Universal Muscle Cars

Universal Muscle Cars is a family-owned classic and muscle car dealer in Linthicum Heights, Maryland, just south of Baltimore. The company says it has been family owned and operated since 1990 and has more than 30 years in the classic car business. The owners are brothers Mike and Steve Needle, who by the company's account have been building cars since they were teenagers, with a Pontiac GTO as the car that started it all.

How the business works

Universal Muscle Cars is a conventional dealership that owns the cars it sells. Its site says it does not take cars on consignment. It also runs a repair and restoration operation, which matches the company's own origin story of a small used car lot paired with a repair shop. For buyers, owning the stock means the cars are at the Linthicum Heights location and can be seen in person.

What it sells

The focus is American classics and muscle cars from Chevrolet, Pontiac, Ford, Dodge, Plymouth, Oldsmobile and Buick. The company also lists hot rods, street rods, pro-streets, rat rods, resto-mods and pro-touring builds. Beyond American iron, it says it deals in English and German antiques and collector vehicles, as well as classic motorcycles and mini-bikes. Inventory changes often, so the current listings are the best guide to what is available.

Services

The company lists a broad set of services for a dealer of its size:

• Financing and trade-in evaluations.
• Shipping, which the site describes as worldwide.
• Restoration, repair and service, including full-frame work and custom builds, plus detailing.
• Pre-purchase inspections and appraisals.
• Auction representation and help finding a specific car.

The site also says most models carry a 12 month, 12,000 mile warranty. That is the company's own claim, so ask for the warranty terms in writing before you buy. Our advice on buying from a classic car dealer lists the paperwork and inspection steps that matter with any dealer.

Reputation

The Better Business Bureau lists Universal Muscle Cars with an A+ rating. It is not BBB accredited. The BBB profile shows a business start date of July 2005, which differs from the 1990 date the company uses for its family history, and it shows zero complaints closed in the last three years and a single customer review. A small number of reviews is not much to go on, so use the BBB record as one data point and check recent customer comments on other platforms as well.

Visiting Universal Muscle Cars

The dealership is at 706 Wedeman Avenue, Linthicum Heights, Maryland 21090, and the phone number is 410-636-0511. Its contact page lists hours of Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with Sunday by appointment. Hours can change, so call ahead. To compare its prices with other sellers, browse more classic cars in Maryland.