Classic Cars of Sarasota

Classic Cars of Sarasota is a classic and collector car dealership on the north side of Sarasota, Florida, a short drive from Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. It sells a mix of cars it owns and cars it handles on consignment, and it runs its own restoration, service and detailing operation under the same roof. The company says its indoor facility covers 58,000 square feet and can hold more than 120 vehicles.

Who runs Classic Cars of Sarasota

The business has changed hands since it opened, and accounts of its earliest years differ. A press release dated February 2012 announced that Classic Cars of Sarasota had opened the previous November at 6235 McIntosh Road, as an offshoot of an existing Sarasota dealer called Specialty Cars, with Doug Page and Chris Zlamal as the main partners. The BBB lists a start date of November 2010. The company's own history credits Chris Zlamal Sr. and Chris Zlamal Jr. with growing the business from a two-car garage, and says they moved into the current building in 2014.

In December 2022 the Zlamals sold the company to Michael Birk, who is listed with the BBB as president. According to the company, Birk spent more than 25 years managing vehicle fleets for large corporations before buying the dealership. In April 2024, Motorious reported that Classic Cars of Sarasota had acquired Bobo's Rods & Customs, a specialty dealer, along with an online vehicle listing business.

How the business works

The company describes its inventory as "a combination of company owned vehicles and consignments." It says it buys cars outright on an ongoing basis and is selective about the cars it agrees to consign. For buyers, that means some cars belong to the dealer and some belong to private owners, which is worth asking about when you negotiate, since a consignor may have the final say on price.

The company calls itself a full-service classic dealership, covering buying, selling, consignment, restoration, financing and shipping. Its site also lists a car finder service and a separate detailing menu that runs from a basic hand wash to multi-year ceramic coatings.

What they sell

The stock leans American. Recent listings on ClassicCars.com, where the dealer had 68 cars for sale in early October 2026, included Corvettes, Mustangs, Chevelles and classic pickups, priced from roughly $13,000 to about $125,000. Cars that have appeared on the dealer's own site over the past two years range from a fuel-injected 1958 Corvette and a 1963 split-window coupe to a 1969 Camaro Z/28, a 1958 Chrysler 300D and a 1976 AMC Pacer X, with newer exotics such as a 2018 Porsche 911 Targa 4S mixed in. The company says it carries both investment-grade restorations and driver-quality cars, from the 1920s through recent model years, along with trucks and motorcycles. Shoppers comparing options can also browse classic cars for sale in Florida.

Buying from Classic Cars of Sarasota

• Inspections: the company says it welcomes personal inspections and puts cars through its own inspection process before and after a sale. For a remote purchase, an independent inspection is still the safer route.
• Financing: it works with lenders that specialize in classic and exotic cars, and its site advertises terms of up to 144 months with no early payment penalty.
• Shipping: door-to-door transport within the U.S. and abroad. The company says it has shipped to nearly all 50 states, Canada and more than 20 other countries.

As with any dealer, get the VIN, title status and any fees in writing before you commit, and ask whether a given car is dealer-owned or consigned.

Selling or consigning a car

Owners can sell a car to the dealer outright or place it on consignment. Under the consignment program, the company says it handles photography, video, detailing, advertising, storage while the car is for sale, negotiation and paperwork, and that it can offer buyers financing and shipping that a private seller usually cannot. Its site also mentions free pickup anywhere in Florida. If a seller still owes money on the car, the company says it will pay off the lender directly and send the seller a check for the remaining equity. Anyone weighing this route should ask for the commission and term in writing; our guide to consigning a classic covers the questions to raise.

Restoration and service

The shop takes on full restorations, restomod builds and routine repairs. The service page walks through the stages it handles in house, including disassembly, media blasting, sheet metal and fabrication, paint, interiors, convertible tops, electrical work and air conditioning. The company says its technicians include ASE master technicians, that its cars have appeared on Velocity TV, All Girls Garage and Wheeler Dealers, and that it can provide video documentation of a restoration on request.

Reputation and visiting

Classic Cars of Sarasota is not BBB accredited but holds an A+ rating from the BBB, which showed two complaints closed in the past three years when we checked; both were answered by the business. Its Yelp listing, with 26 reviews, is mixed: one reviewer praised a salesperson for patient, professional help, while at least one reviewer raised concerns about sales claims, shipping charges and dealer fees. A large, active dealer will collect both kinds of feedback, so judge each car on its own paperwork and inspection.

The dealership is at 7910 25th Court East, Unit 107, Sarasota, FL 34243, near the corner of US 301 and Tallevast Road, just north of University Parkway. Its site lists hours of 9 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday and 10 AM to 2 PM on Saturday, with Sunday visits by appointment. The phone number is (941) 355-1955.