Gateway Classic Cars of Milwaukee is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, 35 miles south of Milwaukee. The venue, which is the twelfth of sixteen Gateway Classic Cars locations, opened in 2016. The brand new facility offers close to 40,000 square feet of showroom space, allowing for between 100-150 classic cars to be displayed on the showroom floor at all times.
Although a consignment-based dealer, the vehicles at Gateway Classic Cars of Milwaukee are a draw for visitors who are welcome to tour the showroom floor. Vehicles on site at the Kenosha showroom range from a 1919 Dodge Coupe, the oldest in the current inventory, to a candy apple red 1969 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, the most expensive in the current inventory at close to one half million dollars. Vehicles recently sold from Kenosha include a 1926 Ford Model T Coupe, considered the 20th century’s most influential car, and a 1934 3-window Ford Coupe, rebuilt as an iconic hot-rod with black pearl exterior, air-conditioning, power steering and a 3-speed automatic transmission. Some of the more unique cars on the property include a 1967 Morris Minor 1000 from Britain, a Clenet Convertible from 1980, built by Clenet Coachworks in Santa Barbara, and a rare, 1990 Suzuki Alto Works RS/R, believed to be the only such micro car in the United States.
If a car is listed as ‘Numbers Matching,’ it means the vehicle still has the original engine and transmission. This is sometimes difficult to prove as there were no identifying marks matching transmissions, engines and body parts on early cars. Many of the classic cars on the lot have been customized into ‘Hot Rod’ vehicles and updated with modern conveniences such as power steering and windows, air-conditioning, and automatic transmissions. The term Hot Rod typically refers to any classic American car with an engine modified for speed. Hot Rod may also be used as a technical term for any motorized vehicle with an engine not original to the body.
History: Gateway Classic Cars was founded in 1999 with its headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri. Since then, the company has sold over 25,000 vehicles, and is now the world’s largest classic car dealer, with over 2,700 vehicles for sale at any one time. Selling via consignment, the company has become a seller’s choice by listing their vehicles on over 250 websites, garnering over 5.2 million views annually. By providing financing and global shipping, and by offering 16 showrooms across the United States, Gateway Classic Cars has succeeded in making the classic car buying and selling experience easier and more accessible for all parties. Gateway Classic Cars is privately owned by Sal Akbani, who serves as President and CEO. The company expects sales of over $60 million in 2018.
The Kenosha Visitors Bureau has named Gateway Classic Cars of Milwaukee a top tourist attraction for the Kenosha, Wisconsin area. The location takes pride in being ‘like a museum, but you can take the cars home with you,’ as one guest is quoted as saying.
Ongoing Programs and Education: Cars and Coffee takes place the last Saturday of each month from 9am to noon. Visitors are invited to show off their own cars in the showroom’s parking lot, enjoy a cup of coffee and browse the showroom floor to see the newest classic, exotic and collectible arrivals.
Past and Future Exhibits: Past events at the Milwaukee showroom in Kenosha have included the annual Holiday Party. The family-friendly event invited Santa Claus and offered free lunch to anyone who brought a toy for Kenosha’s Toys for Tots program. An annual Trunk or Treat event is a Halloween themed Cars and Coffee in October. Guests are invited to fill their trunks with candy for children, and display their personal classic vehicles. Neighborhood children are invited to trick or treat, and coffee and donuts are provided. Wisconsin Hot Rod Radio sponsored a summer hot rod cruise in July. At the first annual event drivers met up at Quaker Steak and Lube in New Berlin, Wisconsin for breakfast, then drove to Gateway Classic Cars for lunch and a tour of the showroom.
What’s Nearby: Kenosha, Wisconsin is located on the shores of Lake Michigan, just over 30 miles south of Milwaukee. Additional attractions include the Southport Light Station Museum, a light keeper’s home from the 1860’s, the Dinosaur Discovery Museum, Civil War Museum, and the Kenosha Public Museum, which displays fine art, decorative arts, and artifacts of natural history.
9949 58th Pl #400, Kenosha, WI 53144, Phone: 262-891-4253
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