Lawrence businessman Keith Smith saw the boom in the classic car industry coming and buckled himself in for the ride.

Smith, president of H.Z. Smith Motors, quit his job in the electronics industry three years ago to take over his father’s longtime used-auto dealership. That’s also when he started broadening the business’ reach by advertising his classic cars to a national audience.

“I’m selling all over the U.S. and overseas these days,” said Smith, who has a Web site and advertises in national car magazines. “I probably sell anywhere from five to 10 antique cars per month anymore.”

Smith said sales at the business, 1701 N. 1399 Road, had been up during the past couple of years, which he credits to a slight uptick in the economy.

“People have finally found their play money again,” Smith said.

But business was never too slow, even during the depths of the country’s economic downturn. He said most of his customers were between the ages of 40 and 60 and had a strong desire to relive their youths.

“It is usually a situation that they wanted to have one when they were a kid or their dad had one,” Smith said.

He said he thought the antique car market had remained strong during the weak economy because people also viewed the cars as an investment. He said some makes of automobiles — especially Chrysler muscle cars from the 1960s and 1970s — could appreciate from 10 percent to 20 percent per year if they’re in good condition and well maintained.

“People probably still buy them more for the fun than the investment, but the investment part helps them justify spending the money,” Smith said. “Knowing that it could go up in value helps you spend $6,000 if you really don’t have $6,000 in play money laying around.”

Smith’s business keeps about 125 antique autos in stock, currently ranging in age from a 1979 Lincoln Continental at $14,500 to a 1928 Chevrolet Landau Coupe at $13,000.

He said both of those cars were on the upper end of his price scale. Most of Smith’s vehicles are priced between $8,000 and $10,000, with some as cheap as $1,000 “that may or may not run.”

George Lauppe, a longtime member of the Lawrence Region Antique Automobile Club of America, said his 45-member club hadn’t seen a spike in membership. But he said there were other signs of growth in the industry.

In particular, he said there had been an increase in the number of car shows in the area. When the Lawrence club started its annual show 32 years ago, it was one of the few in the region. Now, during the summer, spring and fall there usually are shows every weekend within driving distance of Lawrence.