GM Down Under

GM Down Under is a licensed, bonded classic car dealership in Southern California that concentrates on Corvettes. The company says it has been in business since 1998, after about seven earlier years buying and exporting classic cars. Its own pages describe a small, owner-run operation rather than a large multi-brand lot: the company says it is "not a huge dealership," that the owner is "the buyer and seller," and that it has no salespeople working on commission.

Where the business is based

The company's About page and its consignment page place the business in Costa Mesa, in Orange County, about five minutes from John Wayne Airport, and say it owns its own 6,000 square foot building. Directory listings, including a Yelp page last updated in May 2026, give the Costa Mesa address as 1760 Monrovia Ave, Suite C7. The home page tells a slightly different story. As of its September 2026 update it says cars are shown by appointment only at locations in San Marcos and Escondido, in northern San Diego County, and lists a different phone number from the older pages. The individual car pages are also titled for San Diego. Anyone planning a visit should call first and confirm exactly where a given car is parked.

How the business works

According to the company, most of its inventory is owned outright, with some consignment cars added. That makes it primarily a dealer-stock business: the owner buys cars, prepares them and sells them, and also takes selected cars from other owners. The company also lists a qualified mechanic and detailer in house, a Master-level judge from the National Corvette Restoration Society (NCRS) on staff, and a membership number with that club. It says its overhead is low enough to price cars realistically, and it also mentions a stock of automotive memorabilia.

What GM Down Under sells

Corvettes are the core. The home page sorts its cars into early C1 models from the 1950s and early '60s, C2 cars from 1963 to 1967, and C3 and newer cars, with a separate section for other vintage cars. The company says its range runs from drive-quality project cars to frame-off restored show cars. Recent listings and sold entries on the home page include Corvettes from model years 1960 through 1969, among them a fuel-injected car and a custom build with a GM LS3 engine. A 1969 convertible with a matching-numbers 350/350 engine and factory air conditioning was listed at $43,000 when we looked, and a 1998 convertible was marked as coming soon. The site also lists a few late-model cars such as a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado and a 2018 Tesla Model 3, which are not classics. To compare with the wider market, see classic Corvettes for sale on Classic Cars Arena.

Buying from GM Down Under

Cars are shown by appointment only. The company says many of its cars have been bought sight unseen by dealers and private buyers, including overseas customers, and customer letters on its site describe purchases shipped to Australia and Arizona, with the owner helping to arrange transport. The consignment page says qualified buyers can be picked up and dropped off at the airport and that test drives are limited to qualified buyers. The pages we read do not describe a financing program or list shipping prices, so ask about both before committing. As with any remote purchase, ask for the VIN, title status, and photos of the numbers, and consider an independent inspection by someone who knows Corvette originality.

Consigning a car

Owners can place a Corvette or other classic with the dealership. The company says it handles the whole sales process and advertises worldwide. It states that it is selective: it will not take cars with structural frame rust, major body or frame damage repairs, or unsafe vehicles, and cars must be priced to sell. Terms are described as flexible commissions and flexible consignment periods. A small safety-check charge and a minimal cleaning and advertising fee apply, folded into the commission if the car sells and payable if the owner pulls it. Cars can be consigned on or off the premises. For a general overview of fees and what to expect, read how classic car consignment works, then get the dealer's terms in writing.

Reputation

The dealership's own site carries several pages of customer comments from buyers in places such as Perth, Australia, Arizona and Los Angeles. These are testimonials chosen and published by the business, so treat them as the company's account rather than an independent rating. One buyer there says the owner was recommended on a Corvette forum. The company also cites its NCRS membership, which a buyer can ask the club to confirm. We did not find a BBB profile or a review score we could confirm directly, so check current Google and Yelp feedback and talk to past customers where possible.

Contact

The About and consignment pages list 714-434-8388, while the home page lists 949-400-0005. The home page email is [email protected]. Since the location details differ between pages, confirm the address by phone before traveling.