Peruse classic cars and memorabilia at new Investment Classics showroom in Saugatuck
SAUGATUCK — Chicago native Ron Levine is gearing up to share his longtime collection of classic cars and memorabilia with West Michigan.
"I've always had a passion for cars," Levine, owner of the new Investment Classics showroom at 3512 Commercial Blvd., told The Sentinel. "And passion is a difficult thing to control. At some point, you have to sell things — because I have a tendency to want to keep them all."
Levine is from Chicago, but spent time in West Michigan in his youth.
"I've gotten reacquainted with the area and now we have a home in Douglas," Levine said. "I decided, you know, I had all these cars stored in locations across Chicago, and I'd reached a point where I really forgot where I put them all, so it was time to consolidate. We've been building the showroom for a year now, and it's finally finished."
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The collection displayed, Levine said, took years to compile.
"I started going to auctions and buying cars, and that's a difficult thing to do, because what happened during the process is I got landed with memorabilia and collectibles of all sorts," Levine said.
Investment Classics hosted a grand opening Saturday, and will remain open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
"We'll have those items for sale, and for people who have collector cars or even new cars and want some added protection, we'll do protective coatings," Levine said. "It's not detailing, but it's an extra level of protection that makes an older car look nicer and brings it back to life."
Can't find what you're looking for at Investment Classics? Levine wants to help there, too.
"I have quite an extensive database and I can attempt to find it," he said. "We love to talk cars and we'd love to find the right car."
Restored classics in the showroom range from Thunderbirds to Jaguars to Porsches, plus signed jerseys from Michael Jordan and Tom Brady and outfits worn by three of the four Beatles.
Levine compares his passion for classics to maintaining the magic of childhood.
"I don't think any of that boyhood excitement ever really goes away," he said. "At least, I hope it doesn't."
— Contact reporter Cassandra Lybrink at cassandra.lybrink@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on Instagram @BizHolland.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Chicago native opens classic car and memorabilia showroom in Saugatuck
