the paddock is no more

[cletus8269]

The original press release:

The down economy has claimed another victim—The Paddock, a mainstay in the muscle car parts business for over 40 years. Indianapolis-based Key Auctioneers (www.KeyAuctioneers.com) announced today that it will auction the company’s parts inventory, showroom items, collectibles, vehicles, and equipment at the company’s 60,000-square-foot Knightstown facility.

The July 29 auction is expected to draw thousands of muscle car enthusiasts from the Midwest and beyond.

The Paddock has been a leading supplier of muscle car parts for several decades. Its thirteen parts lines represent some of America’s most popular muscle cars, including Mustang, Corvette, GTO, and Camaro.

Company founder Jim O’Neil started The Paddock in 1965, restoring muscle cars in a small shop in Knightstown. By 1979, the company was manufacturing Mustang steel patch panels. The company’s first Mustang catalog was printed soon thereafter and the company started to grow by word of mouth. In 1980, the first Camaro catalog was printed. In 1998, Wes Watts, a former parts manager for the local Chevrolet dealership, purchased the company from O’Neil.

Over the years the company added Firebird, GTO, Chevelle, Nova, Cutlass, Impala and other catalogs to its muscle car line. In 2001, Watts built a state-of-the art 60,000-square-foot facility to accommodate his growing business.

According the Watts, the economic downturn of the last three years, along with the credit crisis, contributed to the company’s demise.

Key Auctioneers Senior Vice President Tim Boeglin said the company’s intellectual property was garnering a high degree of interest. Included in the intellectual property are the company’s name and trademarks, million-name customer list, websites, catalogs, and phone numbers.

source http://www.streetlegaltv.com/forum/paddock-closes-its-doors-after-40-a-5779.html#

... what a loss the restoration community just took. one great parts supplier gone.

[A Horse With No Name]

With Goodguys here in town I can tell you...most of the guys doing resto work and into old muscle cars are getting a LOT older.

I wonder how much a wheelchair lift costs to retrofit into a 67 GTO?

[Camino LS6]

Very bad news, but someone will pick up the slack.

If that weren't true, we'd never be able to keep the Healeys going.

[A Horse With No Name]

The Healy is one of my all time top ten cars...ever...

I dearly, dearly, dearly love Healy's...but then you already know THAT!

[Camino LS6]

...and 50 years later we can still get parts.

BTW: there is a new Healey project brewing.

[Robert Hall]

I remember that name from magazine ads...seems like they were in the same market as Year One.

[cletus8269]

they were a top source of parts for the impy. them and impala bobs. classic industries is good too.

[balthazar]

I used to see their ads when I regularly read Hemmings (and in other mags) - tho I only associated them with Mustang stuff.

Tough break, but those that said others will step in are correct. Musclecars & their restos aren't going away until musclecar values consistantly decline- and that's no time in the foreseeable future.