3 Businesses Bringing Classic Cars, Literature and Antiques to the Lowcountry

From books to cars to antiques, these locals keep vintage flair alive in a modern world

STORY BY Barry Kaufman
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LISA STAFF

In our algorithmic, machine-learning future, it can be easy to forget that there was life before we digitized the world. A time when playing a song meant shuffling through a stack of records whose titles were no longer legible through the folds on their sleeves. A time when losing yourself in a story came with the intoxicating aromatherapy of an old book’s musty scent. A time when catching up on sports scores meant translating through the hiss and static of an AM radio signal. 

Sure, it took us longer to find the information we needed, but the process ignited all of our senses. It was tactile, the feeling of pages riffling through your fingers. It was olfactory, the rich aroma of stain and lingering perfumes on hand-crafted furniture. It was sensual, the rush of excitement when a vintage V8 roared to life. 

It can be easy to forget these things. Thankfully, there are people like the locals you see here, who are keeping the timeless thrills of the pre-digital world alive.

Rick Sabol

This lifelong car enthusiast is now steering Hilton Head’s premier motoring festival

If you’re looking for a statement on the enduring inspiration of a bygone era’s artistry and craftsmanship, you don’t need to look much further than the Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival. Since its inception, this event has served as a celebration of analog achievement, of the amazing cars we were able to produce long before computer models had us all driving variously sleek boxes. 

 As the new executive director of the event, Rick Sabol has a deeper appreciation than most of that universal truth in automaking – they just don’t make them like they used to. 

 “Back in my teens and early 20s, my father always worked on our cars, so my brother and I both learned from him,” he said. “We collected cars that we’d wanted to own as sixteen-year olds, and we actually worked on our own. After I started to work in business and didn’t have time, I moved on and couldn’t do that for many years.”

 Rising through the corporate world, becoming CEO of an environmental solutions firm, didn’t leave much time for working on cars. But that doesn’t mean he ever forgot the thrill he felt when turning a wrench, the lingering memories of the 1972 Grand Prix whose transmission he replaced three times and whose exhaust he replaced four times. Of the way heads turned when he drove down the street in a vintage machine he’d helped keep purring along.

 “I continued to work until 2022 and failed at retirement after three years,” he said. “It wasn’t that I wasn’t busy. I just never had the opportunity to have cars as both my work and as a hobby.”

Making his way to Hilton Head with his wife, Martha, where he and his Beta Theta Pi brothers had enjoyed an annual golf outing for over 50 years now, allowed him to reignite his passion for cars as a member of the Lowcountry Oyster and Motorcar Driving Society. He also leased a garage by Hilton Head Island Airport for his growing collection. 

Then, after a few years of attending and showing at the Saturday Car Club Shows, his attempts at retirement proved fruitless when he accepted the position of executive director. 

“It was kind of a natural way to come out of retirement, because it combines my work ethic with my interests as a collector,” he said. “I’ve never really had that. I was CEO of my last company and took it through a sale. That’s a lot of work, and that’s what it was. It was my career. I don’t feel that way about this role. It’s a privilege, it’s great for Hilton Head, and it attracts so many people to the island throughout the weekend.”

Beyond the cars and camaraderie, Sabol is quick to point out that the Concours serves a greater purpose. Each year proceeds from the festival benefit local charities and scholarship programs. “That was a driver for me taking this role,” he said. “It’s not just about celebrating great automobiles; it’s about giving back to the community.”

Meet the fleet

Just because he’s the executive director of the Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival doesn’t mean Rick Sabol is done showing off some of his classic cars. From the depths of his private garage, we asked Sabol to pull out a few that represented both his personal collection and the breadth of amazing cars you’ll see during the event. 

The first of the cars you see here is one that Sabol personally restored. He initially found the 1955 Ford F-100 in Michigan where he said, “It needed a lot of work.” Adding to restoration that was done in 1980, he added new doors and a new bed to get this hardworking classic back in shape as a daily driver. 

Along with it is a slightly more modern ride, a 2024 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing, that shows even unbridled horsepower can be luxurious. And then in the middle are, a pair of sports cars that he sees as spiritual kin, a 1996 Corvette Grand Sport and a 2005 Maserati Spyder. 

“The Maserati Spyder, a European sports car, and the ‘Vette is the American alternative,” he said. “I work on all of them except for painting. Fortunately, Land Speed Automotive is just next door to my garage.”

Rachel and Emily Baker

This mother and daughter reimagined the neighborhood bookstore for a new generation

Long before Amazon came to dominate the online retail space, before they’d ever dreamed of launching a streaming service, a movie studio, a pharmaceutical company, a cloud computing service or a rocket into space, they were simply an online bookseller. 

And the brick-and-mortar bookstores were the first canaries in the coal mine as Amazon came into being. Borders, B. Dalton, Waldenbooks… they all fell beneath the machinery of the online giant. Of them all, Barnes and Noble stores were the only ones to survive, and even then only because they abandoned any pretext of being a bookstore and became essentially a department store for introverts. 

It was only when they were gone that we realized what we’d lost: that intimacy of a quiet bookstore, that shared experience of curling up in a chair with your next potential life-changing read while shoppers milled about. That community spirit of a mom-and-pop shop giving us all a chance to share favorite authors with fellow bibliophiles. That joy of discovery in finding that rare title among the spines on the shelf.

That bygone era is back at Emry’s Bookshop, even if this mom-and-pop shop is technically a mom-and-daughter shop.

“In the day and age of streaming and technology and renting things, I think physical media is so important because we just don’t own a lot anymore,” said Emily Baker, who opened Emry’s with her mom, Rachel. “That’s a big reason why I think bookstores should never be obsolete. I always want to hold a book. I want to have bookshelves full of everything I’ve ever read. I can’t imagine not having that.”

For Rachel, opening the store with Emily wasn’t just a great way to put her daughter’s retail experience to good use. It was a chance to continue a generational love of books.

“Both of my grandmothers had a great love of books, and a lot of the books you’ll find on my shelves at home came from them,” said Rachel. “They had me reading Gone With the Wind and the Anne of Green Gables series when I was younger, and they just passed down this love of the classics.”

A few of those classics share space on the shelves at Emry’s Bookshop with newer thrillers, local authors, graphic novels, young adult series and more. And between those shelves, an eclectic mix of thrifted furniture creates a bohemian atmosphere of blissful comfort that feels like the quiet reading nook we all wish we had in our home. Just a few months into this adventure, Emily and Rachel are finding that there is a whole community of book lovers who’d been waiting for a place like this.

“We’re finding that a lot of our customer base is in their 20s and 30s, so it’s like it’s coming back around for the younger generation,” said Rachel. “We have plenty of retired people who come in who’ve always loved reading books, but you have this whole new generation that’s wanting to discover this world again. They want to come sit with their friends and read.”

Turning the page

Launching Emry’s Bookshop together took both Emily and Rachel Baker outside of their comfort zones, but the results have been more than worth it. As the one with the most retail experience, Emily had come to her mother with the idea of launching a bookstore after the bookstore she’d worked for had gone out of business. While Rachel had owned her own business at one point, she’d become a stay-at-home mom when her kids were born. When presented with the opportunity to work alongside her daughter, who could say no?

“I’m learning a lot as we go along, for sure,” said Rachel. “Choosing books to stock is fun. Working with my daughter is fun. Talking to people is fun. When it comes to the administrative stuff, I have so much help from her, which is great. If there’s something I don’t know or I can’t figure out, Emily’s right there. We have different strengths, which is obviously what you need in a partner.”

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life entirely. I was bouncing around to different retail jobs and that sort of thing. But I could see myself sitting here until I’m old and gray,” said Emily. “And the only other person I would want to do this with was my mom. So, it just made sense. She was one who got me into reading.”

Marda Gunning and Michael Shanley

Partners in business, partners in life’s journey

There is something timeless about stepping into a shop filled with antiques and consignments. Each piece carries a story, a reminder of the craftsmanship and care of another era. What makes Michael & Company Antiques & Consignments truly special, however, is not just what is on the shelves. It is the people behind the counter.

For more than 30 years, co-owners Marda Gunning and Michael Shanley have built their Hilton Head business into a trusted destination for collectors, decorators and curious wanderers alike. Their Arrow Road storefront has become as much a gathering place as it is a shop, where customers are greeted with smiles, hugs and the kind of warmth that turns first-time visitors into lifelong friends.

“People come for the ambience and the stories,” Michael said with a grin. “But what keeps them coming back is the connection we have built. Marda and I balance each other out perfectly.”

That balance is clear. Marda curates with a keen eye, selecting high-quality furniture, art and decor pieces. Michael brings an engaging energy to the floor. Together they have created more than a store. They have created a community.

The roots of Michael & Company go back to the pair’s early days, chasing down treasures at estate sales and flea markets. 

“We started out with $20,” Marda said. “I spent that on a vintage coffee table from the ‘40s at the Bargain Box.” 

Alongside their rescue dog, Dice, they crisscrossed the Southeast in a dented 17-passenger van bought used from Hilton Head Prep. They stripped out the seats, filled it with finds and became familiar sights on the back roads. Michael likes to joke, “When people saw us coming, they got out of the way.”

Over time, the business grew into the Lowcountry staple it is today. What has never changed is their commitment to trust, respect and treating consignors and clients like family. “Our consignors and clients are not just customers,” Marda said. “They are friends. Every visit comes with a hello, a hug and a story. That is what makes it so special.”

That family atmosphere has carried Marda through her toughest battles. For the past four years she has faced stage 4 cancer with courage, showing up at the shop each day with a smile. Friends, consignors and clients bring flowers, notes and encouragement, filling the store with even more love and support.

The partnership also extends beyond the business. Marda’s husband, Robert Uva, is part of the team. A master craftsman, he lends his expertise to repairs and refinishing, strengthening the trust that Michael & Company has built with its customers.

Through all the twists and turns, Marda and Michael’s friendship remains the heartbeat of the business. Once partners in life, they are now good friends and steadfast partners in the shop. They lean on each other through the highs and lows and continue to create a place where everyone feels welcome.

“Business is business, and life is life,” Michael said. “We have built something we are proud of. At the end of the day, it is about the people we share it with.”

Family first

At Michael & Company Antiques & Consignments, the real treasures are the people. For Marda Gunning and Michael Shanley, consignors and clients are not just business contacts. They are friends who stop by the store to share stories, hugs and laughter.

“Our consignors and clients are family to us,” Marda said. “They trust us, and we respect them. That connection is everything.”

That sense of family has been part of their business since the beginning. In the early days, they both wrote hand-signed thank-you notes to every customer, whether they spent $10 or $1,000. It was their way of showing appreciation and building genuine relationships. Today that same spirit carries on in the way they welcome each person who walks through the door.

The bonds they’ve created run deep. During Marda’s four-year battle with stage 4 cancer, friends and customers have shown up with flowers, well wishes and encouragement, reminding her daily of the love and support surrounding the shop.

It is this mix of respect, gratitude and genuine friendship that has kept Michael & Company thriving for more than three decades. Visitors may arrive looking for antiques and consignments, but they leave with something even more lasting: a true sense of belonging.