Photo by Jesse Chambers.
Doug Sweet, left, and Chris Vann outside of Magic City Motors at the corner of First Avenue North and Georgia Road in Woodlawn.
As Birmingham continues to grow, a new company called Magic City Motors has found an affordable home in up-and-coming Woodlawn.
“Woodlawn has the appeal of Avondale without being as expensive to move into,” said Doug Sweet, co-owner of Magic City Motors, a used-car lot that he and business partner Chris Vann opened in September at the corner of First Avenue North and Georgia Road in the heart of the historic neighborhood.
“It’s like the beginning stages of what Avondale has become now — the new hipster community that’s trendy, just very up and coming,” Sweet said.
“It seems to be getting better — even in the short time that we’ve been here,” Vann said.
And the opening of Magic City Motors, along with the warm reception Sweet and Vann have received in the area, seem to be additional signs of this increasing vibrancy in Woodlawn’s old commercial core.
Sweet, formerly a used-car manager at Benchmark Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge, and Vann, co-owner of C&J Wholesale, had been friends in the car business for several years and “secretly talked” about opening a lot, Sweet said.
Then the opportunity came to take over the old Brandon Car Center.
“We jumped on it,” Sweet said.
The appeal of taking a chance on their own business was simple.
“Not having anybody tell us what to do,” Sweet said, laughing.
Most of their cars are in the $7,000-$15,000 range, according to Sweet.
“We try to have a little bit of everything — cars for practical, daily drivers (and) some luxury makes,” he said.
The men try to stock good, low-mileage cars with no immediate repair or maintenance issues, according to Vann.
“We don’t want to sell a problem,” Sweet said
The men said Woodlawn also has proven to be safe and friendly.
“I feel like I’m part of somebody’s neighborhood,” Sweet said. “Everybody is friendly and says hey. It’s crazy how many people we’ve met down here.”
