Big Apple Autos
A US specialist dealing in the golden age of motoring
Nick Soprano has been keeping the flame of vintage racers alive in New York state for almost four decades. The founder of Motor Classic & Competiton Corp has been buying, selling and restoring classic cars since 1979 and says that his passion for the era is undiminished.
“I deal mainly in GT and sports cars from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s which is what I see as the golden age of racing and motoring,” he says. “I still love the look and feel of those cars – they have never been beaten, they were made by artisan designers and are freeform expressions of creativity that are not hindered by safety regulations and are not built by computers.”
Located in Northern Westchester, an affluent area about an hour from New York City in Bedford Hills, his showroom and workshop is home to between 20 and 40 models at any one time.
The company’s true passion is for Italian cars, with a focus on Ferrari, and it is one of the most renowned and respected Ferrari specialists in America. Over the years it has also developed expertise in other marques, too, and frequently trades Porsches, Jaguars, Mercedes-Benzes, Maseratis, Alfa Romeos, Aston Martins, BMWs, Fiats, Cobras and GT40s.
Soprano himself has almost as much provenance as his stock. He has taken part in the Mille Miglia and the annual Colorado Grand and proudly remembers meeting Enzo Ferrari in the ’80s (the Old Man said one word to the excited American, who told him about his business and passion for Ferrari: “Bravo”). He even hosted Stirling Moss, who once visited the dealership: “It was a like a visit from the pope.”
Motor Classic & Competition Corp was founded on enthusiasm for a golden age of racing and its owner is still an unapologetic enthusiast.