Longtime Loveland Business Closes, Taking Beloved Red Car With It

People in Loveland, Colorado, will be asking "Whatever happened to that car that was on that roof?" for years to come, now that it's gone.

With Business Closure, a Legendary Landmark Car Leaves Loveland

Generations of Lovelanders and millions of travelers passed by a small business on South Lincoln Avenue for nearly 70 years: Hi Way Auto Salvage/Big T Auto Brokers. In spring of 2025 Big T closed its doors for good, and with that came the end of the "car on the roof."

While that car would never have official "landmark" status, it was one of the most recognizable things in town. You may never had stepped foot into Big T, but that little red car had a place in your heart, just the same.

I grew up in Loveland with a single mom, who often had car problems. We would stop into Hi Way Auto Salvage, on Lincoln Avenue north of Highway 402, a lot. We'd looked for parts for whichever of her cars, or later me and brother's cars, to get them back on the road.

Hi Way Auto Salvage was opened in 1954 by Red Larson who put that little red car on the roof. The business was soon purchased by Gene Sampson; years later Gene's son Ron, took over the business. It became Big T Auto Brokers & Storage; storing cars, and selling cars.

What Kind of Car Was On Top of Big T Auto in Loveland?

That little red car was (the shell) of a 1949 Morris Minor, made in Britain. I would have loved to see how they got that car up there, on the roof.

Larimer County, where the business is located (unincorporated Larimer County) didn't like the Connex containers on Big T's property, saying they interfered with the flood plain. After a long battle with the county, Big T lost that part of the business.

End of An Era in Loveland, End of the Car on the Roof

In the spring of 2025, Ron reluctantly had to let go of Big T Auto Brokers and sold it to nearby Highline Motors who will use the location as its service center.

The new owners of the Big T property were told by the county that the red car on the roof was no longer "grandfathered" into sign restrictions and had to come down. The new owners gave the red car to a friend.