Dahl Old Home Store Open House

Polished chrome. Sparkling paint. Neon signs. Vintage cars. The Dahl Family has owned and operated dealerships in Iowa and Wisconsin for the past 110 years. It comes as no surprise that their love and appreciation for classic cars is on display in their expansive collection. To a classic car enthusiast, the Old Car Home in Davenport can be described in one word: Paradise.
Part garage, part museum, the extensive collection belonging to dealers Vinje and KV Dahl pays homage to an era where every vehicle was a work of art. Dozens of cars fill a building designed to look like an old car dealership, with replicas of vintage ads hung on the walls and antiques displayed throughout the facility. It is a car lover’s dream.
Cars have been in the Dahls’ blood for generations. Fourth- and fifth-generation dealers, both Vinje and son KV have spent their lives in and around automobiles. Vinje began his collection more than 50 years ago, in 1966, with the purchase of a 1934 Ford Woodie Wagon that he found in upstate New York and lovingly restored. Since then, Vinje has added to his collection and nurtured a passion for classics in his son, KV. Between the two of them, the Dahls have amassed a collection of nearly 100 cars. Fifty-eight of the vehicles reside in the Old Car Home. The automobiles in this collection span the earliest years of the horseless carriage days to the muscle cars of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s and represent many of the automakers of the last century. Those lucky enough to view and enjoy this collection come away reminiscing of their youth.
Registration is closed for the Open House as the Open House venue’s capacity was reached with registrations received through September 30.
Being quite the storyteller, KV will be glad to share the back stories and histories of the cars that are loved so much. He has a myriad of stories of the “roots” of each car – which ones were one-owners, which ones have colorful histories, which ones were rescued from the scrap heap, and even the 1923 Cadillac that was suspended high up by wires for years to keep it from falling to the metal collection of the WWII war efforts! The histories are rich and extremely interesting. Plan to join us for a fascinating afternoon of vintage cars and great stories.
To help us plan appropriately, text Jane at 563-940-2008 with your name and the names of those joining you. Or email the same information to artmanandrewsj@gmail.com by Tuesday, October 12. We hope to see you there!