Rogers classic car dealership keeps rolling for more than 30 years

ROGERS, Minn. (FOX 9) - Owner Scott Ellingson says it's amazing how many young people have never heard of a Studebaker.

‘It draws attention from the freeway’

What we know:

Every day, thousands of cars pass along Interstate 94 through Rogers.

But high above the fray, there's a 1930 Ford Model A on a pole 30 feet off the ground, that is both a local landmark and a sign of the treasures waiting below.

"It's not quite like Babe The Blue Ox or anything or Paul Bunyan, but I mean, when people drive by, the curiosity is what is that really all about," said Ellingson Motorcars owner Scott Ellingson.

Inside Ellingson Motorcars, there are vintage motor vehicles as far as the eye can see.

But this isn't just about classic cars from days gone by.

"We like kind of the unusual. We like the quote unquote orphan cars," said Ellingson.

It's also about the stories riding shotgun in each and every one.

"It's part of my childhood, a lot of the memories, you know, just seeing the old cars," said Ellingson.

‘We have some really rare cars’

The backstory:

Ellingson's passion for antique automobiles runs in the family.

"I've been around exposed since I was knee-high to a grasshopper," said Ellingson.

The business began more than 30 years ago as a museum for his father's collection.

Since then, it's evolved into a dealership with more than 100 collector cars at any given time that look like they were trapped in amber the day they rolled off the lot.

"Everything in here has been when it comes in, runs, drives, and stops. Those are the first three things we do with an old car. And once it passes that inspection, then we take it to the next level, get some of the other stuff done," said Ellingson.

'Holy classic cars, Batman!'

Local perspective:

There's a replica of the Batmobile from the Batman TV show from the 1960's that any crime fighting dynamic duo would be proud to own.

Then there's a Fiat from the 50's the mega rich would store on their yachts and use like a golf cart to get around town after they pulled into port.

And a Good Humor ice cream truck may not ring a bell in the Upper Midwest, but the legendary brand is sure to brighten the mood of any serious car collector.

"We've had a Dukes Of Hazzard car. We had actually one that was to be used in the show or whatever. We had Barry Manilow's Rolls Royce, Conway Twitty's Mustang," said Ellingson.

One of the most unusual items in Ellingson's inventory is a re-creation of an iconic movie vehicle covered in carpet to look like a rolling dog.

It was modeled after the Mutts Cutts van in the movie Dumb and Dumber and it sold to a collector in Florida in a couple of days.

"We just thought that was a really neat deal. We had bought one a number of years earlier and that sold right away to another collector. You got people who collect cars, trucks, they collect hearses, ambulances, amusement cars, You name it. There's some people who collect every little bit of things," said Ellingson.

The road forward

What they're saying:

What's even more fun for Ellingson than buying and selling classic cars is listening to the stories about them.

"Everybody that comes in has a story about cars. Either grandpa had a car, my dad's first new car, or my first car, whatever. There's just stories, and people just really enjoy talking about it," said Ellingson.

And so far, he has no plans to put the story of Ellingson motorcars in the rear view mirror anytime soon.

"They say, if you love what you do, it's not really going to work. I guess I'm gonna do it as long as I can," said Ellingson.