Obsessed by Cars

By Craig Kaminer / Photography by Joe Martinez

I have known Mark Hyman since the 1980s when I first wanted to find an old MGB to restore. He already had a reputation for restoring many classic cars, but he was in the commercial real estate business at the time. So, I had to wait until Mark had the time to look at cars with me and eventually tow one back to St. Louis. We found a few in St. Louis and as far south as Sullivan, Missouri. While all looked good to me, Mark had a keen eye for original cars. I bought the one Mark recommended, which was all original and in running condition but in desperate need of restoration.

Three years later and many thousands of dollars invested, I had a car I was proud of. It drove well and was one of the nicer MGBs I had ever seen. But as I learned from Mark, sometimes it’s easier and better to buy a restored car from someone who invested much more than the car was worth and sold it for a loss (like I did on more than one occasion). Live and learn.

During the downturn of the real estate market in 1989, Mark turned his passion for collectible cars into a business and since then has become one of the leading dealers of rare cars worldwide. While there are many classic car dealers in St. Louis and every major city, few have the encyclopedic knowledge of rare cars, the vast inventory of hundreds of collectibles, and the global following of Mark. He is a celebrity of sorts at every major rare car show worldwide, especially Pebble Beach and the many Concours d’Elegance shows he attends. Just follow him on Instagram.

He knows the collectors, the judges, the museums, and of course, the celebrities with vast collections like Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld. And this is not a group of people easily fooled by anyone less than an expert. You need to know your stuff, and Mark does.

You could say Mark grew up in the car business as his father ran Easton Tire Company, which was founded by his grandfather in 1925. But tires weren’t his thing. He wanted to build something on his own, and his passion for old cars was just the motivation he needed. After 32 years in business, the 62-year-old says he doesn’t plan to retire until he is 162. Good luck.

The day I visited his 70,000-square-foot warehouse with Joe Martinez to take photos of Mark, a couple who had flown in for the day to see a car in Mark’s inventory was already there. After examining one particular car meticulously, the couple started it, let it warm up while talking to the mechanic, and then took it for a spin. Before I knew it, they were back with big smiles and left that day with an incredible 1913 Stevens-Duryea for their collection.

I asked Mark how collectors have changed over the years, and he quickly pointed out that they have indeed changed significantly. “In the past, cars were simpler and collected by people who liked to tinker. The cars they collected typically evoked an emotion from their childhood when cars meant freedom, were an expression of their personality, represented the American Dream, or reminded them of their first date, the music of the time, or the desire to work on the car on their days off. Those who are newer to the hobby have different motivations. For them, buying a classic car is about buying into a lifestyle. Collectible cars represent a weekend toy or a piece of sculpture that sits in your garage just as art hangs on the wall, and they have proven in the past to be a good investment. The venues for enjoying old cars have evolved too. While highly exclusive Concours events are still active, there are road rallies, organized tours, and informal get-togethers that attract a wide variety of collectors.

Thus, Mark caters to sophisticated collectors – knowledgeable car people who really understand cars and what they are looking for in a collectible. In short, the high-net-worth buyer. It’s not a surprise that these cars are rare, and their prices reflect that. While Mark has some cars like mint condition Triumphs and MGs which are priced in the five-figure range, many are in the six- and seven-figure categories. But at any given price point, Hyman strives to provide the best quality possible.

As we toured Mark’s collection, we walked through his warehouse/garage/studio. Mark told me the history and background of each of the cars we viewed. He even has an expansive collection of classic mini-bikes, motorcycles, three-wheeled vehicles, and cutaway engines. But these are just for his collection and aren’t for sale soon. He pointed out the cars from the turn of the century – that is the 20th century – which were originally purchased by captains of industry. The 1915 Pierce-Arrow, for example, in perfect condition, is large, powerful, and elegant compared to the Model T Ford which was made at the same time. The Ford was made for the middle-class buyer. The other for the upper class.

Mark also has very rare cars like a Stanley Steamer Race Car, electric cars from the 1900s (yes, that is right!), and an Owen Magnetic, the first mechanical/electric hybrid from 1915. If you want to feel like Jay Gatsby, there are majestic Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, Chryslers, and Cords. Mark has many early Jaguars, Packards, Porsches, and Mercedes-Benz if you want something more stylish. Mark has Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Aston Martins, Cobras, and Corvettes for the younger collector who typically wants an exotic car.

If you are looking for a lesser-known classic, Mark is one of the few people in the United States who collects Facel Vegas. These French cars from the 1950s stand out because most people have never seen one or heard the name. According to Mark, one day in the late 1980s, someone called him to see if he knew anything about a car that had been sitting in a garage in north St. Louis County for at least ten years. Of course, Mark knew what it was, bought it on the spot, restored it, and sold it to a French collector. Since then, Mark has become well known among Facel Vega collectors worldwide.

When I asked Mark how he goes about collecting hundreds of cars (the business has sold nearly 8,000 to date), he said it happens in various ways. Sometimes if a collector ages out of the hobby or dies, the family or estate will turn to Mark for help dispersing the collection. Many are bought at rare car shows, some at auction, and some are on consignment from clients. With Mark’s worldwide reach, the cars often get sold outside of the country, but this is affected by exchange rates. When the dollar is strong, Mark buys from European collectors. When it’s weak, he sells to the world. It’s not unlike the art market.

About 10% of his business is with St. Louis-area collectors. According to Mark, “St. Louis has a strong car culture and many collectors, but they don’t exclusively shop here. Like most enthusiasts, they want to travel, find what they have been looking for, and buy a souvenir.” An expensive souvenir, that is.

For Mark, this is a passion project. Yes, his business grows each year. Profits are important. But he only deals in cars he likes.

His team is 15 people strong, and responsibilities range from research, sales, marketing, detailing, photography, and mechanics. On any given day, rare cars come and go, get photographed, detailed, and mechanically improved. If a car needs a part, they find it somewhere in the world or make it from scratch. Mark reminds me, “Our clients expect it to be as good as it can get.”

While I wanted most of the cars Mark has, the one that really caught my eye was the red Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing that frames Mark’s picture. It was always the “it car” from my childhood, and its limited production made it rare from when it made its debut at its first car show. In typical Mark fashion, he said, “It’s beautiful, and virtually perfect, but it doesn’t have air conditioning, so it gets really hot in there.” My only thought was “princess problems.”