Meet Alex Finigan

Sales Manager Alex Finigan is the consummate car guy. He has been here since opening day in 1978, spending the first decade as a restoration mechanic. His innate fascination with and extensive knowledge of all things automotive makes him the natural choice to assist those who wish to avoid the many pitfalls encountered in finding, evaluating, and negotiating the purchase or sale of classic cars.

Alex Finigan is the heart of our Classic Car Sales department. A boyhood of treasuring the latest car magazine led him to open his own Porsche restoration business in upstate New York. By the late 1970s, Alex was restoring 1950s Mercedes-Benz alongside Paul Russell, as an essential founding member and equity partner of Gullwing Service Company, Inc.

As the business, renamed Paul Russell and Company, expanded its undertaking to include other European classics, Alex was the obvious choice to offer expert guidance in view of the accelerating sales market. His life-long habit of consuming everything ever written about any car, coupled with his technical knowledge, marketplace savvy, and personal contacts, make him a natural to assist others in the collector car hobby.

A member in good standing of all the local car clubs, Alex spends most of his free time tinkering with his Deuce Coupe or Porsche Speedsters in his custom-built garage. His wife, Krista, is a successful real estate agent at the Marblehead office of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. They have two grown children.

Alex Finigan's marketplace savvy, his technical knowledge, and his resources within the larger car network can be of invaluable help. The benefits you receive from his services more than cover the modest fees. For assistance with finding or selling your classic car, contact Alex at or .

Advice for the Collector

There is a tremendous amount to know and to keep pace with in the collector car market. Choosing a good street car, a suitable restoration candidate, or a wonderfully preserved original example require different counsel. It is important that you get the right car, the one that will give you the most enjoyment.

Consideration must be given to your individual desires and limitations in order to help you meet your goals, from both a quality and a cost standpoint. Thought must be given to what you want the end product to be and how you will use the car. Sometimes our most valuable advice is the recommendation to not purchase a particular car.

Personal satisfaction is the best reason to revive one of these great classics. The European classics built prior to the 1960s have a quality of construction not found in modern cars, and their low production numbers assure you that you own something very rare and special. Over the long term, the finest example in any group of collectibles brings the greatest rate of appreciation and a comparatively higher selling price.

If your objective is to enjoy weekend drives or the occasional vintage tour, you should consider buying a nice street car. You will need to pay enough to get one that is already very clean and basically road-worthy, but it will be far less costly than fixing up a bargain car with problems. Similarly, if you already own a car that is in need of a lot of work, it is often less expensive to trade up. While there will always be minor restoration and service work to do on any car that is 50+ years old, it can usually be done while the car stays in use.

For those who prefer to own a classic car that has been made new again, we recommend our unique remanufacturing process; typically double the cost of acquiring and servicing a street car. Every part of the car to the smallest detail will be brought back to the original manufacturer's specifications. The car will be built to order - to your order, just as the workshops of the era would have done.

Profit should be last on the list of reasons for getting involved in an extensive restoration project. Historically, the best value appreciation comes from selecting a sound original car with moderate mileage and a good history, and then maintaining it well over time. Those who wish to turn a fast buck will have no patience for the unpredictable schedule and costs of first class restoration work. The increase in value as a result of the restoration work rarely exceeds the monetary investment.

Whatever the level of your interest in car collecting, the selection of a suitable car will have a major impact on your ultimate satisfaction. We are always available for consultation, to review a car you have found, or to locate the car of your dreams. Define your goals, choose an appropriate car to meet those goals, choose an appropriate partner in the endeavor, and you will achieve success.

A Selection of Past Private Treaty Sales

Since 1978, we have been entrusted with exceptional, confidential opportunities, often referred to as private treaty sales. Our international network of owners and dealers contact us with interesting classics cars or entire collections that will not be offered publicly. Our advice and guidance is given with an emphasis on building long-term relationships.

“What I like about Alex is that there is never a hidden agenda; he won't try to talk you into a car that benefits him rather than you. His enthusiasm is another plus along with his wide knowledge of collectible cars and multiple contacts within the field.”

Bud Lyon, Longtime Collector and Enthusiast