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Kufleitner Opens Vintage Vehicle Showroom in Salem
SALEM, Ohio -- The former Andrews Cycle dealership on Route 62 in Salem now is a dealership specializing in vintage or better cars, trucks and even motorcycles.
John Kufleitner, owner of Salem Chrysler Jeep Dodge and Columbiana Chrysler Jeep Dodge, recently opened his third dealership, John Kufleitner's Galleria of Vintage, Classic and Pristine Cars.
Kufleitner, president of the dealership, had originally looked at the closed Andrews dealership when he was going to build a new dealership in Salem but “just couldn’t work it out,” he said. He later ended up purchasing the property at auction.
Kufleitner acknowledged that one of his motives for acquiring the shuttered dealership is to prevent any competitors from getting their hands on it. “Quite frankly, I didn’t want any more car dealerships in Salem,” he said. “But I’ve always wanted a dealership where we could sell antique and classic cars and a few late-model, nice, low-mileage cars,” he continued. “So we saw the opportunity [and] we seized it.”
About a dozen vehicles were on the showroom floor Monday. They included such classics as a 1957 Ford Thunderbird convertible Factory E code, a 1956 Chevrolet Corvette and a 1947 Dodge Truck. “We like to dabble in everything,” he said. “We like motorcycles. We’ll take anything of value on trade. Like I said, we’ll pretty much take a chance on anything.”
“It doesn’t need to be exotic,” added Chuck Cougar, general manager of Salem Columbiana Jeep Dodge.
Selections at the dealership, which also offers an assortment of vehicles outside the main building, included vehicles as recent as this model year as well. “We’re going to stock a lot of late-model, low-mileage cars and trucks,” Kufleitner said. “I’ve got a Chevrolet Silverado out there with less than 2,000 miles [and] a GMC 1500 with less than 6,000 miles.”
Kufleitner said he already has sold a few cars, but a lot of people just want to come in to have a look at the vehicles on display. “They’re all welcome,” he said. “A lot of people like to look at the old cars, too, which is fine. If they want to buy then, it’s even better.”
Although the inventory features some pricier selections – the ’57 T-bird is stickered at $100,000, “and at $100,000 it’s a steal,” Kufleitner said -- he wants to have something for everybody.
“For that guy who comes in and wants a project for him and his 14-year-old son that don’t have a lot of money to spend … I want to have a car for them,” he said. “And I have a car for them -- a "Barracuda” that needs a full-flown restoration.
Kufleitner has 60,000 square feet of space, 17 acres and 1,000 square feet of frontage at the dealership, not all of which he expects to use for his operations. He expects to lease at least part of the property and already has been approached by potential tenants, he said..
“I’m pretty much open minded,” he remarked. “I’d like the buildings east of the showroom to be something that compliments the car business. … I don’t want to commit too early because I’m not sure how much [space] we’re going to need. We’ll be able to stock well over 100 used vehicles inside the building so we’ll have an indoor used car showroom in the wintertime. In the spring, summer, fall, we’ll still have a lot of cars that we’ll just leave outside.”
Copyright 2013 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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