Last summer, one member of the crew went to the United States of America for a little discovery trip. As the passion for classics is permanently in our hearts, he was delighted to discover that amazing garage. The story is quite funny because while we were coming back from a tour in the outstanding town of Orlando, a little bit to the north of Miami, we saw a gigantic line of vintage cars all perfectly parked perpendicularly to the highway. What a show.
Without hesitating, we took the next exit of the highway in order to visit Ted Vernon, the owner of that famous garage “Ted Vernon Specialty Automobiles Inc.” re-titled “South Beach Classics” by Discovery Channel on which Ted regularly airs a show with his wife Robin Vernon about the purchase/sale of vintage customized (or not) cars.
The lovers of the Southeast of the United States know really well Ted Vernon and his amazing collection, that is to say more than 300 classic American cars located in Miami, a town where classic cars are really popular and where he has built a national name. We have to know that before becoming the proud owner of this garage, Ted was a comedian who acted in several American movie and series of all kinds.
He reconverted himself in what he loves most: vintage cars. His wife Robin is in charge of the administrative part of the garage whereas Ted takes care of the customer contact and the purchases/sales. He told us that he sells a lot of cars in Europe and that he sells, on average, one car a month in Belgium.
We can find a lot of models and brands in Ted Vernon’s garage… to say the least. We didn’t know where to look between the customized motorcycles, the hot rods, the muscle cars, and so on. Ted didn’t specialize or focus himself on only one type or model, in fact, he buys and sells everything he finds cool.
Of course, it was no surprise for us to see enormous rims, flashy colours, in other words, typical American custom. It is really different from all the vehicles we can find in central Europe. That is the reason why we headed to Ted’s, to take a closer look at what we are not used to usually see on the internet or on television: American extravagance!
Entering his showroom, we thought he wouldn’t be there, however, he was. It was mister Ted himself who welcomed us. I’ll always remember this moment because when he asked us the traditional “where are you from?”, I hardly had enough time to pronounce Belg… that he rushed towards his office asking me to follow him to show me a dedicated vinyl f Plastic Bertrand, That was the beginning of a long conversation.
Ted really buys everything, he is a real businessman. He also owns several customized motorcycles and if you are looking for a customized two-wheeled typically American vehicle, you are at the right place! And Ted will take care of the delivery to Europe with pleasure.
What a nice surprise coming across Belgian licence plates: a great souvenir left by a Belgian couple on holiday in Miami and fan of the show on Discovery Channel.
In the very clean showroom of the garage, the last little gems are exposed. During our tour, Ted left us alone for a while in order to complete the sale of a hot rod with a client who was standing in the showroom as well. After completing the sale, Ted came back to us with a smile on his face explaining that the car he had just sold had only been there for just a few days and that the client was really happy to buy it.
The staging of the garage is really meticulous; everything is set to make us feel good. And we really feel great in Florida when we see that kind of pick-ups with a little palm tree and a surfboard.
A little line of Vespa is also part of the landscape at South Beach Classics, those scooter are really popular and convenient in Miami.
You can notice that Ted’s collection is pretty huge; in his garage you can find all brands, models, large displacements placed side by side.
A lightly weathered Plymouth in its original condition, a good maintenance and we can say “on the road again” as people say in Miami.
We can also notice that the colours are very extravagant there, and those colours really suit the cars knowing that in this part of the country, the weather is pretty hot.
Some Muscle cars of course, and big “coup de Coeur” for this Chevrolet Impala “modified for a race”: a pure beauty.
The famous line of cars that we can spot along the highway. Ted is a real collector.
I could easily imagine this pick-up here in Belgium, going through the little roads of Brussels. Why not?
A very original way to expose his classic cars to the drivers going along the highway, several beauties are lined up on decks facing the drivers. It would be impossible not seeing them.
The famous van of Scooby Doo : ” Scooby Doo Where Are You ? ”
A meeting that we will never forget. I would like to thank Ted personally for his welcome and his kindness during our visit at his garage. It is a garage where you feel really comfortable and when you have to go at least one time in a lifetime. His collection is just amazing and diversified.
Ted supports us, I think he is satisfied by our logo Brussels Oldtimers.
Thank you Ted.
www.southbeachclassics.com