Callaway Classics: It’s More Than a Hobby

Callaway Classics: It’s More Than a Hobby

Chris and Tom Callaway in their Callaway Classics Marshall showroom.

Photo by James Jarvis

By James Jarvis

Tom Callaway’s first car was one he built himself.

As a teenager, he had trouble learning to read and was failing most of his classes. But his reading skills drastically improved after his father bought him a 189-piece Craftsman Tool Chest, a Sears Penske Automotive Analyzer and a Chilton DIY auto repair manual so he could fix up his grandfather’s old 1965 Chevy Impala collecting dust in their driveway.

“He said if you can get it running, you can have it,” Callaway said.

For the last 40 years, Callaway, 60, has always owned classic cars, some of them now on display at Callaway Classics, the new business he and his son Chris have opened in Marshall in a building that once housed a Ford dealership that first opened in 1915. A 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback is their favorite car.

In the early 2000s, Tom’s collection began growing. He had taken a hit in the stock market, so instead of reinvesting in stocks, the following decade he started putting his money into cars,. He expanded his collection to over 90 vehicles, some dating back to the 1930s.

“I know that car right there is 16 grand this year,” said Tom Callaway, pointing to an imaginary car. “Next year, It will be [worth] 18. Next year, it’ll be 20. So I just started taking my extra money and instead of putting it in stocks, I started putting it in cars.”

Tom Callaway’s real day job revolved around owning a successful ceramic tile business, T.A.C Ceramic Tile Co.

As he built his collection, he traveled across the country visiting auctions and buying cars from private dealers. Many of his cars now are housed in a 90,000-square foot climate-controlled warehouse in Manassas.

Tom Callaway said he hates the idea of selling his cars, but simply has too many of them. Last year, father and son bought several structures and three parcels of land, including the old Marshall Ford dealership, which then underwent a $1.55 million renovation.

The hardest part of opening the basiness was getting licensed.

“There’s this little catch-22 where the state of Virginia won’t allow you to buy and sell more than five cars a year as a private citizen without a dealer’s license,” Tom said. “But they make it so hard on you to get it.”

Tom and Chris had to take a two-day course on how to become a used car dealer, then needed to pass a dealer operator license test. The state also has strict zoning requirements for where dealers are allowed to sell their vehicles.

Still, Tom Callaway said, the new business is mostly about having fun.

“I get to clean up my collection and drive my cars,” he said. “And [Chris] gets to learn about the cars.”

The dealership officially opened in early June. There are a few cars on the lot priced in the $25,000 range, though the average price runs between $60,000 and $70,000.

The Callaways encourage anyone to stop by and browse. They’re open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Every second Saturday of the month, Callaway Classics hosts “Cars and Coffee” in its main lot from 8-11 a.m. Other collectors are invited to bring their cars, and it’s all open to the public.

“You never know who they know,” said Chris Callaway. “Even if they don’t want to buy a car, they may know someone who wants to buy a car.”