Collier Motors

Collier Motors is a private car dealership of primarily AMC cars back stock along with other cars, which was for many years an American Motors (AMC) franchised dealership located on business U.S. Route 117 in Pikeville, North Carolina.[1]

Collier Motors
TypePrivate
IndustryCar dealership
Founded1955
FounderRobert Collier
HeadquartersPikeville, North Carolina
ProductsGeneral automotive repair and parts
Vehicle inventory in the front lot
The dealership as of February 2011
The front lot as of January 2012
Rambler vehicles, surrounded by overgrown vegetation

Background

Robert Collier established Collier Motors in 1955 as a single entrepreneur while in his 20s.[2] His father was also in the automobile business and continued working until he was in his 80s.[2] Collier transitioned from marketing Chevrolets to selling cars made by American Motors Corporation (AMC).[3] The longstanding relationship with AMC continued until the automaker was partially purchased by Renault in 1979.[4]

After AMC started importing Renaults, Collier decided he preferred to sell only domestic-designed and built AMC cars.[2] 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, but focused his dealership on older AMC cars and Jeep vehicles. American Motors was bought by Chrysler in 1987.[5]

The 5-acre (2.0 ha) property is on the west side of old U.S. Route 117. By 2010, the business was described as having "vehicles and parts slowly returning to the soil."[6] Collier died on February 11, 2018, at the age of 88.[3]

Business

Collier Motors sits frozen in time.[7] Although the lot is overgrown with trees and weeds, Collier's family continues to sell off the remaining whole cars and parts, despite the majority of them in poor shape sitting outside unprotected on the lot since the early 1980s.[8] They include 1970s and 1980s-model AMCs, such as Gremlins, Pacers, Matadors, Javelins, Eagles, and Concords. Some still retain their original window stickers.[9] Everything is for sale, but an appointment is needed.

Historic AMC vehicles

Historic vehicles owned by the Collier family and stored at the lot include unique examples such as Barry Goldwater's two-seat AMX muscle car with a "tricked-out dash",[10] two Alabama Highway Patrol Javelins, and a Nash from the 1991 movie The Marrying Man.[4]

Television

In 2015, Collier Motors was featured on two History Channel shows: American Pickers (episode "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" originally aired May 13, 2015).[11] and Lost in Transmission (episode "Fly Like an Eagle" originally aired June 4, 2015).

References
  1. "Company Profile: Collier Motors AMC". Manta Media. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  2. Jones, Wigwam (2005). "Loyal To The End". Archived from the original on 5 June 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  3. "Obituaries: Bobby Collier". www.newsargus.com. Goldsboro News-Argus. 13 February 2018. Archived from the original on 6 September 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  4. gremlinx.com. "Collier Motors: The Last 'Surviving?' AMC Dealership". Archived from the original on 30 August 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  5. Holusha, John (10 March 1987). "Chrysler is buying American Motors; cost is $1.5 billion". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  6. Hyde, Justin (15 September 2010). "America's Abandoned Auto Dealerships". Jalopnik. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  7. Cranswick, Marc (2012). The Cars of American Motors: An Illustrated History. McFarland. p. 318. ISBN 978-0-7864-4672-8. Retrieved 21 August 2014. Collier Motors NC.
  8. "The Last Remaining AMC Dealership". AMC Hornet com. Archived from the original on 7 April 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  9. Truesdell, Rich (4 April 2009). "An AMC Weekend in North Carolina". Automotive Traveler. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  10. Lemons, Stephen (19 October 2006). "Goldwater Uncut". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  11. "American Pickers Episode #157: "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall"". The History Channel. 13 May 2015.

Further reading

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