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 franchised dealership located on business U.S. Route 117 in Pikeville, North Carolina.

Background

Robert Collier established Collier Motors in 1955 as a single entrepreneur while in his 20s. His father was also in the automobile business and continued working until he was in his 80s. Collier transitioned from marketing Chevrolets to selling cars made by American Motors Corporation. The longstanding relationship with AMC continued until the automaker was partially purchased by Renault in 1979.
After AMC started importing Renaults, Collier decided he preferred to sell only domestic-designed and built AMC cars. 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.
The 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." Collier died on February 11, 2018, at the age of 88.

Business

Collier Motors sits frozen in time. 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. They include 1970s and 1980s-model AMCs, such as Gremlins, Pacers, Matadors, Javelins, Eagles, and Concords. Some still retain their original window stickers. 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", two Alabama Highway Patrol Javelins, and a Nash from the 1991 movie The Marrying Man.

Television

In 2015, Collier Motors was featured on two History Channel shows: American Pickers. and Lost in Transmission.