Gateway Classic Cars
by Lee Ann Atwater
Over 20 years of connecting Car Enthusiasts with their dreams
If you have been a reader of Spotlight on Business Magazine for some time then you will remember from David MacDonald’s feature on Gateway Classic Cars back in June of 2016, that Akbani is undoubtedly a man who sees a story in each and every vehicle that comes into his team’s care. “The historical cars we’ve had come in and out of our showrooms are the most memorable for me,” Akbani recalls when Gateway Classic Cars received and sold a 1932 Marmon saying, “The Marmon Motor Car Company built the car that won the first Indy 500 in 1911, that car was sold to a gentleman that is on Forbes’ Top 40.” We
did not ask Akbani how much the car sold for but in the time that we spent with him for our recent interview, we can tell you that we are confident that he would know the number along with any others related to the business. When we asked why people buy these types of vehicles, Akbani was quick to respond, “People who are buying a $50,000 Rolex are not buying them because they areconcernedwith keeping time, they are buying them because they can.” The same can be said about classic and exotic cars.
I f you are a classic and exotic vehicle enthusiast, then you probably already know about Gateway Classic Cars who have been in the classic and exotic vehicle sales business for over 20 years now. The have come a long way since Sal’s humble beginnings in the company’s original garage and showroom in St. Louis back in 1999. Gateway Classic Cars now has 18 locations across the United States with an inventory of over 3,500 Classic and Exotic vehicles. Spotlight on Business sat down with Sal Akbani, President and CEO, and Ken Dusman, Marketing Manager, of Gateway Classic Cars to chat about the past 20 years, how they have become the World’s largest Classic and Exotic Car Sales
Company and their plans to continue to be the sales leader in the classic and exotic cars sales industry as we move into the next decade.
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DECEMBER 2019 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019
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