Dealer closed down in 1981 and kept the cars...: Classic Cars forum: Classic Motorsports

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March 16, 2010 3:34 p.m. BrettM Reader

http://www.autobild.de/mmg/mm_bildergalerie_668983.html#

Amazing! A dealership closed in 1981 leaving all of its stock in storage. What a cool find. I would love to go through some of these cars.
March 16, 2010 5:05 p.m. BoxheadTim HalfDork

Well, a lot of them are for sale...

Most of the stock appears to be p/xs that didn't get sold in time, but there are some new cars in there that won't ever see the road but from the back of a trailer. As they have never been registered, they're classed as new and as they can't meet emissions targets, they can't be registered.

Well, that's at least part of what the article said in the little sidebars.

The story seems to be that in 1981, Fiat Denmark gave the dealer a choice between having a truck or a car dealership. He took the truck dealership and just closed the car dealership with all the unsold stock in place.

His son is now making an effort to sell some of the cars (they're keeping the really good ones, or at least some of the good and rare ones).
March 16, 2010 7:22 p.m. David S. Wallens Editorial Director

Very cool. Makes you wonder if there's something like that here in the States. It's a big country, right? There could be a semi-stocked, abandoned dealership out there....
March 17, 2010 2:38 a.m. BoxheadTim HalfDork

I would almost be surprised if there wasn't.
March 17, 2010 9:39 a.m. DneprDave New Reader

A guy I worked with once asked me if I knew anything about the Studebaker Avanti, he knew I was a car guy. He had a neighbor who had been a Studebaker dealer and had a lot of new/old stock in his home shop. His neighbor gave him a rare Avanti R3 engine that was still in the crate! He was looking for a car to put the motor in.

Dave
March 17, 2010 8:25 p.m. shadetree30 New Reader

David S. Wallens wrote: Very cool. Makes you wonder if there's something like that here in the States. It's a big country, right? There could be a semi-stocked, abandoned dealership out there....

It would have had to have been a dealership that was self-funded, i.e., no floor plan. Otherwise the bank would have come and got the cars, I guess...

That said: There's an abandoned Triumph dealership (no cars, tho'...) here in PA (approx 10 mi north of me). Apparently the owner is Non Compos Mentos and won't even sell the TRIUMPH sign...

...and IIRC I sent a picture or two to Ran When Parked awhile ago...
March 18, 2010 9:58 a.m. DneprDave New Reader

I think you mean "non compos mentis".

"Non compos mentos" means that he has bad breath mints.

Dave
March 18, 2010 3:09 p.m. mattmacklind PowerDork

Thats sad. I was wondering if this had taken place in the US, if the cars could somehow be partially dismantled, sold as parts, reassembled by the buyer and salvage titled. I'm not much for international-auto-titling-and-emissions law, unfortunately.

Frustrating to see some of those cars, I love the little old Peugot and Audi hiding in there. Such sad eyes poking out.
March 18, 2010 4:15 p.m. BoxheadTim HalfDork

mattmacklind wrote: Frustrating to see some of those cars, I love the little old Peugot and Audi hiding in there. Such sad eyes poking out.

Actually, these can probably go back on the road (I think those were some of the p/xs), it's the never registered 127s etc that can't.
March 18, 2010 7:37 p.m. shadetree30 New Reader

DneprDave wrote: I think you mean "non compos mentis". "Non compos mentos" means that he has bad breath mints. Dave

That, too!