Wright Way Classics revs up Morganton's classic car scene

From Chevelles to Bel Airs, sparkling from a lot on South Sterling Street and drawing classic car enthusiasts from Burke County and beyond, a new Morganton business is putting vintage vehicles in the spotlight.

Wright Way Classics, a dealership specializing in vintage vehicles, opened Monday at 2019 S. Sterling St. near East Parker Road. Within hours, the colorful lot drew attention from states away, with Owner Kyle Wright selling a vehicle to a customer in Buffalo, N.Y.

Wright is well known in the local car community through his other business, Wright Way Motors, on Burkemont Avenue. His mother Sara Wright helps out with business operations, and she describes Kyle’s father, Sam Wright, as his “right hand man.”

Together, Kyle and Sam focus on sourcing, restoring, and showing vehicles. The lot features an inventory of spruced up Chevelles, Novas, Impalas, Fox Body Mustangs, Camaros, and Chevy Bel Airs. Prices for the vehicles can range from $8,500 to up to $200,000, Sara Wright said.

“They have a passion for cars,” she said. “That’s all they do, all day long Monday through Sunday. It’s a seven day a week job.”

The Wright family regularly attends car shows together, specifically the biannual Rod Run in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. They also travel to inspect vehicles in person, often bringing them home to restore for resale or for their personal collections. However, much of Kyle’s time is spent scouring online marketplaces.

“He burns it up from 6 a.m.,” Sara said, adding that the farthest they have ever gone to get a vehicle is Florida. In many cases Sara said they hire shippers to bring the vehicles back to Burke County.

While some arrive in excellent condition, others require restoration, Sara said. With a background in restoration, Kyle and Sam are able to fully restore the cars and make sure each one meets inspection requirements set by the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles.

As the family’s car collection grew, Sara said it made sense to make it a full-time job. She said they officially purchased the property in September, which was previously the temporary home of Alray Tire, an outdoor building and yard solutions store, and EZ Way Auto Sales.

So far, interest from the community has been overwhelmingly positive, Sara said. For weeks leading up to the opening, she fielded calls at the other dealership from people seeking information. Now, she said the family is ready to serve the Morganton community with final zoning approval from the city and dealership tags from the NCDMV.

“We’re just a down home, family-owned business,” Sara said. “We treat people how we want to be treated, and we don’t want people to feel like they can’t come and talk to us. We’re here for the public and we’re here for you guys. Whatever the market may be for you, we’ll try to get the perfect car.”