Jan. 14, 2022

A self-described “car family” has opened a business that hopes to serve owners of luxury, classic and collectible vehicles with climate-controlled storage.

Kelly and Marian Olivier opened Autonaps recently and are aiming to create a place for vehicles to “hibernate” in the winter or whenever owners need to store them.

“We have always been a car family, and I have been working on and building classic cars most of my adult life,” Kelly Olivier said.

He’s a native South Dakotan who grew up in the Chamberlain area and lived most of his adult life in the Washington, D.C., area, where he met Marian.

They moved to Sioux Falls in 2018 and had the first of two sons in 2019.

“During the pandemic, we wanted our son to be able to play in the garage with all the new time at home, but we have a classic car that we store there that we do not drive during the winter,” Olivier said. “We started this business as we realized during the pandemic that space in our homes comes at a premium.”

They decided to pursue a secure, climate-controlled option for vehicles and motorcycles.

“Cold weather is very detrimental to cars’ interiors and mechanical systems,” Olivier said. “I looked and couldn’t find a single option outside of renting an entire shop. Why worry about scratching or the kids running into your luxury car with their trike?”

The brand-new facility is in Sioux Falls at an undisclosed location for security, he said. The service includes maintaining vehicle batteries. While customers have started finding Autonaps, “we got a late start this year completing our facility,” Olivier said. “So most likely already had plans for their vehicles or don’t want to take them out this late in the season.”

They are taking reservations for summer and winter.

Olivier, who served in the Navy and did intelligence work, also offers a 10 percent discount to active and retired military members.