Welcome back to the Mastermind Alliance Spotlight! One of the ways we love supporting small businesses is throughthe Mastermind Alliance Spotlight, where we feature standout spaces and founders doing incredible work in our community. Sometimes these spotlights will come to life through a blog, and other times through a video interview, so stay tuned and help us support small businesses.
Mastermind Alliance Spotlight
Driven By Passion: American Street Machines
One of the best parts of building the Mastermind Alliance has been getting to know the stories behind the businesses and the people in our community.
It’s one thing to know what someone does. It’s another to understand how they got there, what they’re passionate about, and maybe most importantly when you should think of them when an opportunity or introduction comes your way.
For this Member Spotlight, Lilian sat down with Kelly from American Street Machines, a family-owned business built around a shared passion for American muscle and classic cars. Kelly and her husband, Todd, help people buy, sell, consign and locate everything from great classic drivers to incredibly rare collector cars.
But as Lilian discovered, their story goes well beyond the cars.
Lilian: Kelly, I’m really excited to have you for this month’s spotlight. Before we get into American Street Machines, I also want to say how much we’ve appreciated having you as part of the Mastermind Alliance. You’ve been a great partner in helping us grow, you’re always active at our events, and you’ve made a real effort to support and connect with so many of our members. That’s exactly the kind of community we’ve always wanted to build.
Let’s start with you and Todd, because American Street Machines and a labor of passion and love for you too. How did you meet, and how did American Street Machines eventually become something you would do together?Kelly: Todd and I actually met on Match.com during COVID. Cars were something we already had in common. I had spent about 20 years owning a performance repair facility, and Todd had his own background in performance and classic cars. He had originally started American Street Machines years earlier.
After we got married, we started talking about what we each wanted to do next. I decided to restart my real estate career, and Todd decided it was time to reopen American Street Machines. That’s really how this chapter of ASM came together.
Lilian: So cars were already a big part of both of your lives before you ever met. For somebody who hasn’t been to American Street Machines yet, what exactly do you guys do?
Kelly: We’re a family-owned and operated classic and muscle car dealership. We buy, sell, locate and consign American muscle cars, with a special niche in Chevys—Corvettes, Camaros and Chevelles in particular.
What we really enjoy is helping classic-car families. Sometimes that means helping someone purchase a quality classic. Other times, a family has a car they’ve loved for years and they need help finding the right buyer for it. And then there are the collectors who come to us looking for that super-rare car they just can’t find.
That’s where we really want to be—the muscle car experts people can call when they need somebody who knows this world.
Lilian: I love that, because there’s usually a story behind these cars. Where did your own love for them start?
Kelly: Mine started really young. I grew up participating in the Tucker Days Parade every year. I remember riding in Mr. Gene Cofer’s lap and waving to everybody along the parade route. My dad had a red 1974 Corvette and later an ’81 Firebird Formula when I was a teenager, so those cars were just part of my childhood. Then my first big purchase as an adult was a 1973 Mustang Mach 1—which was especially fun because 1973 is my birth year. And there have been plenty more since then! Cars eventually became part of my community life, too. I got involved with events like the Duluth Car Show, Suwanee car shows and the Duluth Fall Festival Parade. I became a sponsor and part of the team and stayed involved for years.
Lilian: And what about Todd? Was he a car guy from the beginning too?
Kelly: Oh, absolutely. Todd bought a Mustang when he was only 14 and drove all kinds of cool cars through high school and college. He eventually moved to Georgia and went to work at a classic-car dealership. He did really well and eventually realized, “I can do this myself.” That was really the beginning of American Street Machines.
Lilian: When we say “classic cars,” that’s a pretty big category. What really gets you and Todd excited when something comes through ASM?
Kelly: We see all types of cars—from drivers that somebody can get in and enjoy to numbers-matching collector cars. But where we really pride ourselves is in those rare collector cars. There’s something special about finding a car that you just don’t see every day.
Lilian: Is there one that Todd still talks about?
Kelly: Definitely. One of Todd’s favorites was a 1970 Berger Camaro. It was an incredibly rare, one-of-one car. We actually still have a picture of it here at the shop.
Lilian:I want to clear up something that I think is important, because somebody reading this might assume you’re a restoration or repair shop. That’s not really what ASM is, right?
Kelly: Correct. We’re not a builder or a repair shop. We do work on cars that are here when needed, and we buy and consign cars that have been built by some of the best local guys in the area. But our expertise is really in the buying, selling, locating and consigning side of the collector-car world.
Lilian: Now I have to ask something not entirely about cars. What’s something people might not know about you and Todd?
Kelly: Todd is originally from California, and I’m a sixth-generation Metro Atlanta native. So we definitely come from two very different sides of the country!
Lilian: You also have a long history with car shows and community events. What is it about those events that has kept you involved for so many years?
Kelly: For more than 15 years, I’ve served on car-show committees and helped organize shows and parades. I just love seeing people’s reactions when these cars come through—the way they look and especially the way they sound.
But one of my favorite things is watching our seniors. A certain car can take somebody right back to another time in their life. I’ve seen so many smiles and even tears of joy when someone sees a car they remember from when they were younger. Seeing that reaction makes my heart full. That’s a big part of why I’ve loved doing these events.
Lilian: Between the two of you, there’s a lot of experience in this business. What has all of that taught you about how you want to treat customers?
Kelly: Todd and I are both extremely passionate about this industry, but one thing we’ve learned is that relationships have to come first.We don’t want to just be salespeople. We want to be experts and advisors. Take care of your relationships, know your industry, give back to your community and protect your reputation. If you do those things consistently, the business follows.
Lilian: That actually ties right into the Mastermind Alliance. One of our goals is for members to really learn what the other members do so we can recognize opportunities for each other. So when should somebody in our community think, “I need to call Kelly and Todd”? Kelly: A great referral for us is someone who needs an expert opinion about a classic or muscle car.
It could be a family handling an estate that includes one or several classic cars and they don’t really know what they have or what those cars may be worth. We can help them assess that. It could also be a collector looking for an investment-quality rare classic car or someone searching for a very specific vehicle.
Those are the introductions we love because that’s where our knowledge and experience can really help somebody.
Lilian: Kelly, I think that gives all of us a much better understanding of American Street Machines—and, more importantly, when we should think of you and Todd.
That’s really what these Member Spotlights are all about. We want to know more than the name of someone’s business or what’s printed on their business card. We want to understand what they do well, who they can help, and what a great introduction actually looks like for them.
So if you meet someone who has inherited a classic car and doesn’t know what they have, a family dealing with classic cars as part of an estate, someone considering selling or consigning a muscle car, or a collector searching for that hard-to-find car, now you know who to call.
Kelly, thank you for letting us get to know you, Todd and American Street Machines a little better—and most of all, thank you for the support, energy and connections you continue to bring to the Mastermind Alliance. We’re glad to have you as part of this community.
Follow American Street Machines & Kelly W Real Estate Services
American Street Machines
Address: 5395 Webb pkwy, Lilburn, GA, 30047
Rev Up Your Networking Game at American Street Machines - Aug 26
Join The Mastermind Alliance for an exciting evening of networking, conversation, and community in a one-of-a-kind setting.
Connect with local business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals while surrounded by incredible classic and custom cars. Come ready to make new connections, strengthen existing relationships, find your next referral partner, share what you do, and discover new opportunities to grow your business.
Bring your business cards, your energy, and your best networking game. We can't wait to see you there!
Real Estate Agents, Loan Officers, Brokers, Home Services Professionals, entrepreneurs, Small Business Owners, Financial Services.
Connect. Collaborate. Grow.