Arena Motor Sales, LLC

Arena Motor Sales, LLC is an independent classic and muscle car dealer at 867 Reynolds Ave in Columbus, Ohio. The Better Business Bureau lists a 1990 start date for the business and names Anthony "Tony" Arena as owner and Juliann Arena as vice president. The dealership sells classic cars, muscle cars, specialty cars, sports cars and motorcycles from its own stock, and by its own account it sells to buyers well beyond Ohio, including customers overseas.

A dealer with its own stock

Arena Motor Sales is a conventional dealership rather than a consignment house: the cars on its site are listed as dealer inventory, and nothing on the site mentions consignment. The company describes its approach as "haggle free" selling, says it takes clear photos of every vehicle, and says it works hard to describe each car accurately. It also says many of its customers buy without seeing or driving the car first, which is why the photo coverage matters.

On the history question, the sources do not fully agree. The BBB gives 1990 as the start date, while the dealer's own homepage refers to 26 years of selling cars. Either way, this is a business that has been trading for decades under the same family name.

What Arena Motor Sales sells

The inventory leans toward affordable American classics and muscle cars. When we reviewed the dealer's site, it listed 16 vehicles. The classic cars in that group included a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air two-door hardtop with an LS3 engine at $49,000, three Corvettes from 1965, 1966 and 1969 priced between $59,000 and $65,000, a 1978 Chevrolet Nova at $16,500, and a 1970 Ford hardtop at $22,500. The list also had a 1997 Cadillac Eldorado Touring, a couple of project cars priced under $10,000, a 2020 Harley-Davidson, and a few work vehicles such as box trucks and a cargo trailer.

Some listings are described as "tribute" cars, meaning a car built or dressed to resemble a rarer model, such as a 1969 Corvette 427 tribute roadster and a 1965 Pontiac GTO tribute. That is a normal part of the market, but it affects value, so read those descriptions closely. The dealer's site is the place to check what is in stock today, and you can see more cars from around the state in our more classic cars in Ohio section.

Buying from Arena Motor Sales

Every listing we saw was marked as sold as is with no warranty, which is typical for older cars but puts the weight on your own checking. The site offers a "make an offer" form and a test drive request form. For out-of-area buyers, the company says it will help find an affordable and reliable shipping company, and it lists customers in countries including Australia, Germany, France, England and Italy. As with any purchase you cannot attend in person, it is worth reading buying from a classic car dealer before you commit, then asking for the VIN, title status and extra photos, and arranging an independent inspection.

Financing and appraisals

Arena Motor Sales does not lend in house, but its financing page says buyers apply by phone and points to outside lenders. Customers in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia and Pennsylvania are referred to First Bank of Ohio, while buyers in other states are referred to J.J. Best Banc and Co and Woodside Credit.

The dealership also runs an appraisal service, signed by "Tony" on its site. It says it is a member of the International Automotive Appraisers Association and charges $100 for a general appraisal, with extra charges if travel is needed. The page lists insurance appraisals, estate and divorce valuations, valuation disputes and pre-purchase inspections. These are the company's own claims, so ask about credentials and what a report covers before you rely on one.

Reputation

The BBB rates the business A+ and shows no complaints closed in the last three years, though it is not BBB accredited and has no customer reviews on its BBB page. On the review aggregator Birdeye, which collects Google reviews, the dealer shows 4.5 stars from 22 reviews. Reviewers mostly praise honest, low-pressure service, accurate descriptions and fair prices, and they often name Tony.

Visiting Arena Motor Sales

The dealership is at 867 Reynolds Ave, Columbus, Ohio 43201. The contact page lists hours of 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday and 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturday, with Sunday closed. The phone number is (614) 340-5683. The company publishes no email address, only a contact form, and one page of its site prints the phone number with two digits transposed, so use the number above. Call ahead if you plan to see a specific car.