Port Townsend is a great place to hang out if you are into old cars. This is partly because the relatively mild weather and the town’s historic ambience make it a magnet for people who own classics. However, this obscure western Washington community is also the home to a wonderfully quirky store.
Bergstrom’s Antique & Classic Autos sells vintage cars and parts, but it also functions as a museum where a goodly portion of the memorabilia is not for sale.
Robin Bergstrom opened shop in 1979. As a young man he had worked at a family-owned department store until his father decided to sell the business. He had alway enjoyed working with cars so decided to make that a career.
In an interview with KPTZ radio, Bergstrom said that “the locals have really helped to keep this business going with their need for parts, but most of the cars are sold outside of town” — and sometimes even in countries as far away as Australia (McNellis, 2017).
Also see ‘Port Townsend: The American dream’s new — and old — end of the road’
Port Townsend’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism, so interviewer Maryanne McNellis (2017) asked Bergstrom if his shop’s activities shifted with the seasons. That is indeed the case. In summer “we have more people thinking that the shop is more of a museum, so we are entertaining a lot of people,” Bergstrom said. “In the wintertime it’s more what we would call hard core, so it’s locals and people coming in to work on the cars.”
Bergstrom’s shop supports the local car culture, such as by helping to publicize events like an annual car show.
Marco Savarise (2019) has posted an informal but interesting video tour of the shop. All of the cars shown were for sale. They were an eclectic bunch, ranging from a late-30s Ford and a 1954 Chevrolet to a Morris Minor wagon and a circa-1971 Mustang.
Much of the rest of the building is stuffed with various parts and owner’s manuals interspersed with an assortment of car models and magazines.
“I’d never leave here,” Savarise said as his camera panned the store. He added, “I’d have to get a cot or a really nice comfy bed or something.”
Share your reactions to this post with a comment below or a note to the editor.
RE:SOURCES
- McNellis, Maryanne; 2017. “#90 Robin Bergstrom of Bergstrom’s Antiques & Classic Autos.” KPTZ. Program first aired July 4.
- Savarise, Marco; 2019. “Bergstrom’s Classic & Antique Autos – Port Townsend WA Dec 2018.” Accessed Aug. 8.
Be the first to comment