British iron might not be the focus of this site, but there’s a shop in Minneapolis that has such a treasure trove of teeny tiny vintage vehicles, parts and paraphernalia from across the pond that it just can’t be ignored.
Mark Brandow was kind enough to take me on a tour of his business, Quality Coaches at 20 W. 38th Street, which he founded in the ’70s and moved to it’s current location in 1985. Quality Coaches is a full-service shop for vehicles of all kinds, but Brandow’s specialty is British cars – he even lists the niche on his business card.
MGs, Morgans, Mini Coopers and the like are commonplace in Brandow’s shop. Almost all of them are in for restoration or repair of some kind, though Brandow treats them as his own.
“All of these cars have a history and a story and some of them are very close to people’s hearts,” he said.
Brandow shared some of those stories and took me for my first ride in a British speed machine – a V8-powered ‘98 Morgan roadster that had no trouble smashing me against the seat back during a full-throttle launch onto I-35W.
Check out the photos for a glimpse inside Quality Coaches, then go see it for yourself. For more info, visit http://www.quality-coaches.com.
May 26th, 2009 | Articles, Car Features, Dodge
