As Curt Lair and I pulled up to a nondescript building sitting in the middle of some hills in central Tennessee, you could’ve convinced me that I was going to see anything else inside. A cube farm. A weapon manufacturing plant. Six big guys who had an issue with me and were ready to settle the score. Anything but what I was going to see. But as we got out of my car and entered into the cold, misting weather, I wasn’t expecting to get a grand tour of a dream garage and showroom. Welcome, folks, to Vintage Planet.
Vintage Planet is what happens when a German who appreciates American cars meets an American who appreciates German machinery. Robert Hall and Marcus Heurich came together by sheer luck when Heurich answered the Craigslist listing for Hall’s Buick Electra 225, and from that moment forward they have been in the business of buying, selling, consigning and servicing classic iron. Sounds like a match made in Heaven to us, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s the same complex that houses American Powertrain and The Driven Man as well.
As Curt introduced me to Robert, I introduced myself to the nearly 19-foot-long black-and-red 1978 Ford LTD two-door that was occupying a healthy amount of the floor plan in the showroom. A one-owner car that was absolutely doted on since new, this is the nicest LTD of the 1970s I’ve ever seen, period. Then there was the 1971 Chevelle four-door that was also a one-owner, with dog dish caps and it’s 307/Powerglide setup intact, untouched, unmolested. I was trying to hold it together as I bounced from car to car: the Superformance Cobras (they are the distributor in the area), the big-body Mustang that looked like it’d be a riot to rip around the country roads in, the legions of R107-era Mercedes, including a very rare five-speed manual version, the actual 1955 Chevy that belonged to George Jones, a factory-fresh 1986 Trans-Am that was giving me bad ideas, the Cobra R Mustang. I say I was holding it together well, but I’m sure to my tour guides I was squeaking like a kid at the variety and range of what was present.
Then Robert asked if I would like to see the other garage. And that’s where I’ll let you go hunt through the photos for yourself. Just be sure to check out the 1928 REO that still has old travel stickers and a base pass for a location that’s been closed since the end of World War II…
So did they have to drag you out McT? Man, if I had been there…well I’d STILL be there! And they would following after me wiping the drool off all those sweet rides. What an awesome collection.
Want the bumpside ramp and the road runner . Quite the ecclectic collection
I had an opportunity early this fall to go up to Vintage Planet and spend several hours with the owner, Robert Hall. ( His partner Marcus was not there that day ). He was on the telephone talking with a potential buyer of one of his Superformance Cobras, so he told me to make myself at home & look around the showroom at their fantastic collection of vintage, classic and high performance automobiles.
They have A First Class Facility kinda hidden back off one of the busiest Interstates in America. I was amazed at the cleanliness everywhere I looked.
After his phone call, Robert gave me a tour of both buildings along with some interesting stories behind some of their prized possessions.
Anyone interested in owning a true classic vehicle should go by & hollar at Robert. You\’ll be glad you did.
That LTD is slick!