British Auto was started by Mark Voelckers over 30 years ago. As the story goes, Mark was studying pre-med at Cornell and one day in math class, after noticing the chalk board contained more Greek letters than English ones, decided to trade in his career as an 'MD' for an 'MG'. He fell in love with a roommate's roadster and soon after, had one of his own. One car became two, two became four, and four eventually turned into a small business that would grow into one of the largest British car sources on the East coast.
The lot of cars grew quickly and the current property in Macedon was secured in 1981 to allow for the needed expansion. Some 30 years later it has come to look as it does now in the above photos. Mark was constantly building his own inventory of rebuilt parts, NOS, cores, and of course - parts cars - and also specialized in maintenance, restoration and service of all British marques. At the time of his passing in the fall of 2011, Mark was one of the finest sources of knowledge on "Anything and everything to do with British Cars."
Cathy Voelckers, Mark's wife, currently owns British Auto and it is being operated by her daughter and son-in law - Ben and Erica Jacob. The service and repair side of the business has been put on hold for now as they dedicate their time to building the parts inventory today.
The lot of cars grew quickly and the current property in Macedon was secured in 1981 to allow for the needed expansion. Some 30 years later it has come to look as it does now in the above photos. Mark was constantly building his own inventory of rebuilt parts, NOS, cores, and of course - parts cars - and also specialized in maintenance, restoration and service of all British marques. At the time of his passing in the fall of 2011, Mark was one of the finest sources of knowledge on "Anything and everything to do with British Cars."
Cathy Voelckers, Mark's wife, currently owns British Auto and it is being operated by her daughter and son-in law - Ben and Erica Jacob. The service and repair side of the business has been put on hold for now as they dedicate their time to building the parts inventory today.
Here's a list of some of the questions we're frequently being asked at British Auto:
How many cars do you have?
Not sure - though I quit counting at 800. And 'yes' - they are all British. No Fiats. No Porsches. No Datsuns. Other than those canoes in the photo, its all British, all the time.
Are there any cars worth restoring from your lot?
The short answer is 'maybe' and the follow up question is 'How much do you like to weld?' Western New York is known as 'The Land of the Midnight Rust' and for good reason. Most of the cars have suffered severe oxidation, many before even finding their way to our yard. However, what one person considers rust is just 'burnt sienna' to another.
Do you ever sell entire parts cars?
There are certain cars that we might be willing to sell, but not many. Feel free to ask but be prepared - cars still full of parts are worth quite a bit to us once dismantled. However, many of our parts cars came with their titles and we could be persuaded to sell an entire car with its title - providing that you gift back to us the car as a thank you for such great service.
Do you buy or accept cars for credit?
It always depends on the car and the price, but for the most part our time is dedicated to moving the stock we already have on hand. We are always interested in those rare models or elusive ones that we don't have yet, so if you have something interesting, give us a call.
Would I be able to bring my own tools and pull my own parts?
This is quite common at a lot of 'pick-and-pull' lots but not ours. Just let us know what you need and we'd be happy to grab the part for you. We have a large inventory of parts already pulled, so many times the dismantling has already been taken care of.
How many cars do you have?
Not sure - though I quit counting at 800. And 'yes' - they are all British. No Fiats. No Porsches. No Datsuns. Other than those canoes in the photo, its all British, all the time.
Are there any cars worth restoring from your lot?
The short answer is 'maybe' and the follow up question is 'How much do you like to weld?' Western New York is known as 'The Land of the Midnight Rust' and for good reason. Most of the cars have suffered severe oxidation, many before even finding their way to our yard. However, what one person considers rust is just 'burnt sienna' to another.
Do you ever sell entire parts cars?
There are certain cars that we might be willing to sell, but not many. Feel free to ask but be prepared - cars still full of parts are worth quite a bit to us once dismantled. However, many of our parts cars came with their titles and we could be persuaded to sell an entire car with its title - providing that you gift back to us the car as a thank you for such great service.
Do you buy or accept cars for credit?
It always depends on the car and the price, but for the most part our time is dedicated to moving the stock we already have on hand. We are always interested in those rare models or elusive ones that we don't have yet, so if you have something interesting, give us a call.
Would I be able to bring my own tools and pull my own parts?
This is quite common at a lot of 'pick-and-pull' lots but not ours. Just let us know what you need and we'd be happy to grab the part for you. We have a large inventory of parts already pulled, so many times the dismantling has already been taken care of.