Smoky Mountain Traders

Smoky Mountain Traders is a family-owned classic and muscle car dealer at 2520 S Carver Road in Maryville, Tennessee, a short drive from Knoxville's McGee Tyson Airport. Better Business Bureau records date the business to 2004 and list Keith Bledsoe as president. The company says it buys all of its inventory itself, with no consignment cars on the lot.

Who they are

BBB lists the company as Smoky Mountain Traders, Inc., with a start date of 2004, Keith Bledsoe as president and Devvin Bledsoe on staff. The dealer's own About page says its staff have spent years around classic cars and own some themselves, and that the owner personally picks and buys the inventory. Some directory listings give the city as Lenoir City, but the address on the dealer's own site and on BBB is in Maryville.

How the business works

This is a dealer stock model. The company says it does not carry a floor plan, meaning the cars are bought outright rather than financed by a lender while they wait to sell, and it does not take cars on consignment. For buyers, that means a car on the site is generally one the dealer owns and has in its own possession. The site also has a "sell us your car" page for owners who want to sell outright, and a vehicle locator form for shoppers who want something specific.

What they sell

Smoky Mountain Traders describes itself as a muscle car, street rod and classic car dealer that focuses on cars of the 1960s and 1970s but can look for other vehicles. When we reviewed the site, it showed a 1966 Dodge Polara with a 383 V8 and a three-speed automatic as a new arrival, plus a 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass with a Rocket 350 and 37,000 miles and a 1984 Pontiac Grand Prix, both marked sold. The site keeps a separate page of sold cars.

Buying from Smoky Mountain Traders

• Appointments: the About page says the dealership is open by appointment only. Call 865-988-8088 before visiting.
• Pre-purchase inspections: the site says an inspection of a specific car must be scheduled three days in advance.
• Financing: the site links to three classic car lenders, J.J. Best Banc and Co., Woodside Credit and Collector Car Leaders. The dealer does not present itself as the lender.

As with any dealer, ask for the title, a detailed condition report and extra photos, and read our checklist on what to check before you buy. Prices on the site carry a monthly payment estimate based on 20 percent down over 108 months, which is the dealer's own illustration and not a loan offer.

Reputation

The BBB profile shows an A+ rating, and the business has been BBB accredited since May 10, 2019. BBB lists no complaints closed in the last three years and no customer reviews on that profile. We did not find a Google or Yelp star rating based on at least 10 reviews, so none is quoted here.

Visiting and contact

The showroom is at 2520 S Carver Road, Maryville, TN 37801, and the phone number is 865-988-8088. Visits are by appointment. To compare prices on similar cars, see these Tennessee classic cars for sale.