Chevy Restoration World Marketing Strategy

Chevrolet Restoration World has been providing quality Chevrolet parts to wholesale and retail customers since 1964. Founder Gary Lee Harmon began this business in his garage and it currently operates out of Huber Heights, Ohio, just outside of Dayton. Restoration World is a Christian based company that sells NOS (new old stock), reproduction, and aftermarket Chevrolet restoration parts. The current inventory is predominantly Chevrolet parts used in the restoration of hot rods, muscle cars, and classic cars, including, but not limited to, 1949-70 full size (Belair, Impala), 1962-74 Nova, 1964-87 Chevelle, 1967-92 Camaro, 1970-77 Monte Carlo, Pontiac Firebird & GTO, and 1947-2006 Trucks. They have a website presence with online ordering capabilities.

The ’73–’87 Chevy pickups have become popular because they’re less expensive than their ’67–’72 counterparts. Reproduction parts are becoming increasingly available for ’61–’78 Ford pickups, so there’s also strong growth there. People are gravitating toward more useful builds. They want to build something they like to drive that they can have fun with. Enthusiasts continue to modify and to enhance their hot rod’s performance, comfort and appearance. They love the classic-car look but want it to perform like a modern car. The expectations for what people can put into their hot rods have evolved. They want a ’64 Impala, but they want it to ride like the new car that they drive every day, and they want all of the creature comforts. The old muscle cars handled terribly, so just about any modification is an improvement. People are adding horsepower, suspension, good brakes and air conditioning for comfort. Drivetrain upgrades are a top priority. Chariotz Blog calls this modernization of a classic car, resto-mod. “More and more people are moving away from pure restorations and on to resto-mods. That way, they can get the look of an old car and the performance of a new car. They drive the cars around instead of just storing them in the garage, only to take them out for car shows. This gives people more bang for their buck and more daily enjoyment.” (Team, 2015) Several

Studies have shown a decline in the number of young people getting their driver’s licenses. If kids want to see what their friends are doing, all they have to do is get on Facebook. It’s a challenge to get them to understand that driving is a fun outlet. The goal is to reach college-age kids to get them interested in jobs in the industry. If kids are never exposed to how to turn a wrench in high school, how can they possibly be interested in this industry? “Back in the old days, people would grab some of their buddies and completely restore their cars in their backyards or their garages. Now, people are doing a lot of the small restorations on their own but taking them into shops for the bigger jobs. That’s why shops are churning out more and more restored cars.” (Team,