About Us--Page 2

Because of the ideal climate, although that's not quite accurate since there is no "ideal" climate for cars. After all, they are made of quite different materials. See, if there is too much humidity in the air, cars will rust, which is really bad. However, if there's not enough humidity in the air, cars will "dry out," not so much the metal--that wouldn't be bad at all--but the interior. Dashboards and seats get cracks, rubber weatherstripping disintegrates, and seals start to leak. And, of course, paint fades if exposed to the powerful radiation deriving from our sun.
Now . . . the perfect compromise for a car therefore is a dry-climate, without rain and with a humidity of around 37%. In a word: Southern California!

And you guys have "golden hands" in finding these desirable cars?

Well . . . Bill is usually the one who finds them. In his line of work he meets the most interesting people. As you can imagine, many people who appreciate and can afford the finer things in life, such as art collectors, often also have at least one classic car in their garage. Bill leaves his phone number and sometimes, often after years, he receives a phone call, asking him whether or not he's still interested in that old car he saw back then. Amazing!

So it's luck, basically?

Sometimes it is. But it is more of a system of presence and persistency. That's why tourists are often upset if they leave the plane at LAX and, after a few weeks of vacationing and searching around, realize they can't find the car they are looking for. It's not that easy. And the implied danger here is that these folks then settle for any car that resembles their dream vehicle. It almost always turns out to be a huge mistake . . . you have to have patience!

Which brings us to the price. Don't you have to pay more for better cars?

Yes, we do. But paying a bit more for a much better car is a wise decision and always pays off in the long run. That's ancient wisdom. Don't buy a mediocre car and attempt to restore it to prime condition. In almost all instances you will lose the farm over it.
That aside, we still are able to sell classic cars reasonably, since we rather have happy customers, who help to build our reputation, than generating huge profits.

Are you telling me that you don't make money on these cars? C'me on . . .

Of course we make money. But it's probably less than people tend to believe. What separates us from typcial classic car dealers is that we turn our inventory more quickly than about anybody else in the country. The average time we have a car in stock once it's readied for sale is about 3 weeks and many cars we acquire sell before they even make it onto our Web site. That's unheard of in the business, so we must do something right! Bill and I have high ethical standards, and we believe that there are more important things in life than making as much money as possible. Californiaclassix suits us just fine the way it is.

We have to come to an end, unfortunately. One last advice, maybe?

Sure. Buying a car is a matter of trust. If you have doubts about a car you are considering, either inspect it yourself--preferably with someone who's familar with that type of car--or, in case it's too far away, have somebody take a look at it and get a professional appraisal. That'll always be money well spent.
If there is a car in the greater Los Angeles area you'd like to have checked out, contact us and we will be more than glad to assist you.

Thank you for the interview.

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My pleasure!