Chris Little and his pristine 1969 Dodge A12 Super Bee. Vroom — vintage cars that are all muscle

LIME ROCK — Chris Little has loved cars since childhood. “I started with Matchbox cars. Then I built plastic models. By middle school I was building remote-controlled models.”After a stint selling Acuras following graduation from Bates College in Maine in 2002, the New York City and Salisbury resident has been driving along the road that leads to his own bliss. His new Northwest Corner Classic cars, at 483 Lime Rock Road (the former Paradise Garage), specializes in what many connoisseurs consider to be the flower of American automaking: muscle cars with throaty engines and unabashedly masculine designs.Some classic muscle cars — the ones that are in absolutely mint condition — cost a small fortune, defined by Little as “well north of $100,000.”But others are $20,000 or less — not an insignificant amount, but inexpensive enough to get started.He fairly glows with enthusiasm as he walks around the showroom. “Yes, these cars are exotic,” he said. “They have character, individuality.”He said that while he can appreciate a Ferrari or a Porsche, “I’d rather drive one of these.”And he enjoys selling them to other enthusiasts. “These cars invoke memories, emotions. People come in and they have stories” about similar cars they had in the past.Little purchased the property last August, and began to show cars around October. But the business’s official debut will be this Memorial Day weekend. Little said he sources cars from all over the country, and depending on what kind of shape they are in, they will attract the serious (and well-heeled) collector — or someone who will actually drive the vehicle.Little and his team put the finishing touches on the cars; they don’t do ground-up restorations. He pointed to a 1972 Buick Skylark in the workshop area, which required relatively minor fixes — air conditioning recharge, fiddling with the cable on the emergency brake, replacing the fluids.When this particular car is finished, it will sell for around $30,000.Little said the business has an expanding Internet presence, and he gets a lot of word-of-mouth trade.Locals know his mechanic, Rick Peppe. And of course having a racetrack across the street doesn’t hurt.The shop is holding an open house Saturday, May 28, from 1 to 7 p.m., and everybody — not just muscle car fans — is invited to see the gleaming machines, such as the 1969 (“and a half”) Dodge A12 Super Bee, a factory racecar that is in such superb condition that the factory markings are clearly visible.Or the more prosaic Mustangs — the one muscle car that the layman inevitably picks out.Little said his goal is “to have cars for everybody.”For more information visit www.northwestcornerclassiccars.com or call 860-782-1997.Hours are Tuesday, 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, 1:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday by appointment (though the shop will be open during major race weekends).