About Myclassic NEWS

ABOUT US

The classic car industry is a lifestyle in and of itself. It doesn’t matter whether you have a 1925 Ford, a 1962 Corvette or a million dollar Ferrari, you’re dedicated to your classic car. It is your pride and joy. We are only stewards of these cars until someone else acquires them. MyclassicNEWS.com and Myklassic.com was developed to give you the latest classic car news in a professional and accurate delivery as well as a social medium to give every classic car owner the capability to sell their classic car(s) online for free and to enable all enthusiasts to connect classic car news, other classic car organizations, discuss their projects, find services, locate parts & accessories, locate auctions in there area or to locate the classic car of their dream right here on Myklassic.com.

Myklassic.com also leads in experience, giving buyers and sellers, whether it be classic cars, parts or classic car news a medium that exceeds industry standards in a market place that enables enthusiasts to connect with ease and with the least amount of red tape.

Whether you are:

Searching for classic car news, auction news or automotive news,

Buying or selling classic cars,

Buying or selling parts,

In need of assistance in restoring or just a mechanical question,

In need of supplies,

In need of a transporter for your classic car,

In need of insurance for your classic,

Searching for auctions, dealers, car clubs or events.

If it’s classic cars, it’s on Myclassicnews.com and Myklassic.com

OUR HISTORY

Myclassicnews.com and Myklassic.com was the brainstorm of Rick Duncan, who is connected with nearly a century of family involvement in classic cars and the automotive industry.

Joe Duncan, Rick’s Father, was born in the summer of 1925 in Tellico Plains, Tennessee in the foothills of the Great Smokey Mountains and was immediately taken to Harriman, Tennessee as an infant in a horse drawn carriage with his Mother & Father. As a kid he would listen to the souped-up Fords and Chevy’s race moonshine on the back roads throughout the hills around the family farm, which was called Duncan Hollow. His Father was not a wealthy man, but had managed to buy enough property to establish a small farm to make a living and feed his family. At 16 Joe dreamed of owning a 1940 Ford Coupe, but knew that he would never obtain one working on the family farm. At the age of 17, WWII was well underway, and as most typical Tennesseans from the Volunteer state, he joined the Navy but lied about his age. In the days of very few phones and no internet, his age couldn’t be verified. Joe was shipped off to North Dakota for training, then to San Diego for deployment in the Pacific theater. Just before sailing from San Diego on a ship that was later sunk by the Japanese, Joe was diagnosed with Rheumatic Fever and was immediately sent to a military hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. On his long train ride across America, Joe gazed at the Cadillacs floating down the highways and during those long days of rolling down the track, it was then that he was convinced he would one day have his own Cadillac dealership.

Once released from the Navy, with an Honorable Discharge, Joe returned to Harriman, Tennessee and opened a small car lot.

He met a local girl named Betty and they were married. Joe was given the Nickname “Low Dollar Joe” while in Harriman because he undercut all the larger dealers from the bigger cities such as Nashville and Knoxville and would work with his customers offering them payment plans and various other options for paying. He would trade cars for property, jewelry or whatever the customers brought in. It’s ironic because many current car reality shows mimic what Joe Duncan was doing 70 years ago.

A few years passed and Joe decided that he was never going to make it big in Harriman, Tennessee, so he loaded up and moved his wife and first-born son, Richard, to Los Angeles, California. He had heard that L.A. was the place to be after the war and he remembered how much glitter that Southern California had while visiting L.A. during leaves from San Diego while in the Navy. He knew that all the Hollywood stars drove Cadillacs and thought it would be the best place for his dream to begin. Joe had been asked to run for Sheriff of Roane County in Tennessee before he left, but refused.

Joe was a welder by trade and upon their arrival in California he found that the cost of living was considerably more than a small town in Tennessee. He could not find immediate work in L.A. as a welder, so he had to devise a new plan. Betty and Richard stayed with her Mother in L.A., who had journeyed with them while Joe shipped off to North Dakota to work on a project in a secret military facility as a welder. He claimed it was the coldest he had ever been while welding throughout the winter. He would send money to his wife weekly and after completing the job, he returned to L.A. with enough money to open “Low Dollar Joe’s” used cars. He bought a lot on Lankershim Blvd in North Hollywood and knew he could supply reasonably priced cars to the Hollywood crowd.

Not long thereafter, he decided that in order to tap into the real Hollywood movers and shakers he would need Cadillacs. He made his contacts through local dealers, auctions and bankers and within a few years his dream had come true. Duncan’s Cadillacs was a reality but with a twist. By hanging around the Brown Derby and the Palomino Club, where such personalities as Clint Eastwood, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and many others patronized, Joe realized that there were many more aspiring actors and actresses than actual actors and actresses in Hollywood. They needed an image too, so he dug in and bought clean used Cadillacs and incorporated the “Low Dollar Joe” image into the Cadillac business and it thrived. He even gave the actors and actresses payment plans.

Joe was able to purchase a beautiful home for his family in North Hollywood from the Laurel & Hardy estate. This is where his second son Rick was born in 1962.

The Hollywood market was changing and it was the decade of the space race, so Joe moved his family to Cocoa Beach Florida where NASA was bringing people from all over the world to the Kennedy Space Center. He started Duncan Motors, where he specialized in Cadillacs and also opened two dealer auctions, one in Orlando and one in Cocoa Florida. This was long before Disney World was a reality in Orlando. Unfortunately, at that time, the dealer auction business was being monopolized by some larger firms, therefore it wasn’t the best investment to make, so Joe closed his auctions and Duncan Motors and, due to heart issues in his late 40’s, Joe grew weak and retired.

Sadly, in 1981 Joe died in Houston Texas of a stroke at the age of 56 with both of his sons at his side. He was buried at a beautiful cemetery in his hometown in Tennessee and the unknown WWII veteran and automobile entrepreneur was memorialized with his Naval footstone and his Gravestone which reads Joe “Low Dollar Joe” Duncan.

Before Joe died, he gave his son a valuable piece of advice. He said “Rick, the markets are always changing and you have to have a niche, but you also need to deliver something that no one else can to the customer. I did it in Hollywood, California until the market changed then I did it in Florida by greeting and staying involved with all my customers. Now it’s your turn! All these cars that you see now, the 59 Cadillacs, the 53 Corvettes and ones that get no attention whatsoever will be worth more and more as time passes, so always remember that and follow your passion. There will be a vast classic car market in the future, well after I’m dead and gone, that will amaze you.” Very valuable information coming from a man with an eighth grade education!

His son Rick carried on in the classic car business for several years and has now had the opportunity, thanks to the right team, to bring you myklassic.com. A new way of bringing classic car enthusiasts together! Joe would have been the one amazed!

Rick Duncan recently said: “My Father was my best friend and entrepreneurial mentor. He taught me a lot about cars and business. He was fair, but tough in business when needed. Just as most typical teenagers, I didn’t realize what he was trying to teach me until long after his death. He would always say “Before I die, all I want is to know that you can make it on your own and that you have peace of mind in your life”. I can honestly say that it took me 50 years to find the peace of mind until I met my beautiful wife. She has made me complete. She is also a classic car enthusiast and to this day, during our travels, she beats me 90% of the time on what year old cars are going down the road, but I do get her on the old Cadillacs and Corvettes. Overall, my Father would be proud of me. I hope to continue his legacy in bringing classics to market that were a part of his era and others. My Mother, Betty, died in October of 2015. She barely made it 90 years old. I now miss her stories of the old days. The only thing I DID NOT enjoy hearing was when she talked about the old 1940’s and 50’s Cadillac convertibles that she and my dad would buy for less than a thousand dollars that are now selling for over $100,000 and more. I guess the old saying is true. Hindsight is 20/20. Thanks Mom & Dad”.

I see so many websites in all industries, where all you get is what you see on a page. You have no idea of who is behind the scenes and there is no personal touch, nor any proof of experience. It’s just a page and maybe you can contact someone, but overall no one that can assist you that cares. Years ago, my Father greeted everyone that walked into his Cadillac dealership. In our current day of massive social media and websites, you do not get that personal touch or greeting. You have no idea who you’re dealing with, but times are changing. At Myclassicnews.com and Myklassic.com we want you to feel that you know who we are. So thanks for reading this long-winded story of my family. I hope it creates a comfortable feeling for all of you who use or view our sites. Feel free to correspond with me at anytime! I hope you will give MyclassicNEWS.com and Myklassic.com a chance when seeking the latest news, buying or selling a classic car or if you are just in need of classic car parts or services. So, ask yourself “What’s in my garage?”

Rick Duncan, Founder & President.