Our Cars: Tony Pietrangelo’s Motown Collection
Tony Pietrangelo grew up in the shadow of the Motor City, so it’s no surprise that he fell in love with automobiles at an early age. For years he worked as an auto tech/engine builder, and later spent 24 years in dealership service management before joining Hagerty.
Title: Fleet manager
Years at Hagerty: 1
Cars: 1969 Camaro SS 396/375, 1966 Corvette Convertible 427/390, 1980 Corvette, 1984 Buick Grand National (1st production year)
Background: I grew up in a Detroit suburb during the muscle car era, so cars were my focus. I began working in a speed shop at age 15, and eventually it took on a life of its own to the point where I’ve owned 17 different muscle cars (that I should have held onto!). Now I’m looking to add some Ford muscle to keep my Chevys company!
Why these cars? The Camaro and Corvette were my first two muscle cars. I’ve had them since 1970 and ’74, respectively. I bought the Grand National from my brother and never really drive it. The ’80 Corvette is a different story – I have to keep that one just to see how many miles I can put on it before it gives up! I’m at 347,620 and counting.
Repairs and Modifications (planned or completed): There have been no modifications and there are no plans for modifications… just regular maintenance.
Hobby activities (clubs, events, etc.): I love automobiles and engine building (and boating, too), but I don’t belong to any car clubs.
Favorite Drive: My favorite drive of all time had to be old Route 66. What a piece of our motoring history! We did the western half through the desert. When you see the old, small abandoned towns and Mom and Pop restaurants/service stations that are long since dilapidated, your imagination runs wild. You can picture what they used to look like and the commerce that took place in the day.
Best and Worst Moment: My worst collector car moment was buying a very, very, very used-up 1969 Camaro RS. The best moment was selling it a month later.
