Good Neighbor Podcast North Atlanta
Bringing Together Local Businesses & Neighbors of North Atlanta
Good Neighbor Podcast North Atlanta
EP #66: American Street Machines with Todd & Kelly Willoughby
Ever dreamt about leaving the corporate world to follow your passion? Picture this: Todd Willoughby, one half of the power couple who run the classic car dealership, American Street Machines, did just that. Together with his wife, Kelly, they've blended their love for speed with accessible options, dismantling the notion that classic cars are only for the wealthy. Strap in as they share their fascinating journey through the high-octane world of classic cars, while offering affordable deals and even financing for up to 144 months!
But it's not all horsepower and carburetors. Todd and Kelly have ridden a roller-coaster of personal challenges and come out the other side stronger. Hear their story of resilience, navigating a difficult divorce, and then redefining their business together. Kelly also shares her insights on being a woman in a male-driven industry and how their combined knowledge contributes to their success. They have a big heart for their community, hosting car shows and fundraisers for local charities. There's much more under the hood than you might expect at their classic car dealership in Lilburn, Georgia!
This is the Good Neighbor podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Stacey Grizzly.
Speaker 2:Hello friends and neighbors, Welcome to today's episode of North Atlanta's Good Neighbor podcast. Today we're here with Todd and Kelly Willoughby of American Street Machines. Kelly and Todd, how are y'all?
Speaker 3:Hey, good, how are you doing, stacey?
Speaker 2:Good morning, stacey, good morning. Good morning, so happy to have you guys on today. Just the name of your business alone has my curiosity, pete American Street Machines. I can't wait to hear all about it. So actually, todd, if you'll go ahead and get started by telling us about your business, Well, we are a classic car dealer, classic muscle car dealer in Lillebren, georgia.
Speaker 3:We started this. Well, I started this back in 2003. I got sick of the corporate world and decided you know what I'm going to get into, what I love, which is classic cars, and I know I have a lot of knowledge of muscle cars, you know. So it's been a fun business. I buy, sell, consign trade, I locate cars for all kinds of collectors and clients. I've got a whole book of references of collectors around here that I've sold their cars for found cars, for you know they just love the car community. You know it's a great. This is a great market for cars here in the Southeast.
Speaker 2:Yeah well. So that kind of leads us into the next question. You touched on it. You said that you got tired of being in the corporate world and decided to get into what you love. And you know it's my experience that people that are doing what they love and they're passionate about are the best businesses to do business with. You know it's authentic. So that kind of transitions us into the next question, which is you know, tell listeners about your journey. You know about your journey into American street machines.
Speaker 3:Well, you know I was. I was the kid that grew up that always had my, my face in a magazine, you know, reading about, about cars and and what made certain cars rare. And you know the big horsepower cars, the Camaro's. You know the stuff in the late 60s, early 70s. And you know I worked in the corporate world for a while after college and I just I had to get back into cars because that's what I grew up with. And so you know, when I first started American street machines, I really didn't, I didn't have a building or anything yet I just started with the local community, local car community here in Atlanta. I was brand new to Atlanta, moved here from California and and just decided, you know, but this is what I'm going to chase. You know, I turned down a corporate job and just started going to meet in the car clubs and car meets and everything and meeting everyone and and everyone kind of caught on that. I had a lot of knowledge in the industry. So I started American street machines and it took off from there.
Speaker 2:And you said that was in 2003 that you started. Is that, was that correct?
Speaker 3:Yes, 2003.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Wow, yeah, that's great. 20 years this year.
Speaker 3:Yes, yeah.
Speaker 2:How exciting. Well, are there any you know myths or misconceptions that you'd like to clear up with listeners about, about your industry or about your business in particular?
Speaker 3:Well, you know, the one of the biggest things is, you know, you see the auctions on TV, you see the Mika auctions and the Barry Jackson auctions where people are getting 200, 300 thousand for their, their classic Camaro or something you know, and and then they think that they can't afford one Because they see how much they sell for on TV.
Speaker 2:That's a really great point, todd, because I have seen those shows and and I'm not, you know, I don't have much experience with with cars at all, and I've even seen those shows and they are going for it for so much money that I would have thought that too. So, yeah, expand on that, tell us a little bit more.
Speaker 3:Well, there's, you know, there, there are cars out in the market that of course, there their collector car. There's only, say, 60, 67 of them made and those are gonna go for a lot of money, you know. But there's, there are cars that are affordable. You're looking for a 69 Camaro. You don't need, this is e28. It's gonna be a hundred and twenty five thousand. You can get a 69 Super Sport for, you know, around 60, 65 thousand Plus. They have a hundred and forty four month financing on these cars, so you don't have to throw all the money out on them right off the bat. You know you can finance these cars that long.
Speaker 2:I did not. I didn't know there was any such thing as, do you say, a hundred and forty four month financing? Wow, yes. Because it's classic, because they're classic. Is that what makes them, you know, qualify for that long of a term?
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's a collector car, so they know you're not going to be driving it every day. It's a collector car that you have parked and you take it out for shows. That's why your insurance is cheaper. You can get longer financing everything on.
Speaker 2:Well, that's good information for the public. For sure. I had no idea that you get it financing for that long, but it does make sense. I mean, you know they're not really driving it, they're more it's a collector's item. Well, it's done. Shifting gears just a little bit. What do you guys do for fun when you're not working?
Speaker 4:For fun. So we are in the car culture world. Obviously we love cars we talked about. This is a business we do because we love the industry. So, even for fun, we just love the fast life, right. So we have a 77 howlet jet boat, classic boat. We caught loud and proud because it has a huge, huge impact on it. It can be seen in our social media, but we brought our jet boat we go to like. This past week we went to Daytona to have fun, be our family. Also, they have a big car show called the rod run. So I, like I said before, I were always working, ha ha ha. But what we do is we love. So we're always dealing, you know, with fast life, fun stuff and and just enjoying our life right now. You know our age, at this point in our life, we, we want to have fun. We also have to work. So we're trying to work our play hard. That's our motto.
Speaker 2:It's a great motto to have to. I love that. Loud and proud, that's a good name.
Speaker 4:We also have our own. Our personal vehicles are classic cars. So I own a 68 LS3 Restom I Camaro personally, and then you have a 89 Dooley square body lowered with a 454 motor. So we are motorheads, like you're saying. I'm what you say about it.
Speaker 3:We're always shifting gears and burn rubber.
Speaker 2:It's not a family motto. Well, speaking of family with them, I know that you guys are family owned and operated, which always resonates with me really well, and another Audience too. So tell us a little bit about yours.
Speaker 4:We are family owned operated. So myself and my husband and we, you know I've had a business for 30 years that was feeling on operated my previous Marriage. So I'm in the car industry for 30 years, both family owned operated businesses. So over 30 years experience in the car industry and I truly believe in family owned operated, whether it's any business, small businesses, in any industry. It means you have better personal service, better you know service in general and you can speak to the owners and that just means a lot and resonates a lot with the community Because you're talking to the owners one-on-one Any questions concerns, you're being directly with them instead of with someone else, so that we both believe that is is your, your heart and soul's in it. You know.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I could not agree more. You know, and I love it. You know to see. You know married couples like yourselves. You know that are in business together. You know, and so you work hard and you play hard. And what was that family motto? One more time, say that one one. Say it again.
Speaker 3:I.
Speaker 2:Diffed in gears and burning rubber and y'all are doing it together and and, like you said, if you know that the heart and souls are in it, if it's a family Operated business. So I just I support and applaud y'all for that. We're gonna shift gears again. Todd, I'm not gonna burn any. Years into something a little bit more serious. Here it's there a a hardship or a check that you faced in life. You know that now you can say for having been through that difficult Experience, you are better for it today.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I would have to say I did. I did have to shut American Street machines down at one point in time. I went through a Very bitter divorce with three young children and that was that was a real hard time, real rough time in my life and you know, I kind of had to go a different direction for a little while. You know that and and I'm sure there's there's a lot of people out there you go through a divorce, you own a business and you know you, you lose just about everything. You know. So you have to find another avenue to Another avenue to go down. For a little while, you know, and that was that's kind of made me stronger because, you know, raising three small children after divorce and, and you know Everything was on me. I Kind of had to refocus my time on my children, you. But it made me focus even harder on getting something started again in the car industry and something that I could bring my children to and help, you know, have them, help me build.
Speaker 3:You know so that, yeah, everyone goes through a hardship and divorce, I'm sure is probably about 90% of Americans at this point in time.
Speaker 2:I know I think that the statistic at one time was 60% and I think that that has to have gone up, but you know. So that's the interesting thing that you say there. You know, kelly, you've often also you said in a previous marriage, you know you were in this industry and it is a little bit unusual to have a woman and I'm super proud to support this, you know to have a woman so involved in such a male dominated, you know industry. So you having that experience and having been through a divorce yourself with children involved, and then you know, and then the two of you meeting and then both having such a love for cars, and then to refocus that together into a business and build it together, that's that's really cool. So it's definitely a really great example of how a hardship can, you know, make you stronger, as you said, and then also make your business stronger, and then now together you guys are thriving. So congratulations, that's 100%.
Speaker 4:I mean the knowledge we both have together. I was in the repair industry side, he's in the sales side, so our knowledge together has really made a great combination and support system is fantastic obviously this way. So I can certainly say that this has been a great thing we've done together and it's going to work out perfect for the community and for us and just be a great combo.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I couldn't agree more. I know, kelly, you know we've had you on in the past with the real estate side of things that you're involved in, and then to have you guys both here together and to see the dynamics between the two of you as a pairing for this business, I just I love it. I'm fully on board. I will shift gears and burn rubber with y'all. Thank you Well, guys. Is there anything else that you want listeners to know about your business, about American Street Machines Inc.
Speaker 4:Sure, I think a very important part of this that sets apart from other community stuff is that I actually coordinate and help. I'm a huge part of the community in our area, so a lot of charities, local charities that's also the key. They are local in our communities, they stand in communities. I coordinate car shows, golf tournaments. They call me the hostess with the mostest, so I help out and I help. I have a duplicatable car show that is a four-hour program that people just hey, I have a charity, can you do a fundraiser for me as a car show? And there it is, so it's ready and willing to go. So I have different avenues. We talk about real estate. I do focus on veterans and seniors and also cancer and the car and the real estate world and this all goes together supporting these charities. Veterans own vehicles and they also own homes, so both our businesses can work together and these car shows and fundraisers work together. Also, and I love being a part of my community we have parades coming up. So part of my background.
Speaker 4:I grew up in Tucker and Tucker is known for their Tucker Day's parades and all that. So I was in the lap of Mr Kofor, so Kofor Brothers is huge in Tucker and I would wave out there as a baby as, like three years old, my dad worked for them and they're huge in the car community in Tucker and so parades, car shows it's part of my life back in the day, so it just has grown into me now as an adult enjoying giving back to community, being involved, as well as these local awesome charities that we have in our community that people don't know about. So the more we spread love about it and information about it as American street machines and the other things I do, it's awesome yeah.
Speaker 2:And that was a big part, and I haven't shared this with our audience yet in this podcast, but that was a big part of why I was so excited to have you guys on is because I do know how much you guys give back to the community in the form of service, monetarily, but more so just using your business and doing these car shows and different charitable events. And you guys do give so much to the community and I appreciate that as someone who really loves our community as well. That's a huge part of why I wanted you guys on here. So I'm happy to spread the love and get the word out. Tell us one more time, or tell our listeners, where your actual brick and mortar dealership is. Gosh, you guys have a nice 8500 square foot dealership now. So tell us, tell our listeners, where that is one more time.
Speaker 3:We have an all indoor showroom in Lilburn, Georgia.
Speaker 2:I think I used dealership as the wrong word. Showroom, that's OK, it's a dealership, it is.
Speaker 3:But it's all indoor showroom. We got lots of nice, shiny, shiny cars, lots of eye candy to look at. You can always look at our stuff online at AmericansTreatMachinesInccom. Or, if you've got any questions about a car you own or you're looking for, you can reach me at 770-427-VET. The dealership is at 5395 Web Parkway in Lilburn, georgia, and call and make an appointment. Come check out some cool stuff. We also encourage all the local car clubs To less host your meeting. We got a nice facility here that your car club is more than welcome to come and use our facility for your meetings. We encourage you to.
Speaker 2:That sounds like a really good idea. That would also be very fitting having a car club meeting at your location. Guys, it has been such a pleasure having you both on today. I can't wait to come see the showroom myself. Everyone else is going to be just as excited as I am, I know. Thank you so much, Kelly. Thank you so much, Todd. It has been absolutely wonderful and I'll see you guys both soon. Thanks for being on the show.
Speaker 3:Thank you, Stacy.
Speaker 2:You're welcome, guys. That's all for today's episode Atlanta. I'm Stacy Risley with the Good Neighbor podcast. Thanks for listening and for supporting the local businesses nonprofits of our great community.
Speaker 1:Thanks for listening to the Good Neighbor podcast North Atlanta. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNPNorthAtlantacom or call 470-946-7007.
