Vintage Motorcars

Vintage Motorcars LLC is a family-run classic car restoration shop and dealer at 2000 Boston Post Road in Westbrook, Connecticut, on the shoreline between New Haven and New London. The business says it began as a hobby in the Willard family's backyard in Old Lyme before growing into its current 30,000 square foot facility. Richard Willard is listed as president, and the company's site also names Sam Willard and Andrew Willard on its team.

History

The company does not give a founding date on its own site, though it advertises more than 40 years of experience. The Better Business Bureau lists the business as started on January 1, 2000, while some directories describe the company as in business since 1984. Because those sources conflict, no founding year is stated here. The business describes itself as a one-stop restoration shop.

What it does

Restoration is the center of the business. The site lists complete restorations, body work, mechanical and electrical work, paint, wiring, glass installation, and custom upholstery and convertible tops, with a dedicated 1,500 square foot upholstery area. The company says it has done hundreds of restorations for clients around the world and that its team has won car show awards, both its own claims. It also lists auto sales, purchase and brokerage services.

What it sells

Cars featured on its pages have included a 1967 Pontiac GTO, a 1965 Maserati Mistral and a 1948 Packard, with asking prices ranging from about $2,900 to $125,000 when we looked, and the range includes unfinished projects. Inventory changes, so treat those as examples rather than a current list.

Buying from Vintage Motorcars

Buying from a restoration shop has an advantage: the people selling the car often know it, or have worked on it. It also means asking what work was done in house, what was done elsewhere, and whether there are invoices to prove it. Financing and shipping are not mentioned on the pages we reviewed, so ask about both if you are buying from outside Connecticut. The questions in our guide to what to check before you buy apply here as well.

Reputation

The company is not BBB accredited. Its BBB page shows no rating, no customer reviews, and no complaints closed in the last three years. A video feature from GQ magazine is linked from the business's site, which is the business's own pointer to press coverage. We did not verify review counts on other platforms, so no star rating is given.

Visiting

The shop is at 2000 Boston Post Road, Westbrook, Connecticut 06498, and the phone number is (860) 399-2311. The site lists hours of 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday; since it is a working shop, call before you visit. The public email address is [email protected]. For other cars across the region, see classic cars for sale around the state.