.S. Route 117. By 2010, the business was described as having "vehicles and parts slowly returning to the soil."[6]

In May 2015, Collier Motors was featured on History Channel show American Pickers.[7]

Business

Collier Motors sits frozen in time.[8] Although the lot is overgrown with weeds, Collier continues to sell whole cars and parts, although many of them are in poor shape as they have been sitting on the lot since the early 1980s.[9] They include 1970s and 1980-model AMCs, such as Gremlins, Pacers, Matadors, Javelins, Eagles, and Concords. Many retain their original window stickers.[10] Everything is for sale, but an appointment is needed.

Historic vehicles

The AMC vehicles that were personally owned by Robert Collier include unique historic examples,[4] including Barry Goldwater's "flashy" black two-seat AMX muscle car with a "tricked-out dash",[11] two Alabama Highway Patrol Javelins, and a Nash from the 1991 movie The Marrying Man.[4]

Notes

  1. ↑ "Company Profile: Collier Motors AMC". Manta Media. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  2. ↑ Marr, Gary; Marr, Jesse (May–June 2006). "Why we weren't at Dale's house (or the winter meeting)". AMX-Clamation. American Motors Owners Association. 15 (3).
  3. 1 2 3 Jones, Wigwam (2005). "Loyal To The End". Archived from the original on 5 June 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 gremlinx.com. "Collier Motors: The Last 'Surviving?' AMC Dealership". Archived from the original on 30 August 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  5. ↑ Holusha, John (10 March 1987). "Chrysler is buying American Motors; cost is $1.5 billion". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  6. ↑ Hyde, Justin (15 September 2010). "America's Abandoned Auto Dealerships". Jalopnik. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  7. ↑ "American Pickers Episode #157: "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall"". The History Channel. May 13, 2015.
  8. ↑ Cranswick, Marc (2012). The Cars of American Motors: An Illustrated History. McFarland. p. 318. ISBN 978-0-7864-4672-8. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  9. ↑ "The Last Remaining AMC Dealership". AMC Hornet com. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  10. ↑ Truesdell, Rich (4 April 2009). "An AMC Weekend in North Carolina". Automotive Traveler. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  11. ↑ Lemons, Stephen (19 October 2006). "Goldwater Uncut". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved 21 August 2014.

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Collier Motors (North Carolina).
American Motors (AMC) road car timeline, United States market, 1954–1987 Eagle »
Type 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s
456789 0123456789 0123456789 01234567
Subcompact car Metropolitan LeCar Encore
Gremlin Spirit
Compact car Rambler Rambler American Hornet Concord
Jet Pacer Alliance
Mid-size car Six and V8 Six Classic Rebel Matador 18i/Sportwagon Medallion
Rebel Marlin Matador Coupe
Full-size car Nash Ambassador Ambassador
Hudson Hornet
Hudson Wasp
Sports car/Roadster N-H AMX AMX Fuego GTA
Italia Javelin
Crossover utility vehicle Eagle
SUV see early timeline of Jeep models see late timeline of Jeep models
Military vehicles Mighty Mite AM General
Vehicle sold under Renault marque

Coordinates: 35°29′23″N 77°58′57″W / 35.48972°N 77.98250°W / 35.48972; -77.98250

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