When Brad Kassabian decided to sell his first car — a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Rally Sport — it was one of the most difficult decisions he ever made.
He loved everything about it. It was his baby. He loved the way it ran, its power, its sound, its looks. He even restored it himself when he was a teenager. He would be hard-pressed to find any flaw with it in his eyes.
Then why did he sell it?
He sold it out of necessity. About 30 years ago, Brad needed the capital to start his business — a classic muscle car dealership. Brad and his father started Kassabian Motors in 1989 near San Francisco.
A lot has happened and changed in the 30 years since he first opened the doors. The Kassabian name is well-known throughout the Bay area and his first dealership — USA Hot Cars — is still located there.
To keep up with the times and evolve with the changing landscape of the classic car industry brought on mostly by the Internet, Kassabian Motors rebranded itself as USA Hot Cars. Then five years ago, Brad decided to branch out and open a location in Las Vegas.
He opened Vegas Classic Muscle Cars, located in Henderson, Nev., and sells some of the most beautiful, rare and desirable classic, sports and muscle cars in the world.
“We wanted to be one more reason why Vegas was on the map, and the Vegas business is booming,” Brad told My Classic Garage.
Brad and his team at Vegas Classic Muscle Muscle Cars don’t sell or consign just any car. They scour the Southwest and the West Coast looking for vehicles that are pristine and meet a high set of standards. According to him, 95% of their inventory come from these areas so they’ve not been subjected to the harsh Midwest and Northeast winters or the oppressive humidity associated with the Southeast.
The cars they purchase usually carry a provenance and are either one-owner or one-family-owned cars.
Below are just five prime examples of the high-quality muscle cars Vegas Classic Muscle Cars has in its inventory.
There is, however, some irony (and sadness) in the fact that Brad had to sell one of the most iconic classic muscle cars in the world to start his own business selling classic muscle cars.
* New arrival to our Las Vegas indoor showroom * Early production 1965 Ford Mustang * 289 c.i. V-8 engine * Desirable 4-speed manual transmission * Four-barrel carburetor * Original and working AM radio * Original and solid floor pans * Dearborn, Michigan-built car * Nevada-titled car * Nice white interior with black carpet * Beautiful red paint
1970 Dodge Challenger Convertible ($74,995)
* New arrival to our Las Vegas indoor showroom * 440 Six-Pack V-8 engine * 4-speed manual transmission * Power steering * Power brakes * Dana 60 rear end * R/T stripes and badges added * Black power convertible top in great shape * Very nice black vinyle interior * Gorgeous Plumb Crazy Purple paint
1966 Pontiac LeMans Convertible ($34,995)
* New arrival to our Las Vegas indoor showroom * 326 c.i. V-8 engine * Automatic transmission * Factory air conditioning car * Power steering * Power brakes * Coys wheels * New black convertible top * Gorgeous black interior * Beautiful red paint
1978 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 ($26,995)
* New arrival to our Las Vegas indoor showroom * 350 c.i. V-8 engine * Automatic transmission * Power steering * Power brakes * Factory air conditioning car * Original black interior in great shape * Beautiful blue paint * Original build sheet * Believe to be original mileage
1966 Ford Mustang Convertible ($32,995)
* Now in our Las Vegas indoor showroom * Great car for cruising, top up or down * 289 c.i. V-8 engine * Edelbrock Performer 289 intake manifold * Model 1406 Edelbrock carburetor, 600 CFM * Dual exhaust includes exhaust headers * New gas tank and sending unit * Aluminum radiator with electric fan * Chrome valve covers and air cover * Automatic transmission * Power disc brakes up front * P225/60 R14 tires with new wheel covers * Sony FM/AM/CD player in glove box * Dark blue metallic paint *Black convertible top is like new, clear back window * Very nice black vinyl on seats, door panels, visors
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