Collier Motors
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Car dealership |
| Founded | 1955 |
| Headquarters | Pikeville, North Carolina |
| Products | General automotive repair and parts |
Collier Motors was an American Motors (AMC) dealership in Pikeville, North Carolina.[1] Owner Robert Collier still sells AMC cars, parts, and scrap parts that are kept at the original location of the business.[2]
Background
Robert Collier established Collier Motors in 1955 as a single entrepreneur while in his 20s.[3] His father was also in the automobile business and continued working until he was in his 80s.[3] The Collier family had a longstanding relationship with AMC from the 1950s until the company was partially purchased by Renault in 1979.[4] After AMC started selling imported Renaults, Robert Collier decided to only sell domestic designed and built AMC cars.[3]
Rather than selling new Renault-derived passenger cars, such as the Alliance, Collier continued to sell the pre-Renault stock he already had on the lot and focus on older AMC cars.
American Motors was bought by Chrysler in 1987. A report in 2005 estimated that the dealership had about 275 old AMC vehicles in various condition on their lot.[5]
Business
Collier Motors sits frozen in time.[6] Although the lot is overgrown with weeds, Collier continues to sell whole cars and parts, although many of them are in poor shape as they have been sitting on the lot since the early 1980s.[7] They include 1970s and 1980-model AMCs, such as Gremlins, Pacers, Matadors, Javelins, Eagles, and Concords. Many retain their original window stickers.[8] Everything is for sale, but an appointment is needed.
Historic vehicles
The AMC vehicles that were personally owned by Robert Collier include unique historic examples.[4] Some of them included Barry Goldwater's "flashy" black two-seat AMX muscle car with a "tricked-out dash",[9] two Alabama Highway Patrol Javelins, and a Nash from the 1991 movie The Marrying Man.[4]
Notes
- ↑ "Company Profile: Collier Motors AMC". Manta Media. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ↑ Marr, Gary; Marr, Jesse (May–June 2006). "Why we weren't at Dale's house (or the winter meeting)". AMX-Clamation (American Motors Owners Association) 15 (3).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Jones, Wigwam; posted by "Kelvinator" (2005). "Loyal To The End". Archived from the original on 5 June 2009. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 gremlinx.com. "Collier Motors: The Last 'Surviving?' AMC Dealership". Archived from the original on 30 August 200. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
- ↑ Pilotte, Kevin (21 February 2005). "American Motors/Body parts". All Experts (About.com). Retrieved 21 May 2013.
- ↑ Cranswick, Marc (2012). The Cars of American Motors: An Illustrated History. McFarland. p. 318. ISBN 978-0-7864-4672-8. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ↑ "The Last Remaining AMC Dealership". AMC Hornet com. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ↑ Truesdell, Rich (4 April 2009). "An AMC Weekend in North Carolina". Automotive Traveler. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ↑ Lemons, Stephen (19 October 2006). "Goldwater Uncut". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
Further reading
- Publications
- Cotter, Tom; Martin, Keith (2010). "The good, the bad, and the lucky: Pikeville Purgatory". The Corvette in the Barn: More Great Stories of Automotive Archaeology. MBI Publishing. pp. 239–234. ISBN 978-0-7603-3797-4. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- Jancer, Matthew (April 2012). "Collier AMC Dealership - The Living Dead". Hot Rod Magazine. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- Images
- "Collier Motors". www.bangshift.com. August 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- "Lost Dealerships of The Southeast US". route66rambler.com. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- Strohl, Daniel (8 May 2008). "Still more old AMC dealerships spotted in North Carolina". Hemmings Motor News. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
External links
Media related to Collier Motors (North Carolina) at Wikimedia Commons
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| American Motors (AMC) road car timeline, United States market, 1954–1987 Eagle » | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Type | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||
| Subcompact | Metropolitan | LeCar | Encore | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gremlin | Spirit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Compact | Rambler | Rambler American | Hornet | Concord | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jet | Pacer | Alliance | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mid-size | Rambler Six and V8 | Classic | Rebel | Matador | 18i/Sportwagon | Medallion | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rebel V8 | Marlin | Matador Coupe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full-size | Nash Ambassador | Ambassador | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hudson Hornet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hudson Wasp | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sports | N-H | AMX | AMX | Fuego | GTA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Italia | Javelin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Crossover | Eagle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SUV | see early timeline of Jeep models | see late timeline of Jeep models | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Military vehicles | Mighty Mite | AM General | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vehicle sold under Renault marque | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coordinates: 35°29′23″N 77°58′57″W / 35.48972°N 77.98250°W