Affordable Classics

Affordable Classics Inc. is a classic and muscle car dealer in Gladstone, Oregon, a small city on McLoughlin Boulevard just south of Portland. Public listings trace the business to the Ruiz Car Company, which began at an Oregon dealership location in 1987 and was renamed Affordable Classics in 2001. The dealer moved to its current Gladstone address in August 2009, and its website today lists roughly 50 vehicles at a time.

History and how the business works

Directory descriptions of the company, which appear to repeat its own wording, say it has sold used cars and classics for more than 30 years. The core of the operation is a conventional dealer model: the company buys cars, stocks them, and sells them from its own showroom. Its website tagline reads "Classic Cars for sale, Muscle Cars, Trade Classic Cars, Buy Classic Cars," which signals that it also takes cars in. Older directory entries describe a 7,000 square foot heated warehouse and showroom, so a visit means seeing the cars indoors rather than on an open lot.

The site also has a dedicated consignment page, which means owners can ask the dealer to sell a car on their behalf instead of trading it in. The page's terms were not available to us when we reviewed it, so anyone interested should call and ask about fees, the length of the agreement, and who pays for any prep work or storage. The same menu includes an appraisal page, and each vehicle listing carries an "Appraise Your Trade" button.

What Affordable Classics sells

The inventory leans American. When we checked the site, Chevrolet accounted for 15 vehicles and Ford for 12, followed by Dodge with four, Pontiac with three, and GMC and Lincoln with two each. A smaller number of European and Asian cars filled out the list, including a Porsche 911, a Mercedes-Benz and a Land Rover.

• Muscle cars: examples on the site include a 1968 Camaro SS, a 1969 Camaro SS 396, a 1970 Dodge Challenger and a 1968 Pontiac GTO.
• Trucks and utility vehicles: a 1955 Ford F100, a 1955 GMC 100 and a 1982 GMC Jimmy were among the listings.
• Earlier classics: the dealer's own pages describe model years from 1933 forward.

Prices on the website ran from about $11,500 to $139,500, with some cars marked "Call Us" instead of showing a figure. That range puts many of the cars in territory where a buyer will want paperwork and a careful inspection, whether the car is a driver or a restored showpiece. For a wider look at what is on the market statewide, see these classic cars for sale in Oregon.

Buying from Affordable Classics

The website offers a financing page, a test drive request, a make-an-offer button on each car, and an appraisal tool for trade-ins. Directory profiles add that the company helps buyers with financing and transportation and accepts major credit cards, and that it has sold vehicles both in the United States and abroad. We could not confirm details such as deposit requirements, shipping partners or a written inspection policy, so those are worth asking about before committing to a car you cannot see in person.

As with any dealer purchase, ask for the title status, the VIN and service records, and consider an independent inspection by someone who knows the model. Those checks matter more on older cars, where small problems can be expensive to fix.

Selling or consigning a classic

Owners have two routes: trade a car in against another purchase, or place it on consignment. Consignment can bring a higher price than a trade-in, but it usually means paying a fee or commission and waiting for a buyer. If you want to understand the usual fees and trade-offs before you call, read about consigning a classic.

Reputation

Search results for the company's Better Business Bureau profile show an A+ rating, with the file opened in 2010, and list the business as not BBB accredited. We could not open the BBB page itself, so we cannot report a complaint count, and readers should check the current profile directly. Affordable Classics has a Yelp listing, but it shows only nine reviews, too few to draw a firm conclusion. The comments we found describe the dealer as honest and fair, and as with any single set of reviews, it is sensible to read them yourself and weigh them against a thorough look at the specific car.

Visiting Affordable Classics

The dealership is at 19895 McLoughlin Blvd, Gladstone, Oregon 97027, and the company lists 503-653-4030 as its phone number. Business hours were not published on the dealer's own website when we looked, so call ahead before you drive out, especially if you want to see a particular car or have it ready for a test drive.