Among the nearly 200 classic cars in the Crown Classics and Hot Rods dealership in Ventura, the 1970 Chevrolet C10 CST truck caught Freddy Alacron’s eye.
The 51-year-old resident of Hughson near Modesto was in Ventura Tuesday looking at a 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle a local resident was selling. While in town, he heard about the dealership and stopped by.
That’s when he saw the truck that reminded him of his dad.
Crown Classics is celebrating its grand opening 6 p.m. Saturday with food, drinks, live music and a glimpse of its inventory. The dealership on Johnson Drive opened recently in the former Toys ‘R’ Us building.
“You can’t see this many cars in this quality of car in one spot,” Alarcon said. “It’s unique.”
Crown Classics buys and sells museum- and show-quality cars through auctions and private sellers from around the country, manager Paul Mills said. The dealership currently has about 180 vehicles ranging from 1930 to 2006. Crown Classics hopes to maintain an inventory of about 250 in the future.
Prices for their current classic cars start at $33,000 for 1970 Volkswagen Beetle and reach to $350,000 for a 1959 Chevrolet Impala convertible.
Some of the vehicles, like the 1961 Chrysler 300G Coupe once owned by former baseball player Reggie Jackson, have all their original parts with the vehicle identification number to prove it. The coupe recently sold to a buyer in Monterey for about $130,000, according to Mills.
Other vehicles are so-called “restomods,” cars whose outward appearance maintains its classic look, but its engine and interior have been modernized.
“It’s a rocket on wheels,” said Mills of one such red 1960 Chevrolet Corvette LS3. “It’s crazy fast.”
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Crown Classics, which is owned by Bob Crown, first opened in late 2021 in the Crown Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram dealership in Ventura with an inventory of about 25 vehicles. Mills said the cars sold fast, so the dealership looked at expanding into a different building.
It was a way to offset a loss in business caused by a lack of inventory that affected dealerships across the county.
Just across the freeway in Montalvo at 2975 Johnson Drive, the site was the perfect location. The approximately 450,000-square-foot building had been abandoned since the toy store closed in 2018, said Stephanie Caldwell, president and CEO of the Ventura Chamber of Commerce.
The building and lot attracted the local homeless population.
Mills said the building had to be gutted and remolded. The dealership removed piles of trash left over from a homeless encampment, put in new light fixtures, replaced the windows and repainted the walls to cover up graffiti.
The business also repainted the exterior of the building, resurfaced the parking lot and tended to the landscaping.
“(Crown Classics) revitalized that corner,” Caldwell said. “That is the gateway to Ventura from the south. It really looks fantastic.”
Local business owners agreed.
Although located across the street in the Northbank Plaza & Cafes shopping center, Missy Drayton, owner of Missy’s Cupcake Creations, said the homeless encampment negatively affected her business.
“The customers are really excited to see something there,” Drayton said. “It’s not just something, but it’s something different.”
She also said customers who come to Crown Classics from around the state and country might stop in at one of the local businesses, driving more money into the local economy.
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Kasey Kruft, owner of Sweet Peas Flowers and Gifts, wasn’t as optimistic.
She said Crown Classics will bring in one-time customers who may not stick around in the area, though she noted the area looks much better than it did in the recent past. Kruft said the building is better suited for a grocery store to accommodate future residents of a current housing development.
“Having Toys ‘R’ Us leave was a big hit and so was the (Century 16 movie theater) leaving,” Kruft said. “The Collection was a big hit as well. We, quite frankly, didn’t care who went in there. Any occupancy is better than nothing.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, Alacron was still negotiating a price on the Chevy C10, which has a nearly $70,000 price tag, Mills said. He’s also talking the decision over with his family.
Alacron has owned classic cars in the past, including a Ford Falcon and Galaxy, and currently owns a 1967 Pontiac LeMans.
He will be visiting the dealership again in the near future. Whether or not he buys something, however, depends on how much money he has in his pocket.
“Me and my wife have separate bank accounts,” Alarcon said. “I’m going to see if I can borrow some money from her.”
Brian J. Varela covers Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Camarillo. He can be reached at [email protected] or 805-477-8014. You can also find him on Twitter @BrianVarela805.