Chicago Car Club

Chicago Car Club is a classic and collector car dealer, but despite the name it is based in Saugatuck, Michigan, in southwest Michigan, about two hours from Chicago. It is not a membership club. According to its own website, the business was started by Michael Widdes, who says his first online car sale was in 2000, when he sold an incomplete Jaguar XKE project through eBay Motors to a buyer in California. The company calls itself a family owned division of Albany Auto of Chicago and says it has done more than 1,000 transactions since.

History and location

The company says Widdes opened Chicago Car Club after graduating from Purdue, and that the first location was in the North Center neighborhood of Chicago, where it stayed for ten years. He then moved the operation to Saugatuck for family reasons, noting that a resale market that no longer depends on foot traffic made the move practical, and that the location still sits in the middle of the country for vehicle transport. No founding year is published. The site's marketing copy also says the team has 45 years in the classic car industry, a claim we could not independently check.

What Chicago Car Club sells

The stock is deliberately varied. The company says it has "very, very eclectic taste," and its inventory site in October 2026 listed cars from 1933 to 1985 across makes including Ford, Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, Lincoln, Pontiac, Jaguar, Triumph, Sunbeam and DeLorean. Examples included a 1959 Lincoln Continental Mark IV convertible, several first-generation Mustangs and a 1985 Mustang GT, a 1971 Chevelle Malibu, a 1976 Triumph Spitfire, a 1933 Ford Tudor hot rod, a 1982 DeLorean DMC-12 and a 1977 Pontiac Can Am. Asking prices on the examples we saw ranged from about $10,500 to the high $30,000s. Listings tend to describe cars as survivors, projects or built cars and say so plainly.

If this kind of mixed stock appeals to you, you can compare it with more classic cars in Michigan.

Selling to Chicago Car Club

A large share of the site is aimed at sellers. The company says it buys classics in any condition from anywhere in the United States, offers a free valuation and a take-it-or-leave-it offer, and aims to pay the same day, by wire if needed. Its FAQ says it typically picks a car up within 36 hours of finalizing the deal, will buy non-running cars, can help owners apply for a duplicate title or handle a title for a deceased relative, and will talk about a trade for another car. It also pays a finder's fee for referrals.

Consigning with Chicago Car Club

Chicago Car Club also takes cars on consignment. The company says it charges a flat up-front consignment fee plus a percentage when the car sells. It does not publish the amounts, so ask for them in writing. In return it says it coordinates transport, details and photographs the car, writes the listing, records a video walkthrough, documents engine numbers and option codes, and posts the car on several marketplaces. The standard agreement is three months, with the car kept in its showroom or climate-controlled storage, and the fee is waived if the car is already stored there. The consignment page still refers to a "Chicago facility," which looks like older wording, so confirm where the car will be kept. For the general mechanics, see consigning a classic.

Reputation

We could not find a Better Business Bureau profile or a Google or Yelp rating page to cite for Chicago Car Club, so there is no independent score to report. The testimonials on its own website come from sellers in several states and are selected by the company. Treat them as the dealer's presentation and ask for references or recent buyer contacts if you plan a large purchase. For any car, confirm title status and arrange an independent inspection.

Visiting or contacting Chicago Car Club

The address on the company's website is 6322 Gleason Rd., Saugatuck, MI 49453. Hours are not published. The phone number is a Chicago area code, (312) 420-3696, and the public email is [email protected]. Call or write before visiting so you can arrange a time to see a particular car.