Rare Rides Company| Where We Came From, Who We Are, Where We're Going
Our History
Our History
Back in 2010, Dave Knierim and Clifford Hecht started a new consignment dealership named DC Classic Cars. Cliff soon left the business and Dave grew DC Classic Cars into a great success growing large enough to move buildings to our current location of 158 Rolling Hill Rd in Mooresville. In 2016, Dave sold DC Classic Cars to Mike and Karen Shelton who continued the business model and made a name for themselves. In 2017, John Gibson joined their team after having worked for both RK Motors and Streetside. His knowledge of the consignment business model helped the business be able to afford to bring on Andrew Tanner in 2018. The Shelton's changed the name of the business to Shelton Classics and Performance and that name became recognizable around the world as they sold cars to Europe, Australia, and Asian countries. In 2023 Mike Shelton was presented with the opportunity of going back into the NASCAR world but doing so would take his attention away from Shelton Classics and Performance so he came to John and Andrew and offered to sell them the business. With the help of wholesaler Kristy Hill, an investment was made to keep the business going with John and Andrew as the faces to the company. So in June of 2023 Rare Rides Company was named. Although the name has changed, the faces have remained the same since 2017. We continue to consign cars from all across the country and sell to those all around the world!
Back in 2010, Dave Knierim and Clifford Hecht started a new consignment dealership named DC Classic Cars. Cliff soon left the business and Dave grew DC Classic Cars into a great success growing large enough to move buildings to our current location of 158 Rolling Hill Rd in Mooresville. In 2016, Dave sold DC Classic Cars to Mike and Karen Shelton who continued the business model and made a name for themselves. In 2017, John Gibson joined their team after having worked for both RK Motors and Streetside. His knowledge of the consignment business model helped the business be able to afford to bring on Andrew Tanner in 2018. The Shelton's changed the name of the business to Shelton Classics and Performance and that name became recognizable around the world as they sold cars to Europe, Australia, and Asian countries. In 2023 Mike Shelton was presented with the opportunity of going back into the NASCAR world but doing so would take his attention away from Shelton Classics and Performance so he came to John and Andrew and offered to sell them the business. With the help of wholesaler Kristy Hill, an investment was made to keep the business going with John and Andrew as the faces to the company. So in June of 2023 Rare Rides Company was named. Although the name has changed, the faces have remained the same since 2017. We continue to consign cars from all across the country and sell to those all around the world!
Who We Are
Growing up in Missouri as an avid Motorsports fan, it wasn't long before John developed a passion for classic cars. Motorsports brought him to North Carolina in 2005 and he spent nearly the next decade behind the wheel of a 600hp stock car. When he wasn't at the track, he was honing his expertise in the classic car industry. Over the last 10 years, John has done it all in the industry, wearing multiple hats from marketing representative, consignment manager, and culminating in a six-year tenure as Sales Director at Shelton Classics and Performance, where he sold over $18,000,000 in classic cars. Whether you're a seasoned collector or a first-time buyer, John's here to guide you on your journey to find the perfect classic car.
Andrew Tanner has been working in and around the classic car industry for over half of his life. A "car guy" since he could speak, Andrew has yet to find the off button for his passion for eclectic and unique automobiles. Starting work at his neighbor's classic car repair and restoration shop at the age of 14, he was hooked for sure! After receiving a Bachelor of Science in Communications from McPherson College, where he went through their prestigious and one-of-a-kind Automotive Restoration program, Andrew followed his passion into automotive journalism for publications such as BarnFinds.com and My Classic Garage. In 2018, he joined the Shelton Classics & Performance team as their consignment specialist before partnering with John Gibson to form Rare Rides Company in 2023.
Karice Gibson is the wife of John Gibson and the Office Manager. Karice is just starting her career in the classic car industry and is learning something new everyday. She has enlisted the help of John and Andrew to teach her what to look for under the hood of cars, selling features of classics, and learning the ins and outs of the industry. Karice comes from a retail background where she was a store manager for both Bath and Body Works and The Body Shop. Transitioning from soap and bubble bath to V-8s has been an adventure to say the least. Karice is continuing to keep tabs on the everchanging regulations of the FTC and FCC and implementing any new laws set forth through the NC DMV. Come stop by and say "hi" to Karice as getting to know our customers and consignors is the best part of her day!
Kristy Hill is a life-long classic car enthusiast who developed a love for automobiles at a young age, hanging out in the garage with her grandfather as a child. Kristy's prior automotive experience includes former ownership of a race team for 10 years as well as operating Magnolia Classics as a wholesale dealer for 6 years prior to opening Rare Rides Company. Restoring everything from Mustangs to Toyota FJ40s, Kristy knows her way around the classics. Her knowledge and enthusiasm shows when discussing classics like her first car, a 1974 Plymouth Duster, or her first restoration project, a 1968 Chevrolet Impala. Kristy is proof that the love of cars just flows through some people's veins!
Our Future
Our Future
The future is looking bright! There are going to be some big changes coming in the near future but one thing will not change: the way we conduct business. We believe in being honest with both buyers and sellers. In fact, transparency is the foundation our business has been built on. Rest assured, that will not be changing. We will continue to look for and sell quality classic cars for both those in our close community and those farther away. We will continue to speak plainly about what a car needs and what works and doesn't work, as we want our buyers to know the car they are purchasing is the car they want and to empower our buyers to make informed decisions. This also helps our sellers know that the new owner of their car will be happy with their purchase, and reminds our customers that we follow all state and federal laws when selling the vehicles as a registered dealership with the state of North Carolina.
So what is changing? More details coming soon....
The future is looking bright! There are going to be some big changes coming in the near future but one thing will not change: the way we conduct business. We believe in being honest with both buyers and sellers. In fact, transparency is the foundation our business has been built on. Rest assured, that will not be changing. We will continue to look for and sell quality classic cars for both those in our close community and those farther away. We will continue to speak plainly about what a car needs and what works and doesn't work, as we want our buyers to know the car they are purchasing is the car they want and to empower our buyers to make informed decisions. This also helps our sellers know that the new owner of their car will be happy with their purchase, and reminds our customers that we follow all state and federal laws when selling the vehicles as a registered dealership with the state of North Carolina.
So what is changing? More details coming soon....
