There is a massive market catering to those who are drawn in by the charm and nostalgia of classic cars. From the 1964 Pontiac GTO and the 1967 Chevy Impala to the 1983 DeLorean, there’s a wealth of classic cars available for every taste, whether you want something a little sportier or a more comfortable ride for cruising West down Route 66 to race the sunset.
For many enthusiasts, the trickiest part of navigating the classic car market isn’t finding the cars themselves but purchasing them from an honest and reputable seller. Landing on a trusted resource for well-maintained, fairly-priced classic vehicles can be the old “needle in a haystack” scenario.
Rudy Samsel built his business, Guys With Rides, with this need in mind.
After being downsized from a Fortune 10 pharma company where he worked as an Analytics Executive, Samsel decided to follow his passion. Tired of seeing his fellow classic car lovers battling the big dealerships and auction houses, he wanted to level the playing field and give both buyers and sellers a reputable, smaller market to buy and sell their classic cars.
“We have been the ‘David’ in a ‘David and Goliath’ industry for a few years now,” explains Samsel. “We wanted to offer people quality rides with no surprises.”
The Guys With Rides difference
Guys With Rides has set itself apart from the competition — often large dealerships and auction houses — by offering what they consider their Twelve Key Advantages. “We are the site for people who value quality over quantity, first and foremost,” says Samsel.
The business hosts auctions of classic and collector cars and is always on the lookout for those “unicorn” makes and models that, as the name suggests, rarely appear for sale. They offer free market appraisals and low fees for both buyers and sellers so they can quickly take cars to auction, often beating competitors to the punch.
Samsel is admittedly discerning when it comes to what rides make it onto his site, always keeping the “quality over quantity” ethos in mind. “We are extremely picky and list only desirable cars for bidding,” he explains. “Exceedingly rare, classic rides do not often come up for sale by owner, so extreme rarity makes it easy for a small site like ours to stand out when our ‘unicorn’ cars are put up for auction by private sellers.”
The hallmark of Guys With Rides is its dealer-free platform. With dealer money and influence out of the mix, the “little guys” have a better chance of access to classic cars. Where traditional, in-person auctions can increase buyers’ costs by thousands, the online auctions offered by Guys With Rides allow buyers and sellers to save time and money.
Many of the cars that Guys With Rides offer by auction are “survivor-quality” rides, meaning the original owner passed away. Samsel and his team works with families and estate managers to find good homes for what are often the prized possessions of the person who passed away.
Guys With Rides also offers “Reserve Only Auctions” and “Make An Offer” buying, as well as lower damage risk to the cars, complimentary pre-purchase inspections, free photography, and automatic proxy bidding. It’s all in an effort to give the average buyer a chance to snag their dream classic ride.
White-glove, down-to-earth service
For Samsel, the difference between Guys With Rides and the big auction companies in the classic car market comes down to service. “With us, you can list your car faster,” he explains. “We also have outstanding photographers and complimentary inspections, but the biggest difference is that if you have an issue, you can get on the phone and talk to a person in seconds.”
Samsel has set out to bring the thrill of the hunt and the excitement of the traditional classic car auction back to the people. By combining a lifetime of Samsel’s analytics skills and harnessing the passion classic car enthusiasts have for their rides, Guys With Rides is redefining the classic car auction experience.
Published by: Martin De Juan
