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4 AMERICAN
Bargain Bird
CAR COLLECTOR
Corvette Market
Why this Hemi was
a deal at
$178k
1950 Tin Woodie: $275k builds it, $154k sells it
™
INSIDE: Colin Comer on
Carroll Shelby’s legacy
July-August 2012
1968 Shelby GT500 fastback
$99k
1957 Corvette 283/270
www.AmericanCarCollector.com
$93.5k
Gold color, bronze price
Docked for being undocumented
Keith Martin's
includes
Page 6
CAR COLLECTOR
Vol. 1 • Issue 4 • July-August 2012
AMERICAN
Corvette Market
The Scoop: Profiles
CORVETTE
1957 283/270
CONVERTIBLE
$99k / Auctions America
A rare color, but without
docs, it’s just another
Corvette — Tom Glatch
Page 42
GM
1971 CHEVROLET
CAMARO Z/28 COUPE
$48k / Barrett-Jackson
It may be time to put that
“poor man’s Corvette” slander
to bed — Jay Harden
Page 44
FoMoCo
1968 SHELBY GT500
FASTBACK
$93.5k / Leake
It’s a Shelby, but the color is
a love-it-or-hate-it
proposition — Dale Novak
Page 46
IBLE
$99k / Auctions America
A rare color, but without
docs, it’s just another
Corvette — Tom Glatch
Page 42
GM
1971 CHEVROLET
CAMARO Z/28 COUPE
$48k / Barrett-Jackson
It may be time to put that
“poor man’s Corvette” slan-
der to bed — Jay Harden
Page 44
FoMoCo
1968 SHELBY GT500
FASTBACK
$93.5k / Leake
It’s a Shelby, but the color is
a love-it-or-hate-it
proposition — Dale Novak
Page 46
Keith Martin's
includes
Page 7
MOPAR
1970 PLYMOUTH HEMI
SUPERBIRD
$178k / Mecum
The sale price for this
Hemi was either a major
disappointment or a total
steal — Tom Glatch
Page 48
CUSTOM
1950 CHEVROLET
TIN WOODIE WAGON
$154k / Auctions America
$154,000 is a lot of money,
but it’s a lot less than it cost
to buy and build this car —
Ken Gross
Page 50
CLASSIC
1911 RAMBLER MODEL 65
7-PASSENGER TOURING
$275k / Gooding & Co.
A nearly complete find,
down to its original Laredo
license plate — Carl
Bomstead
Page 52
TRUCK
1972 CHEVROLET
K5 BLAZER
$25k / Barrett-Jackson
The market is waking up to
Blazers the same way it has
to GM 4x4 pickups — Jim
Pickering
Page 54
1950 Chevrolet Tin Woodie station wagon, p. 50
Courtesy of Auctions America by RM
July-August 2012
Page 8
Inside
COLUMNS
12 Torque
The future of collecting – Jim Pickering
30 Cheap Thrills
1967–69 Pontiac Firebird; rarer than a Camaro,
but not worth as much – B. Mitchell Carlson
32 Corvette Market
Where is the value in modified Corvettes?
– John L. Stein
34 Horsepower
Carroll Shelby remembered – Colin Comer
98 Surfing Around
Gotta-have automobilia on eBay – Carl Bomstead
SERVICE DEPARTMENT
14 What’s Happening
Hot August Nights, Woodward Dream Cruise,
Cobras at Laguna Seca
16 Crossing the Block
Upcoming auctions – Tony Piff
22 Good Reads
Super Stock: Drag Racing the Family Sedan
– Mark Wigginton
22 Cool Stuff
Plastic crowbars, leather cleaner – Tony Piff
FUN RIDES
26 Under the Hood
LeMay — America’s Car Museum opens
28 Insider’s View
1955–57 Chevrolet: Buy, sell or hold?
36 Q&A
Buying a Super Snake, Valuing a Split-Window
Corvette
Photo by Jim Pickering
See p. 32 for John Stein’s column
about the effect of modifications
on Corvette prices
10 AmericanCarCollector.com
AmericanCarCollector.com
AUCTIONS
62 Mecum Kansas City
A total of 435 cars sell for a 99.5% sales rate and $17.7m
80 The Branson Auction
Three days of bidding sees 426 cars sell for $9.24m
70 Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach
88 Global Roundup
Post-tornado, the 32nd annual Branson auction makes $2.9m
Selected sales combined in one comprehensive report
Page 10
Torque
Jim Pickering
The future of collecting
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible, sold for $84,800 in 2011. Are Tri-Fives a fading phenomenon limited to Boomers?
most popular questions ever, with literally
hundreds of responses — and it seems like
everyone fell into one of two camps: It’s
either time to bail out now, or everything is
perfectly fine in the Shoebox Chevy world
and the market will always love them.
In reality, as in most things, I think it all
depends on your perspective.
There’s no denying that the Boomer
T
generation is getting older, and they’re
the ones who typically gravitate toward
Shoebox Chevys. And it makes perfect
sense. GM built hundreds of thousands of
1955–57 Chevrolets, and they were relatively
inexpensive by the time the early ’60s
rolled around, so young drivers ended up
with them. They were the first cars from
Chevrolet to feature the new small-block
engine, which was soon the powerplant of
choice for many racers and rodders, and
that meant speed parts were easy to find and
relatively inexpensive. The result? These
12 AmericanCarCollector.com
his month’s Insider’s View question
takes a close look at Tri-Five Chevys
and the possible future market for
those iconic cars. It was one of our
cars were the perfect blend of style, value,
and performance for the cruising generation.
And that generation is still passionate about
them.
A changing market
People tend to collect what they coveted
when they were young. Trouble is, Tri-Fives
were well out of reach of most young adults
in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s — mostly
because of soaring prices in comparison
with other cars. While I have no crystal
ball, I think that’s going to be their ultimate
downfall in a market filling up with an
increasingly younger demographic.
Instead of hopped-up ’55s and ’57s, the
next generation of collectors ended up with
cheaper Novas, Malibus, Mustangs and
Camaros as the objects of their young affection,
and that’s where their passions seem to
fall today. How do I know? I’m part of that
younger generation, and I don’t remember
seeing Tri-Fives at the local high school
cruise spots or the late-night drag races.
And it’s not like there weren’t hundreds of
them in town. They, like their owners, just
kept more sensible hours than those of us out
doing brakestands in our late ’60s Impalas
after midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see a shift in
interest over the next 10 years, with prices
dropping on excellent 1955, ’56, and ’57
Chevys and prices moving up on mid- to
late-1960s American muscle. In fact, if you
look at the numbers, I think it’s already
started to happen.
So where does this leave Tri-Fives?
They’ll always be icons, so they’ll always
have value. I see them the same way I see
’32 Fords – lustworthy, but not because of
the memories that potential buyers have
of them, but rather for their attributes as
pop culture and car culture legends — and
they’re just really cool drivers and show
cars. By no means will they drop 50% in
value over the next few years. But I don’t
think we can expect them to stay flat, either.
But, then again, I could be wrong about
all of this. That’s the beauty of the classiccar
auction market. You never really know
what’s going to happen until the hammer
starts to fall. A
Page 12
WHAT’SHAPPENING
Hot August Nights
Reno is a gambling town,
but it’s a safe bet that Hot
August Nights rings the bell
for any American car collector.
The yearly extravaganza
of thousands of hot rods,
muscle cars, street rods and
classic cruisers starts with an
extra three days in South Lake
Tahoe from August 3 to 5. Hot
August Nights then cruises to
the familiar digs and streets
of Reno from August 7 to 12.
Event organizers claim that
more than 800,000 gearheads
and thousands of cars will
once again be part of one of
the biggest parties of the year.
Expect traditional car shows,
car cruises, swapmeets and
music everywhere.
This is one of the biggest
gearhead events of the year,
so it’s probably a good idea to
make your hotel reservations
now. Most events are free, but
the famous casinos in South
Lake Tahoe and Reno remain
pay-to-play. www.hotaugustnights.net
(NV)
One of the biggest parties of the year for gearheads who love American cars
Hot classics rule again in Detroit
Woodward Dream Cruise
Detroit’s not what it used to be — although the U.S. car industry
is climbing off the canvas with style — but Woodward Avenue is still
one of the great cruises on the planet. This year’s Woodward Dream
Cruise rumbles to life on August 18, and steering some Detroit iron
down that long drag will raise the hairs on the back of your neck,
especially when you share the asphalt with thousands of hot classics,
street rods and muscle, muscle, muscle. www.woodwarddreamcruise.com
(MI)
14 AmericanCarCollector.com
Picture 45 of these babies racing
Cobras Racing at Laguna Seca
Monterey in August has the reputation of being a fancy
FerrariFest. But not this year — at least if you hang out at the Rolex
Monterey Motorsports Reunion from August 17 to 19 to hear the roar
of 45 real-deal Shelby Cobras racing. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
will celebrate the long, fast life of Carroll Shelby, and we will definitely
be there, as will another 200 Shelby Cobras in a special Cobra
Corral. The races — where you feel the old cars ripping around the
famous track — are always our favorite part of Monterey in August,
and this will be a great year. www.mazdaraceway.com. (CA)
Page 14
CROSSINGTHE
Upcoming auctions
July
BLOCK
by Tony Piff
1969 Plymouth Road Runner 383/300 at Jackson Hole
Silver—Jackson Hole Auction
Where: Jackson Hole, WY
When: July 7
More: www.silverauctions.com
Last year: 27/62 cars sold / $176k
Quality classics from 16 states and Canada will be offered at
Silver’s annual sale in picturesque Jackson Hole, where a babbling
brook runs right though the auction site. Early headliners include
a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner 383/300 with 4-speed manual, all
numbers-matching, driven just 1,000 miles since body-off restoration
in 2000; a 1963 Ford Econoline pickup with new brakes, clutch,
steering box and radiator, showing 59k actual miles; and a 1941
Chevrolet pickup in dark blue over a tan interior.
Silver—Spokane Auction
Where: Spokane, WA
When: July 14
More: www.silverauctions.com
This auction will take place in the middle of the 42nd Annual
Mecum—Des Moines 2012
Where: Des Moines, IA
When: July 20–21
More: www.mecum.com
Last year: 286/461 cars sold / $5.4m
Five hundred collector cars will cross the block at Mecum’s
tion house of the Concours d’Elegance of America. In addition to a
2005 Ford GT boasting just 1,300 miles, the long list of important
consignments includes a 1930 Packard 745 Convertible Victoria
with coachwork by Waterhouse, one of only five known authentic
examples; a supercharged 1933 Duesenberg Model SJ Convertible
Victoria with coachwork by Rollston; a 1948 Hudson woodie wagon;
a 1924 Moon 6-50 four-door tourer, and a 1932 Lincoln KB coupe
by Judkins.
RM’s 1933 Duesenberg Model sJ Convertible Victoria
RM returns to St. John’s for its second year as the official auc-
AugusT
Specialty Auto—South Lake Tahoe Classic Car
Experience
Where: South Lake Tahoe, NV
When: August 4
More: www.saaasinc.com
Specialty returns to Hot August Nights South Lake Tahoe for its
Spokane Swap Meet, a three-day classic-car event sponsored by
the Early Ford V8 Club. Look for classic cruisers, restored muscle,
pickups and plenty of pre-war Fords.
Silver—Carson City Auction
Where: Carson City, NV
When: August 9–12
More: www.silverauctions.com
Last year: 272/328 cars sold / $4.8m
Silver’s long-running Reno area auction (now taking place in
second year. Watch this sale for a heavy dose of premium hot rods,
customs and classic American cruisers. It’s just the place to pick up
a stylish custom before Reno’s Hot August Nights.
annual Des Moines sale. American muscle, post-war classics,
pickups, customs and street rods are the dominant themes here,
with the cars sold last year averaging $19k. The three-day auction
takes place at the Iowa State Fairgrounds and will be broadcast live
on Discovery’s Velocity network.
RM—The St. John’s Auction
Where: Plymouth, MI
When: July 28
More: www.rmauctions.com
Last year: 60/70 cars sold / $7.6m
16 AmericanCarCollector.com
Carson City for the second year) has traditionally been their biggest
sale of the year. Four hundred quality nostalgic cars will cross
the block this year. Early star cars include a 1929 Ford roadster
street rod; a 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle SS convertible with periodcorrect
396; a restored 1958 Chevrolet Impala with Tri-Power
348; a 1962 Dodge Coronet; a 1962 Willys Jeep station wagon in
two-tone green with Mercedes 6-cyl and no rust; a cream-colored
1952 Willys Jeep station wagon completely restored with rebuilt
Hurricane engine; and a 1979 Chevrolet Silverado K10 pickup in
blue and silver.
Specialty—Reno/Sparks Auction
Where: Reno, NV
When: August 9–12
More: www.saaasinc.com
Specialty partnered with B&T Custom Rod last year to form
Page 16
CROSSINGTHEBLOCK
B&T Specialty Classic Car Auctions. They now operate the official
auction of Hot August Nights. The mix of cars will span the range of
American collectibles, from muscle to sports to customs, hot rods
and pickups.
motorcars is the longest standing auction of any on the Peninsula.
This year, the sale moves to a more expansive venue on the Quail
Lodge grounds. The event draws a strong mix of automotive collectibles
from every genre, including a number of premium muscle
cars and Big Classics.
Bonhams—Quail Lodge Sale
Where: Carmel, CA
When: August 16–17
More: www.bonhams.com
Last year: 65/128 cars sold / $11m
Now in its 15th year, Bonhams’ Quail Lodge Sale of exceptional
Last year: 38/98 bikes sold / $667k
At their fourth annual sale, MidAmerica expects about 100 vin-
tage bikes. Last year, prices for sold bikes ranged from $1,625 (for a
1969 BSA B25) to $69,550 (for a 1938 Brough Superior SS80), with
a wide assortment at all price points in between.
1966 shelby 427 Cobra at gooding’s Pebble Beach auction
Mecum—The Daytime Auction
Where: Monterey, CA
When: August 16–18
More: www.mecum.com
Last year: 443/707 cars sold / $22m
At “The Daytime Auction,” bidders can stroll the Del Monte Golf
Course while perusing 750 cars on offer, as the murmur from the
auction tent echoes across the manicured greenscape. The consignments
include a variety of foreign and domestic cars from every
era, with the emphasis squarely on American muscle.
Russo and Steele—Monterey on the Waterfront
Where: Monterey, CA
When: August 16–18
More: www.russoandsteele.com
Last year: 144/222 cars sold / $8.5m
Russo and Steele moves to a new waterfront venue for their
Gooding & Company—The Pebble Beach Auctions
Where: Pebble Beach, CA
When: August 17–19
More: www.goodingco.com
Last year: 106/126 cars sold / $78m
The early headliners at this premium-level event are a 1934
Cadillac V16 coupe (Gooding estimate: $300k–$400k); a 1930 Cord
L-29 convertible sedan, offered without reserve ($200k–$250k); a
1952 Hudson Hornet sedan, offered without reserve ($50k–$70k);
a 1940 Lincoln Continental cabriolet formerly owned by Babe Ruth
($200k–$300k); and a 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra, one of just 260 road
cars produced. The Cobra is equipped with a genuine, date-coded
427 FE big block and has been extensively restored to its original
Wimbledon White over black interior, complete documentation
included ($750k–$950k).
Monterey auction this year. Russo’s signature “auction in the round”
format is one of the most dynamic experiences of the week, and
the rock ’n’ roll atmosphere is upscale, high-energy and fun. Two
hundred-fifty high-quality cars are expected here, with a balance of
excellent luxury sports cars and iconic American muscle. The average
sold price last year was $59k, and the American high sale was
a 1970 Plymouth Hemi ’Cuda, sold at $198,000.
last year. RM’s hand-picked consignment list focuses on blue-chip
examples from each automotive genre, from every corner of the
world. Alongside six- and seven-digit Duesenbergs and Tuckers,
you’re likely to see some very significant Corvettes, Shelbys and
muscle cars.
RM—Sports & Classics of Monterey
Where: Monterey, CA
When: August 17–18
More: www.rmauctions.com
Last year: 123/144 cars sold / $78m
This top-level event saw 14 cars shatter the million-dollar mark
MidAmerica—Vintage Motorcycle Auction &
MarketPlace at Pebble Beach RetroAuto
Where: Pebble Beach, CA
When: August 17–19
More: www.midamericaauctions.com
18 AmericanCarCollector.com
Auctions America by RM—Auburn Fall
Where: Auburn, IN
When: August 30–September 2
More: www.auctionsamerica.com
Last year: 49/81 cars sold / $434k
America’s love of the open road will be a theme at this year’s
Auburn Fall sale, led by a restored 1931 Ford Model A Deluxe with
custom-built trailer that looks like a time capsule from the 1930s
(Auctions America by RM estimate: $150k–$225k). Nearly 1,500
American muscle cars, Classics, foreign sports cars and hot rods
will cross the block at the Auburn Auction Park during the multi-day
sale.
Worldwide—Fall Auburn
Where: Auburn, IN
When: August 31–September 1
More: www.wwgauctions.com
Last year: 243/374 cars sold / $13m
Worldwide Auctioneers is the official auction company of the
Early Ford V-8 Foundation, and “All Ford Friday” will take place
the evening of Friday, August 31, featuring important Fords from
all eras. “The Main Event” — a catalog auction limited to 80
exceptional motorcars — begins Saturday, September 1, at 6 p.m.
Exciting early consignments include a 1931 Cadillac V12 convertible
coupe, a 1929 Packard 640 phaeton, offered without reserve, and a
1934 Packard 1101 convertible coupe. A
Page 18
Publisher’s
Note
Keith Martin
Buy with your heart
and your head
A
s you would imagine, we at American Car Collector
are always in favor of buying more cars — whether it is
you raising your hand at auction and our writing about
the sale, or finding a car from a private seller. Each car
you bring into your life will unlock new experiences,
from the fun of the new people you will meet at car shows, to the
frustration as you have to sort out little things that a previous owner
might have overlooked. Think turn signals, brake lights, temperature
gauges, heater controls and the like.
Every old car will have issues; one of the keys to a successful
ownership experience is to try to understand exactly what you are
buying before it ends up in your garage — not after.
When you look at a car, whether at a dealer lot, a private party or
an auction, take time to be thorough on the little stuff. Carry a check
list with you — there is a handy one in the back of every price guide
we publish.
Try out the wipers. Do they work? Do they park properly? How
about the thermostat? Run the car long enough so that you can watch
the gauge, if it has one, and see if it appears to be working. Or at the
least, see if the engine appears to be getting up to temperature.
Does the parking brake work? How about the backup lights and
turn signals?
All this stuff may seem inconsequential when compared to big
things like matching numbers, good chrome and laser-straight bodywork.
But I’m sure you’ll agree that each small thing you have to fix
is frustrating — and rarely are things as simple as they would be on a
newer car. It’s never just a bulb that has burned out, it’s a socket that
is corroded.
I guarantee that if you buy a car on which everything works, you’ll
be much happier than if you spend a month with a voltmeter, under
the dash, tracing down shorts. Also, a car in which everything works
speaks well of the previous owner and how he wants his machines to
work. At the very least, if you discover a list of things that need to be
attended to, you can factor those costs into the offer you make.
Buy with your heart — there’s no better feeling than finding the
car of your dreams. But get your head involved as well, so that there
are more joys than regrets when you bring your four-wheeled fantasy
home.A
CAR COLLECTOR
Volume 1, no. 4
July-August 2012
Publisher Keith Martin
Executive Editor Chester Allen
Editor Jim Pickering
Art Director Dave Tomaro
Editor at large Colin Comer
Auctions Editor Tony Piff
Data Analyst Chad Tyson
Copy Editor Yael Abel
Auction Analysts B. Mitchell Carlson
Tom Glatch
Daniel Grunwald
John Clucas
Chip Lamb
Norm Mort
Dale Novak
Phil Skinner
Contributors Carl Bomstead
B. Mitchell Carlson
Colin Comer
John Draneas
Michael Pierce
John L. Stein
Jay Harden
Marshall Buck
Information Technology/
Internet Bryan Wolfe
lead Web Developer Marc Emerson
sEO Consultant Michael Cottam
Advertising Coordinator/
Web Content Administrator Erin Olson
Financial Manager Nikki Nalum
Print Media Buyer Wendie Martin
ADVERTIsIng sAlEs
Advertising Executives Tom Mann
tom.mann@AmericanCarCollector.com
877.219.2605 x 211
Jeff Brinkley
jeff.brinkley@AmericanCarCollector.com
877.219.2605 x 213
Randy Zussman
randy.zussman@AmericanCarCollector.com
877.219.2605 x 214
Tom Williams
tom.williams@AmericanCarCollector.com
877.219.2605 x 219
suBsCRIPTIOns
subscriptions Manager Rich Coparanis
subscriptions 877.219.2605 x 1
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Email help@AmericanCarCollector.com
Web www.AmericanCarCollector.com
Is it as nice under the dash as under the hood?
20 AmericanCarCollector.com
American Car Collector magazine (ISSN# 2164-1323) is published bimonthly by
Automotive Investor Media Group, 401 NE 19th Street, Suite 100, Portland, OR 97232.
POsTMAsTER: Send address changes to American Car Collector, PO Box 4797, Portland,
OR 97208. The information in American Car Collector magazine is compiled from
a variety of reliable sources. However, we disclaim and deny any responsibility or liability
for the timeliness, use, interpretation, accuracy and completeness of the information
presented. All material, data, formats, and intellectual concepts in this issue © 2012 by
American Car Collector, LLC, Automotive Investor Media Group, Inc., and Automotive
Investor in this format and any other used by American Car Collector magazine. Copyright
registered with the United States copyright office. PRINTED IN USA
AMERICAN
Corvette Market
JOIN US
Keith Martin's
includes
Page 20
GOODREADS by Mark Wigginton
I’ll never forget my first job: boxboy. So the first time my parents were out of town and
Super Stock: Drag Racing the Family Sedan
By Larry Davis, CarTech, 210 pages, $19.16, Amazon
Grandma was nominally in charge, I called in sick so I could go to Lion’s Drag Strip, where
Super Stock was king.
For a few glorious years in the early ’60s, drag rac-
ing success was as simple as wandering into a new car
showroom, picking out a car with the biggest engine and
a handful of go-fast options and then driving to the track
to blow away the competition — or blow up your new
car.
It happened all around the country, in the various,
ever-changing classes known as Super Stock. It was
the drag-racing version of what was happening in stock
cars and sports cars: Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.
And sell they did. All that American sheet metal
stuffed with big engines flew off the lots, and 50 years
later those cars that once sat in drag-race staging lanes
are now sitting in line to cross the block at collector
car auctions. The drivers and their cars became stars.
There was Bill Jenkins with various incarnations
of Grumpy’s Toy, or “Dandy” Dick Landy and his
Dodges. There was Dave Strickler’s “Old Reliable” and “Dyno Don” Nicholson, who
started making his name in a ’65 Comet.
Author Larry Davis was a part of it all, a kid with a fast street car who raced on and off the
track. When his best friend from those days bought “Old Reliable II” to restore, Davis got the
bug to document the Super Stock glory days — days it turned out were too short and overtaken
by the class that morphed into both Pro Stock and Funny Cars.
Davis takes a look at the Super Stock history, year by year, manufacturer by manufacturer,
and backs up the facts with plenty of photos and some great yarns. It’s a fast ride down the strip.
Lineage: ªªª
Davis is primarily an aviation author,
with some 70 books to his credit, but the
Super Stock story was in his blood and had
to come out. He has done the research,
chasing the facts and photos to document
the time in his life that shaped him.
Fit and finish: ª
This is the paperback version of “Super
Stock,” which came out in hardcover in
2002. The design is a dense two-column
text surrounded by well-reproduced blackand-white
images, and a dozen pages of
color, all printed in China. I tried to ignore
the awful “picture frame” border on all the
images, but couldn’t.
Drivability: ªªªª
There is something sweet about this
book, which is obviously a labor of love in
a marketplace full of automotive books that
leave you shaking your head about why
they were even printed. But Davis brings his
own history and delight in the era to every
page. There is enough data to make the
book useful as history, enough personality
to make it a fun read.
ªªªªª is best
COOLSTUFF by Tony Piff
To protect and preserve
This pH-neutral cleaner ($49) from
Swissvax gently cleans leather without
affecting color or the leather itself. It can be
used over the long term and won’t accelerate
aging. Once the leather is clean, apply
Swissvax Leather Milk ($59) to moisturize,
and finish with Leather Fat ($39) for protection.
The Leather Kit ($115) includes all
three products, plus premium-quality leather
brush, cotton towel and handy zipper bag.
www.swissvaxusa.com.
22 AmericanCarCollector.com
Little plastic crowbars
Eastwood’s popular pry tool set has been expanded to 10 pieces for even greater
versatility. They’re just the thing for removing trim pieces, emblems and plastic
dashboards. The glass-filled nylon material is strong and flexible for resisting breakage,
and won’t mar delicate surface finishes. $39.99 from www.eastwood.com.A
Page 24
UNDERTHE HOOD
LeMay — America’s Car Museum
AFTER A DECADE OF PLANNING, FUNDRAISING AND CONSTRUCTION,
THE WORLD’S LARGEST PRIVATE COLLECTION IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Jack Tockston
Two weeks before the opening, as contractors were adding their finishing touches and cars were being staged
GETTING THERE: Driving to the museum is easy because it sits next to Interstate 5. It’s a short walk from a Seattle-Tacoma Sounder railway stop, a short ride from the Amtrak station
or a fun hop from downtown Tacoma by light rail. Seattle-Tacoma airport is a 30-minute drive, and Tacoma Narrows Airport (handy for private and corporate planes) is 20 minutes
away. If you come by boat, the marinas on the Thea Foss waterway are just down the hill. For more information and schedule of events, go to www.lemaymuseum.org or call
253-774-8490.
by Jack Tockston
A
fter more than a decade of
gestation, the museum-rich city
of Tacoma, WA, celebrated the
grand opening of its world-class
crown jewel, the LeMay —
America’s Car Museum, on June 2, 2012.
The patron saints of this destination are
Harold and Nancy LeMay. Born in Yakima,
WA, in 1919, Harold was a successful entrepreneur
who, with hands-on support from
his wife Nancy, eventually combined several
firms and real estate holdings into Harold
E. LeMay Enterprises Inc. Best known locally
were his multi-county solid waste and
recyclables collection companies.
The largest collection
With the couple’s savvy business sense
came the ability to achieve every car enthusiast’s
dream: to amass an assortment of
interesting vehicles so vast that, in 1997, the
Guinness Book of World Records recognized
it as the largest private collection in the world,
with a total of 2,200 vehicles. The collection
later swelled to more than 3,400 vehicles, but
after being culled of projects and parts cars,
it’s now a more manageable 2,400.
26 AmericanCarCollector.com
Architect Alan Grant (a Porsche enthu-
siast) designed a huge, flowing, metal-clad
shell over heavy timber that reminds of
curves often found in automotive bodywork
designs. With well-lit spaces on four floors,
this happens to be the world’s largest private
museum open to the public that displays its
own holdings, drawn from the world’s largest
private automobile collection.
Fresh displays
With the aim of preserving history and
celebrating the world’s automotive culture,
about 250 vehicles will be on display at any
Detailing
Hours
Summer: 10 a.m.–5 p.m., seven days a week
(Memorial Day through Labor Day)
Admission
Adults: $14
Winter: 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday
Seniors (age 65)/students/military: $12
Children (age 5–12): $8
Group (adults, 10 or more): $10
School group: $5
Discounts: AAA members/State Farm policyholders
and employees, 10%
one time — and regularly replaced to maintain
a dynamic reputation that keeps interest
up and the public coming back. Most will be
provided by the LeMay family, who continue
to add prime examples to their collection.
In addition, the Pacific Northwest is
a known haven for a significant number
of private collections that include nearpriceless
Pebble Beach winners, national
and international road-racing icons, and
more. It’s also home to world-class custom
and hot rod builders, and competitive drag
and motorcycle racing enthusiasts. These
and other motorized interest groups (into fire
engines, tractors, trucks, motorcycles, and
so on) will be invited to display and share
their passions.
Building the museum was made possible
with the energetic support and encouragement
of the city of Tacoma, Nancy LeMay
and family, individual donors, regional enthusiast
volunteers, and long list of generous
local, national and international sponsors
including the magazine you’re holding.
(Publisher Keith Martin is a museum board
member.) The overall price tag of the facility
when fully completed is projected to be
more than $60 million, with estimated annual
operating costs of $7.3 million. A
Page 26
INSIDER’S VIEW
The ACC question: There are no better icons of the 1950s
than Chevrolet’s 1955, 1956 and 1957 150s, 210s and Bel Airs.
But in recent years, prices on these shoebox Chevys have started
to fluctuate. Has the market for these cars peaked? Is it time to buy,
time to sell, or time to hold? If buying, which specific year and model
would you recommend?
Crowd-sourcing an answer to your queries
To be on the mailing list for next month’s question, go to AmericanCarCollector.com and sign up for our biweekly newsletter.
and more-modern updated variations, to radical or race creations.
The “LOVE” and “gotta have” buyers for these cars were born
in the late ’30s to mid ’40s. Unfortunately, they are past the halfway
point on the bell curve, which means prices have just about peaked.
And the downside of that bell curve is steeper.
Move forward to better (lower and less market-inflated) priced
early ’60s or “less favorite” late ’60s to early ’70s muscle/big motor
cars. You can still love them, and I believe they have value growth
ahead.
Nick Fantasia, via email: It is time to sell. Unless you have a
Black Widow, or something clearly blue chip, the following for these
cars is decreasing more each year. They are rapidly becoming this
era’s Model A.
Charlie Barnett III, via email: It depends on the owner. If he
looks at them as investments, I think they are done cookin’, and if he
wants to grow financially, I would consider Pontiacs (’57–’63), Buicks
(’58–’61), Olds (’57–’59), Cutlass (’69–’72), and Cadillac Eldorado
convertibles (’66, ’73–’76). Those are undervalued vehicles often
costing less than their Chevrolet counterparts, with more growth
potential in terms of value.
Mike Casson, via email: It’s time to sell! These icons of
1955 Chevrolet Bel Air: Buy, sell or hold?
ACC readers respond:
Bob de Leon, via email: The enthusiasts who grew up and loved
these cars the most are on the back of the curve. I always felt when
these cars dropped, the rest would slowly follow as we die off!
The prices seem to be holding steady. These are always desirable
cars and I love them, and there will always be a demand for them.
Bill Warner, founder of the Amelia Island Concours
d’Elegance, via email: Buy and hold 1955 convertibles and Nomad
wagon.
Tri-Five Chevys will always be good cars to own, but color, model
and engine option are the keys:
1955: Coral and gray, Power packs (4-barrel with duals)
1956: Crocus and black, Aztec Gold and beige; two fours
1957: Turquoise and white; two fours, fuel injection
I owned a Coral and gray Nomad. ’55s are the best… it had its
own fender sheetmetal with the special “quilted” interior. Loved the
car.
Convertibles and two-door hard tops are always a good bet.
O.J., via email: I have a ’55 Bel Air two-door hard top, so I am
partial to the ’55. That said, I think they are stagnant now, but when
the economy comes back (and it will), they will certainly gain in
value again as they are still the iconic American car.
Ron LeBlanc, via email: Buy if you want, but sharpen the pencil
with the seller. These cars have peaked. Like anything, the market is
driven by supply and demand. There are plenty of cars out there in
all categories, with many correctly or over-restored, as well as period
28 AmericanCarCollector.com
American iron are the epitome of classic ’50s style. But as the older
car collector generation leaves the hobby, the younger generation just
doesn’t see the same value in these cars. I’m 33, and I love the look of
them, but I would never pay the prices they command today. I could
see a short-term rebound in prices over the next two or three years as
the economy improves, retirement plans recover and access to credit
becomes easier.
But long term, these cars are going to fall gradually over the next
15 years by at least 30%. Why, you ask? Because my generation won’t
be able to afford them at current prices. Over a third of 18- to 39-yearolds
still live at home with mom and dad. The average student loan
debt is over $20,000. More than half of us in that same age group
haven’t saved a dime for retirement or a down payment on a house,
much less for a classic car. Compare those numbers with where
current collectors were at that age, and it paints a dismal financial
picture.
Sure, as the older generation passes the hobby down to us, there
will be buyers interested in these old cars. But will there be enough
interest to maintain the current market prices? Not when most people
my age have no idea how to tune an engine or drive a manual. My
generation doesn’t have the patience for old technology, at least not in
the numbers required to sustain a hobby.
I’m afraid the best days of the Tri-Fives have passed. By all
means, drive it if you love it! But if it’s money over love, sell now
while they’re still worth something.
Tom Heidgerd, via email: At 61, I have owned a broad range of
vehicles, one of which was a ’55 210 sedan I built up (350/4 speed/
Posi, etc) in high school in the mid-’60s. Back then, it was a car of
choice and it still is today. Plentiful parts and easy to work on, I cannot
see any reason why they will become a “sell” item.
Even in today’s depleted cash environment, they still command
strong prices, and regardless, are fun to own and drive.
There are few true auto icons — and that is always a discussion
full of fun debate — but like the Deuce coupe, Tri-Fives will forever
represent a warm spot in every rodder’s heart, if not his wallet. A
Page 28
Cheap Thrills
B. Mitchell Carlson
PONY CAR
Pontiac’s
CAMAROS MAY BE WORTH MORE IN THE MARKET, BUT THAT DOESN’T
MAKE THEM A B
always bring less money than
Camaros.
Why? While there were
W
Detailing
three times as many Camaros
built (699,138 versus 277,381
Firebirds), today there’s easily 10
times the interest and desire for t
Chevy than for the Pontiac. But
just because one is worth more i
the market doesn’t mean it’s a be
value.
p Thrills
B. Mitchell Carlson
PONY CAR
Pontiac’s
CAMAROS MAY BE WORTH MORE IN THE MARKET, BUT THAT DOESN’T
MAKE THEM A B
always bring less money than
Camaros.
Why? While there were
W
Detailing
three times as many Camaros
built (699,138 versus 277,381
Firebirds), today there’s easily 10
times the interest and desire for t
Chevy than for the Pontiac. But
just because one is worth more i
the market doesn’t mean it’s a be
value.
1969
1969 Pontiac
Firebird
Unibody nuts and bolts
Pontiac catered to a more u
Years produced: 1967–69
Number produced: 277,381
Original list price: $3,314
(1969 350 coupe)
Current ACC Valuation:
$12,000 to $23,000
(coupe), $15,300 to
$34,400 (convertible)
Tune-up cost: $150
Distributor cap: $15
Chassis #: Tag on the
driver’s side door pillar
(1967), base of the
windshield on driver’s side
(1968–69)
sophisticated look than the Camaro. Firebirds also tended to be better equipped.
Today, basic Firebirds start around $12k in good
original condition, with convertibles around $15k. For
a similar Camaro coupe, you’ll be paying $20k-plus.
Power steering and power brakes were almost
a foregone conclusion when ordering a Firebird.
While power seats could be had only in the Pontiac,
performance goodies, such as F41 suspension and JL8
4-wheel disc brakes, were exclusive to Camaro. So for
the driver who wants some civility, the edge goes to
the Firebird.
Bang for your buck in a V8
While Chevrolet offered both small- and big-block
Engine #: Front right side of
the engine block, stamped
with the last eight digits of
the VIN.
Website: www.poci.org
Additional: www.phs-online.
com
V8s, Pontiac’s V8s were essentially displacement
changes on the basic architecture — with subsequent
refinements.
Initial Firebird offerings started with the 2-bar-
Clubs: Pontiac-Oakland Club
International, P.O. Box 68
Maple Plain, MN 55359
Alternatives: 1967–69
Chevrolet Camaro,
1967–70 Mercury Cougar,
1967–74 Plymouth
Barracuda, 1968–70 AMC
AMX
ACC Investment Grade: C
30 AmericanCarCollector.com
rel, 250-hp 326, with optional 285-hp 326 HO and a
325-hp version of the 400 found in the GTO. The 400
was also available with Ram Air, but the horsepower
rating stayed the same.
For 1968, the 326 was discontinued, and the
base and HO packages were built around the new
Pontiac 350. Horsepower ratings were 265 and 320,
respectively. The 400 was also bumped up to 330
horsepower in 1968, plus the Ram Air-equipped 400
was now advertised at 335 horsepower.
While engine choices remained the same for
1969, the now-famous Trans Am became available.
Those cars are rightfully at the top of the Firebird
or the six
cylinder offer-
maro skinned.
n-made,
e available at
e in the 1966
rd, and was
more powerful than Camaro’s base 230-ci, 140-hp six
and uprated 250-ci, 155-hp six. Pontiac’s entry-level
230-ci motor produced 165 horsepower (upped to 175
in 1968). It was also available with higher compression
and an optional 4-barrel Quadrajet carburetor,
yielding 207 horses (also bumped up for 1968, to
215 horsepower).
Pontiac offered a unique package for its higher-
horse, six-equipped car, which was called the Sprint.
Aside from the 4-barrel carb, the Sprint package also
included heavier sway bars, performance-tuned shock
absorbers, floor shift transmission — plus unique side
graphics and 3.8 Liter OHC fender emblems. You can
get an excellent one for $14k–$18k today.
Choices abound
If you have a $12k to $35k budget, you have your
choice of almost any Firebird (excluding ’69 Trans
Ams). Thanks to Pontiac Historical Services, we know
exactly how each one was built when new, so you
know what you have even if it’s a wannabe Trans Am
convert. That’s something that Camaro owners usually
can’t say, and with counterfeit documentation becoming
more prolific, it’ll only get worse.
With more performance on the lower end and com-
mensurate performance in the middle when compared
with Camaros, the Firebird is a better value — especially
for those of us who aren’t Bowtie brainwashed
and want our cars to do more than go in a straight line
for a quarter mile. A
hen it com
General M
F-body ca
Firebirds
will
food chain,
with prices
nearing
six figures.
Second to that
s the Ram Air
ption, which in
s market, adds
s much as 75%
e bottom line
% on 1967s, and
Page 30
Corvette Market
John L. Stein
HISTORYcarries a price
WE CAN’T CHOOSE OUR CARS’ PRIOR HISTORIES, BUT WE CAN STEER
THE HISTORY WE MAKE ON OUR WATCH
1967 custom with a reported $200k build cost, sold at $48k
And it’s history, not the guy wielding the Sawzall, that ultimately
does the deciding.
T
Lasting reflections from one shining moment
A 1960 Corvette in decent condition has an approximate current
market value of $50,000 to $60,000, ranging upward to $75,000 if
equipped with fuel injection and $135,000 to $175,000 if equipped
with the “Big Brake” RPO 687. But these values
mushroom like an H-bomb cloud when the car in
question is one of four 1960 Corvettes prepared for
the 24 Hours of Le Mans that year.
Finishing first in class and piloted by John
Fitch and Bob Grossman, the most successful one,
restored in 2002 to its Le Mans point in time, has
an estimated worth of $1.5 million or more. In this
case, the extensive modification and successful use
of a production Corvette increased its market value
over a normal 1960 model by some 30 times.
he only difference between a hero and a fool is the outcome.
By this I mean that the exact same actions can deliver triumph
or calamity. This holds true in the Corvette world, as evidenced
by the long-term gain or loss of value in modified cars.
1967 stock, nCRs Top Flight winner, sold for $133k in 2010
Young and I bought the Executioner for $21,000 during the
Corvette upswing, exhaustively researched it while attending to
various mechanical glitches, and then struggled to sell it both on
eBay and through a broker a year later. In the end, we just managed
to recover our purchase price — a net loss when you consider the
costs incurred during ownership. “We were the only ones not to make
money during the boom,” Young joked wryly.
Where is the value?
Had this ’64 convertible been left as-is instead of modified, its
20,000-actual-miles status would have put it closer to $65,000 today —
three times its worth as a modified drag/show car.
But that car’s shining moment was its time as the
“Executioner” — dim as that history may be — not as
a stock ’64 327/300 convertible. Returning it to stock
condition would be cost-prohibitive, and covering up
the car’s history would be a hard choice to make.
Although gassers have come on the cam of late,
’64 gasser: the “Executioner”
Mods and the value deficit
But heavily modified cars can also swing the other way — into a
costly “value deficit” — if they fail to earn historical status.
In 2005, my friend Scott Young and I invested in the
“Executioner,” a wild ’64 Corvette Sting Ray gasser. It had been
flamboyantly modified during the late 1960s, including a tubular front
axle setup, dramatic pearl paintwork by Milwaukee master Butch
Brinza, a commanding side-by-side two-carb setup on a built engine,
a period diamond-tuck interior, and more. The mods would easily
range into six figures at today’s shop rates.
With a possible drag-racing history preceding a successful show
career on the Autorama circuit in the Midwest — including multiple
awards — and plenty of dated photos from Brinza showing its build
progression, it had a fairly ironclad heritage. It also had the promise
of strong value growth.
32 AmericanCarCollector.com
it takes only an ounce of logic to recognize that
the ’60 Le Mans class winner should be worth way
more than a relatively unknown gasser. So while the
Hero’s Journey is open to all car owners to explore,
only some do — and fewer still find reward there.
Leave it stock or not?
We can no more choose our cars’ prior histories than we can
choose our parents, but we can steer the history we make with them
on our watch. This starts with thinking carefully about whether the
modifications you make to a stock Corvette today will wind up making
you a hero or a fool several decades down the road.
If you’re going to modify any Corvette — whether that means
going racing, building a resto-mod or just adding tinted taillight
lenses and a spoiler to a C5 – I say do it only for a really big, powerful
reason. If the mods help you win four SCCA national titles, congratulations.
But if they just help you look good on Woodward during the
Dream Cruise, go sit in the corner.
And if you don’t believe this now, history will repeat the story
later — to your wallet. A
Page 32
Horsepower
Colin Comer
REMEMBERED
Carroll Shelby
SHELBY WAS THE EPITOME OF AN AMERICAN SUCCESS STORY.
MORE IMPRESSIVELY, HE MADE IT LOOK EASY
shelby with a pair of 289 Cobras. His creation changed the automotive world forever, but he was just getting started
Courtesy of Shelby American Inc.
O
n May 10, 2012, the automotive world was rocked when
Carroll Shelby passed away at 89 years old. It was headline
news that spread like wildfire, understandable when
one considers the magnitude of the loss.
Now, let’s be honest. To any logical person, losing an 89-year-old
double transplant recipient (heart in 1990, kidney in 1996) after a
prolonged illness would come as no shock. But to Shelby’s family,
friends and loyal fans, it was just that. We all fully expected him to
live forever. After all, isn’t that what heroes do?
Even a cursory scan of the Internet will show pages of tributes
and heartfelt remembrances of the man. Unfortunately, most are from
people who didn’t know him. As the author of two books on Shelby
automobiles, I received countless messages from people sorry for my
loss as if I were a family member. I guess in a way all Shelby guys
were family; that’s how Carroll made people feel.
But why is it that even though for decades we all (including
Shelby) feared this day would come, we are still shocked and saddened
by it? I’ve struggled with that for the two weeks since his
death.
34 AmericanCarCollector.com
He played to win
Carroll Shelby was a character made for movies yet existed in real
life. He was a tough SOB from the word go, a usually irreverent man
who always played to win regardless of the “sport” he was engaged
in. Life, competition, business, big game hunting and even his own
health — these were just some of the areas in which Shelby was a
relentless competitor. Our hero Shelby always seemed to come out on
top with that movie star swagger and “aw, shucks” smile. He was the
epitome of an American success story. More impressively, he made it
look easy.
Shelby was a promoter par excellence, a “brand image” master-
mind decades before any marketing expert coined the phrase. He was
an exceptional talent scout, and knew how to recognize brilliance
within people and assemble it into a team to achieve his goals. Shelby
didn’t need any aptitude tests or personality profiles; if you were the
best, he would charm you into doing it for him. And all of this was
the secret to his success: the drive to win at all costs and the ability to
recognize that he couldn’t do it on his own.
Page 33
Now, I’d be remiss if I painted a picture of Shelby’s life that was
all sunshine and lollipops. If it had been like that, we wouldn’t respect
the man as much. There were trials and tribulations along the way,
most well publicized, and thankfully, Shelby never quit. Like a boxer,
he was quick on his feet, always ready to move (and fight) as needed.
Three steps ahead
Shelby’s ability to look ahead for the next opportunity but always
support his past and those who were faithful to it was uncanny. He’d
tell you exactly what he thought and what he wanted, especially if
you’d pissed him off. There was no sugar coating with Shelby, and
thank God for that.
You could hear the gears spinning when you’d talk to him and
could tell that the Ford supercomputer that designed the 427 Cobra
chassis had nothing on the computer in Shelby’s head. Regardless of
the subject matter, you knew Shelby was three paces ahead of you.
Always.
Professionally, Shelby changed the automotive world forever in
1962 when he introduced the Cobra. But that wasn’t enough for ol’
Shel. He kept going. And this is another reason for his larger-than-life
impact — unlike most other automotive greats who speak to just one
generation, the Shelby legend speaks to multiple generations.
From Ford, to Chrysler, to GM, and back to Ford, since the 1960s
there have been new Shelby projects every decade that have created
their own legion of fans. And these new fans quickly learn of Shelby’s
past successes and then become passionate about them. I speak from
experience. While I knew about Cobras and Shelby Mustangs, it
wasn’t until I bought a Shelby Dodge GLH-S in 1991 and went to a
few Shelby club events that I really became interested in learning
everything about the earlier cars. Oh, and I knew I had to have one.
It became a goal. That same phenomenon continues today. Buyers of
new GT500 Mustangs end up studying Shelby history and then seek a
vintage Shelby to accompany their new car.
Ever the innovator — shelby with his gR-1 concept car
Courtesy of Shelby American Inc.
Now what?
So what does it all mean, now that we’ve lost Carroll?
Unquestionably we’ve lost an icon. But anybody larger than life has a
legacy that dwarfs that. He was a prolific innovator and manufacturer,
and his cars will live forever and continue to introduce new people to
the Shelby legend. His accomplishments as a racer, and those of his
cars, are a permanent part of motorsports history. The Carroll Shelby
Children’s Foundation will continue to grow and continue with
Carroll’s mission as the years go on. Shelby American in Las Vegas
will soldier on the way Carroll wanted, building new Cobras and
making cars way faster than they need to be. But most importantly,
the lives Carroll Shelby changed will remain much better for it long
after the sense of loss subsides. Godspeed, Carroll, and thank you.
From all of us. A
July-August 2012 35
Page 34
Q&A
modification (i.e. fifth one completed vs, 20th) would result in a higher valuation?
Also for a car like this, what kind of annual miles would begin to hurt the value on a
2013 Shelby Super Snake as long as it was well taken care of?
Thanks for your response. — Darrell, via email
Q:
by Jim Pickering and Chad Tyson
Send your questions to questions@americancarcollector.com. If we print it, we’ll send you an
American Car Collector hat!
You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers
I have a friend who will be purchasing a 2013 Shelby GT500 and is looking
at sending it to get the Super Snake Package on it. In your opinion, is
there any historical information or future thoughts that having an earlier
Chad (left) and Jim
Q:
I own a 1963 Corvette SplitWindow
coupe, which I acquired
from the original owner in 1972.
The time has come to consider selling the
vehicle. Last year, I had the car certified as a
Survivor while attending Bloomington Gold
at St. Charles, IL. Here are the particulars:
• 327 ci, 300 hp
• Numbers-matching throughout
• Automatic transmission
• Power steering
• Power windows
• Tinted windshield
• Positraction
• AM signal-seeking radio
• Sebring Silver (original paint)
• Black interior
• 94,000 miles (59,000 at time of purchase
in 1972)
• Never hit or damaged, garaged its entire
life (probably a condition #2)
• Everything works, even the clock
I’m not certain how to go about selling
2013 shelby gT500 coupe — to super snake or not to super snake?
currently out of production. After all, why
would a buyer pay a premium for a used car
(with miles on it — ANY miles) if he can
just go down and order a brand-new one
with the same package and equipment?
Now, if your friend really wants a Super
A:
Snake, I’d say tell him to go for it. They’re
great cars, with suspension, power and appearance
modifications that take the already
over-the-top GT500 to another level. They
make a true 800 horsepower. In addition,
production is said to be limited, and each
is cataloged in the Shelby Registry, which
can only help their value in the future. But
that’s the key here — appreciation may take
awhile, and your friend needs to know that
before writing the check.
And like you mention, mileage would
need to be kept very low, which severely
36 AmericanCarCollector.com
If you’re looking for a car that
will go up in value, I’d suggest
starting with something that’s
limits what your friend would be able to
do with the car. I’d say maybe hundreds of
miles over the course of several years, just
to keep the seals lubricated and everything
functioning correctly. Anything more could
potentially hurt the car’s value.
If he does go with the Super Snake, I
don’t think he’ll see much variance in value
from the fifth to the 20th car built — but that
may not be true for the first or last. Those
cars tend to bring more.
For the money, which in this case is
about $48k MSRP for the base car and an
additional $34,500 for the Super Snake
package, I’d be looking at a vintage
GT500 like the one featured on page 46 of
this issue. I’d argue that it has all the curb
appeal of a new one, you can use it now,
and you’re not going to have to deal with
the depreciation that seems to follow
modern muscle in this market. — Jim
Pickering
the car. Would auctioning be a good option?
If so, which auction? Any other ideas or
advice? — Ken, via email
Bloomington Gold was a smart move, as it’ll
help bring a good price from buyers who
might otherwise be skeptical of the car’s
originality. And as it’s not a high-horsepower
car and it’s an automatic (both can be considered
strikes in the classic-Corvette market),
having the certification is a real bonus.
I’d suggest consigning the car with a com-
A:
pany such as Mecum or Barrett-Jackson, as
both have a good history selling documented
original Corvettes. Whatever you do, be sure
to include a lot of photos (both vintage and
recent) of the car and a copy of the recent
certification.
But above all, come up with a price you
think is reasonable and stick to it with a reserve,
if you can. Keep in mind that although
this is an original Sebring Silver ’63, it’s
also a 300-hp automatic. Don’t expect Fuelie
money here and you’ll do fine. — J.P.A
It sounds like you have a great
original car, and getting the
Survivor certification from
Page 38
AMERICAN CAR COLLECTOR
“THIS HAS BEEN THE AUTOMOTIVE
MAGAZINE FIND OF THE YEAR”
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Keith Martin’s auction analysis team
will tell you what your collector car
is worth — and why. Engaging and
informative, every issue features more
American models than you can shake
a stick-shift at!
GET 1 YEAR (6 ISSUES) FOR ONLY $29.95!
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Page 40
PROFILE CORVETTE
1957Corvette 283/270 convertible
CHEVROLET
First-gen
Corvettes
don’t have
a trim tag,
so claims of
a rare color
have to be
met with
a window
sticker,
invoice, build
sheet or some
other proof
42 AmericanCarCollector.com
Chassis number: E57S106210
by Tom Glatch
professional restoration to original specifications,
including the replication of factory markings.
Professionally detailed, it features a 283-ci, 270-hp V8
with dual quads, dual exhaust, an electric clock, tachometer,
windshield washer system, courtesy lights,
a deluxe heater and an outside rear-view mirror.
Ready for NCRS judging or Bloomington Gold, it
T
would make an excellent addition to any collection.
ACC Analysis This 1957 Chevrolet Corvette
283/270 convertible, Lot 395, sold
for $99,000, including buyer’s premium, at the
Auctions America by RM Spring Carlisle auction on
April 29, 2012.
The 1957 Corvette is one of the few Corvettes that
can rightfully be called “iconic,” coveted by both
Corvette and non-Corvette collectors alike. But in
reality, it’s the ’57 Corvettes equipped with the innovative
Rochester “Ram Jet” mechanical fuel injection,
especially those with the 4-speed manual gearbox, that
are true icons.
Part of their mystique is the space-age fuel-injection
system, part is the magic one-horsepower-per-cubicinch
output of their powerplant, and part is their
his is one of 6,339 Corvettes built in 1957, and
one of only 10 cars produced in Inca Silver with
Imperial White coves and a red interior.
It was the recipient of a complete frame-off
rarity — availability was limited, and only 756 283-hp
cars were built that year. Throw in the 4-speed, which
was not available until April 9, 1957, and you have the
formula that legends are made of.
Second-best to injection
But what about the next best thing? The perfor-
mance Corvette that most buyers chose was the
270-hp car. Equipped with twin Carter 4-barrel carburetors
and the famous Duntov cam, the RPO 469C
option was readily available, cost $301.25 less than
the Fuelie, and could be worked on by any shade-tree
mechanic. This was a Corvette that had a lot going for
it, but how did it fare against the fuel-injected icon?
Testing in the real world
John Dolza’s mechanical fuel-injection system was
created with competition in mind. His design offered
faster throttle response, eliminated fuel flooding or
starvation during high-speed cornering, and added an
advertised 13 horsepower to boot. But it was hastily
rushed into production for non-competition sedans
and Corvettes at the urging of Harlow Curtice, GM
executive vice president of North America, who himself
was pressured by design chief Harley Earl.
In their June 1957 issue, Sports Car Illustrated
magazine decided to find out if the extra expense
of fuel injection was really worth it. With a 270-hp
Corvette on the East Coast and a 283-hp Fuelie
Courtesy of Auctions America by RM
Page 41
ACC
Digital Bonus
Corvette on the West Coast, SCI
compared the performance and
drivability of both cars.
They found the fuel-injected ’57
was as advertised: a complex system
with superb throttle response,
no flooding or starving, better
fuel economy, and the kick of at
least 10 more horses. But they also
discovered what owners were also
encountering: that the injected
cars were difficult to start when
the engine was hot — something
the engineers were able to cure a
few years later.
But Sports Car Illustrated also
found that the dual-quad 270-hp
car was no slouch, though with a
more traditional feel: “Starting
the dual-quad car was easy,
by twisting the ignition switch,
though some care was needed
to avoid flooding on hot starts.
Once warmed up, the idle was low
enough at 500 rpm, but it was full of lumps and shook
the car. This can be handed to the competition cam,
which was installed in both cars... The power from this
cam comes on strongly at about 2,700 rpm and stays
that way until about 5,300, after which it falls off rapidly,
apparently due to valve gear. At the end of a fast
run, the idle was extremely bad, and after each stop
in the braking test, the carbs would stall the engine
dead. The dual-quad setup is by now a familiar one,
so rigged that the rear carb runs all the time and the
front one cuts in only at about two-thirds throttle.”
Although the cars were not otherwise identical, SCI
felt the difference in performance between the Fuelie
and the dual-quad ’57 was consistent with the advertised
horsepower of both cars. So while the dual-four
car fell in behind the Fuelie, it was a close second that
became even closer if tuning and maintenance were of
any concern to the buyer.
A rarity in silver for 1957
GM also quietly introduced another technological
advancement in ’57 — the first use of Dupont Lucite
acrylic lacquer paint.
GM pioneered the use of Dupont Duco nitrocellu-
Detailing
Year produced: 1957
Number produced: 6,339
(1,621 270 hp)
Original list price: $3,756
Current ACC Valuation:
$50,000–$93,000 (270 hp)
Tune-up/major service: $150
Distributor cap: $19.99
Chassis #: VIN plate on the
steering column
More: www.ncrs.org
Alternatives: 1957 Chevrolet
Bel Air convertible, 1957
Ford Thunderbird E-code,
1959 Cadillac DeVille
convertible
Club: National Corvette
Restorers Society
ACC Investment Grade: B
Comps
lose spray paint in the early 1920s, when the rest of the
industry still brushed, dipped, or flowed on paint — a
carryover from the carriage trade. But nitrocellulose
paints were prone to fading, yellowing and cracking
with age, and were especially dangerous to use. The
only ’57 acrylic lacquer color was Inca Silver, and
only 65 were built (including just 10 with the contrasting
Imperial White coves). Within a few years, all GM
products had switched to acrylic lacquer.
Premium pricing? Must have docs
Fuel-injected ’57 Corvettes, especially properly
documented 4-speed cars, command premium
prices, occasionally surpassing $250,000 for the best
examples. The ultra-rare (43 built) competition “Air
Box” FI cars can add another $100k or more. But the
typical 270-hp Corvette is in the $50,000 to $93,000
range, although two top-notch cars sold for over
$105,000 in the middle of the past decade.
Our feature ’57 looks to be properly restored, and it
claims to be one of the 10 Inca Silver/Imperial White
cars built. But no mention of documentation is made,
and without documentation, this is just another ’57
Corvette.
First-generation Corvettes don’t
have a trim tag, so claims of a rare
color have to be met with a window
sticker, invoice, build sheet, or some
other proof. And terms like “ready
for NCRS judging or Bloomington
Gold” hardly instill a peaceful,
easy feeling in bidders thinking of
shelling out more than $100k for a
Corvette.
With that NCRS Top Flight or
Bloomington Gold certification
in hand, this Corvette might have
topped the charts for a 270-hp car.
But without documentation, it’s just
a very nice Corvette that went above
the market value for comparable
cars. I’d say very well sold. A
(Introductory description cour-
tesy of Auctions America by RM.)
July-August 2012 43
1957 Chevrolet Corvette 283/270
Lot 207, S/N E57S104301
Sold at $63,250
RM Auctions, Monterey, CA,
8/13/2010
ACC# 165695
1957 Chevrolet Corvette 283/270
Lot S16, S/N E57S101891
Sold at $82,680
Mecum Auctions, St. Charles, IL,
6/22/2011
ACC# 197625
Engine #: Pad on front of
block below right cylinder
head
1957 Chevrolet Corvette 283/270
Lot 957.2, S/N E57S102586
Condition: 1Sold
at $73,700
Barrett-Jackson, Scottsdale, AZ,
1/15/2012
ACC# 191435
Page 42
PROFILE GM
1971Camaro Z/28 coupe
CHEVROLET
Early
second-gen
Zs are
overlooked
as some
of the best
all-around
performers
of their era
Chassis number: 124871N517220
by Jay Harden
B
44 AmericanCarCollector.com
eautiful rotisserie restoration on an original
and very rare split-bumper Z/28. This is a
matching-numbers example. Equipped with
solid-lifter 350/330-hp LT1 V8 with heavyduty
close-ratio 4-speed transmission and
Positraction rear end with 3.73 gears.
Options include power disc brakes, heavy-duty sus-
pension and D80 spoiler package. Beautiful Mulsanne
Blue Metallic finish surrounds a deluxe herringbone
interior with woodgrain trim, full console and complete
gauge package. Beautifully refurbished original
mag wheels ride on Goodyear F60x15 Polyglas GT
tires.
This split-bumper Z/28 is highly documented with
the original bill of sale, dealer finance papers and factory
Protect-O-Plate.
ACC Analysis This car, Lot 628.1, sold for
$48,400, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach, FL, auction
on April 5–7, 2012.
Anyone continuing to doubt the claim that early
second-generation Camaros have grown into valuable
commodities may need to take a long, hard look at
the Mulsanne Blue Metallic Z/28 on these pages, and
then consider the $48,400 it recently earned in Palm
Beach.
For several years now, early second-gen Camaros
have been rumored to be on the very precipice of
establishing themselves as legitimate collectibles.
However, Camaro and muscle-car enthusiasts have
occupied the majority stake in the rumor mill, and
few outside a very loyal legion of admirers have been
willing to write a check for one.
The poor man’s Corvette
The Camaro has long been burdened with the
label of “the poor man’s Corvette,” which is a claim
strengthened by the characterization of Camaro and
muscle-car enthusiasts as the “good ol’ boys” of the
collector world. Although we do tend to prefer beer to
champagne and cheese dip to caviar, the second-gen
enthusiasts have, for the most part, represented their
own chapter of the club, even among those of us with
Bow-Tie tattoos and Z/28 checkbooks. Partner that
somewhat unflattering brand with the fact that the
1970–73 cars tend to be categorized as second-tier
Camaros, and you wind up with a rather Rodney
Dangerfield-esque pony car.
In an effort to prove to myself that this sale, and
several others like it, were simply outlying errors in
judgment, I set about organizing my argument against
them, despite my personal affection for these cars.
I focused my research specifically on the 1970–73
Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
Page 43
ACC
Digital Bonus
round-taillight cars, and have done so
because I believe most of us can agree that
1974 was the official dawn of the Dark Age
in the history of the Camaro. However, as is
often the case when I set out to prove a point,
I managed to paint myself into a corner.
Zs on the upswing
eferencing the extensive American
ector database, as well as several
n house records and tallies from
ents, I discovered that the whispers
ors of the eventual early second-gen
sh in value are simply lies. It has
already happened. Going straight
to the numbers reveals some
surprising, but not so ridiculous,
truths.
According to two decades of
ACC records, the sale prices
for 1970–73 Camaros, on average, have
more than doubled in the past 10 years, from
st shy of $16k in 2002 to over $36k in 2012.
though consistently trailing their older sibngs
in average value by roughly 30%, such
a substantial jump in value is certainly worth
oting.
s unrealistic to expect that second-gen cars will
pass the 1967–69 cars in value, but it is reao
assume that their values may share similar
ies over the years.
e being a better car than its predecessor in
very way, the 1970 Camaro is rarely, if ever,
d in the same conversations as the horseroes
of the muscle and pony car wars. For
, the 1969 Z/28, with its underrated, notorious
p DZ-code 302-ci screamer, is the kind of car
that influences fathers to ponder, if only momentarily,
the trade-in value of firstborns. On the other hand, the
1970 Z/28, with its lower, longer, and wider body, substantially
improved engineering, and its clean-sheet,
solid-lifter 360-hp LT1, is routinely overlooked as one
of the best all-around performers of its era.
Harder to find
Although “rare” is a term that is, well, rarely used
to describe the Camaro, the early second-gen cars
may not be as readily available as you might think.
Total Camaro production for 1970 barely reached half
the output of the previous year, falling just short of
125,000 cars. Fewer than 9,000 Z/28s were produced
in 1970, which was a dramatic drop from the 20,000
or so units produced in ’69. Numbers continued to fall
in ’71 and ’72 due to worker strikes and production
stoppages. Fewer than 60,000 cars were produced
in ’72, and slightly more than 2,500 of those were
adorned with Z/28 badges. Those numbers add up to
the production of more Z/28s in 1969 than in ’70, ’71,
and ’72 combined.
This car and its alternatives
So how does this particular car stack up? And
where did the spike in value over the ACC Pocket
Price Guide’s $34,500 high estimate come from?
Considering that this Z is one of fewer than 5,000
cars produced, was beautifully restored in a great
color, has a matching-numbers drivetrain with a
4-speed and a 3.73 gear, and is highly documented, I
think it is reasonable to assume that this may be one
of the nicest examples anywhere. And buyers pay for
quality. In addition, I think it may also be valuable to
take a look at what the new owner passed on in order
to acquire this car.
For roughly the same money at this same sale, the
options included a 1969 RS Z/28 Camaro ($45,100),
a 1969 GTX 440/4-sp ($45,100), a 1967 GTO 400/4-sp
convertible ($50,600), a 1971 Challenger 383/auto
convertible ($45,100), and a 1967
Corvette 327/350 4-sp convertible
($53,900). Each one of the comparable
sales is a heavy hitter and a
certified big-leaguer, and to insinuate
that this Camaro doesn’t belong
seems like an exercise in futility.
Although I consider this car to
be slightly well sold, I would have a
hard time arguing that it isn’t worth
every penny. If you still disagree,
it might be worth your time to take
a close look at the 1970 Z/28 that
sold at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale
sale in January for $74,800. It may
just be time to put that “poor man’s
Corvette” slander to bed. A
(Introductory description cour-
tesy of Barrett-Jackson.)
July-August 2012
45
Detailing
Years produced: 1970–73
Number produced: 8,733
(1970), 4,862 (1971),
2,575 (1972)
Original list price: $3,635
Current ACC Valuation:
$21,400–$34,500
Tune-up/major service: $150
Distributor cap: $12.88
Chassis #: VIN plate under
windshield on driver’s side
Club: American Camaro
Association
Engine #: Pad on passenger’s
side of engine forward of
cylinder head
More: www.americancamaro.
org
Alternatives: 1970 Buick
GSX 455, 1967 Chevrolet
Chevelle SS 396 convertible,
1969 Ford Mustang
Mach 1 428 Q-code
ACC Investment Grade: B
Comps
1970 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
Lot 930.4, S/N 124870L525744
Condition: 3+
Sold at $38,500
Barrett-Jackson, Scottsdale, AZ,
1/15/2012
ACC# 192599
1970 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
Lot F191, S/N 124870N541705
Condition: 1Sold
at $37,400
Mecum Auctions, Kansas City,
MO, 12/2/2010
ACC# 168273
1971 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
Lot 406.1, S/N 124871L502955
Condition: 2
Sold at $55,000
Barrett-Jackson, Scottsdale, AZ,
1/18/2010
ACC# 155009
Page 44
PROFILE FOMOCO
1968GT500 fastback
SHELBY
OCO
1968GT500 fastback
SHELBY
well-sorted
well-sorted
GT500
depends
on quality,
originality,
documents,
color,
options and
transmission
OFILE FOMOCO
1968GT500 fastback
SHELBY
well-sorted
GT500
depends
on quality,
originality,
documents,
color,
options and
transmission
by
by Dale Novak
• 428-ci Police Interceptor V8 engine
• Balanced and blueprinted by Duffin’s Machine
Shop
• Automatic transmission
• Built at Ford’s Metuchen plant on December 21,
1967
• Restored to original by Randal’s Restorations
• The steel wheels and hubcaps have been upgraded
to 10-spoke wheels
• Aside from the mag wheel upgrade, this Shelby is
like it was the day it came off the assembly line
ACC Analysis This car, Lot 469, sold for
$93,500, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at the Leake Auction Co. sale in San Antonio,
TX, on April 20–21, 2012.
By 1968, Ford had all but taken over production of
the Shelby Mustang. Sales were dramatically up, with
over six times more cars sold in 1967 than 1966. The
1968 model was expected to sell even more, which
required a more fluid production process than had
been acceptable in the past.
The Shelby-designed fiberglass parts were now sup-
plied by A.O. Smith in Ionia, MI (the same company
supplying GM with Corvette bodies). As such, Shelby
Automotive set up shop in Livonia, MI, which was
much closer to the assembly line building the cars.
All 1968 Shelby Mustangs would be manufactured
in Metuchen, NJ, and then shipped to the A.O. Smith
facilities in Ionia for the final assembly, where they
were given Shelby body accents and parts.
46 AmericanCarCollector.com
More creature comforts
In ’67, the hot new GT500 outsold the GT350
by nearly two to one (2,048 vs. 1,175). The early
’68 GT500s came equipped with the same Police
Interceptor 428, only now it was equipped with a
single 4-barrel rather than the previous year’s dual
4-barrel configuration. But the swap managed to up
the horsepower rating to 360.
In April of 1968, Ford introduced the hot new 428
Cobra Jet (CJ) engine, which quickly found its way
into the 1968 Shelby GT500 line — branding the
new updated model as the GT500 KR. The published
horsepower suspiciously dropped to 335, but rumors
around the Saturday night cruise-in crowd pegged the
real number at well over 400 hp.
A gold automatic — but still a Shelby
Our subject car was a standard GT500 built on
December 21, 1967, and finished in Sunlit Gold. It was
then shipped to Hemphill McCombs Ford Inc. of San
Antonio, TX, on January 26, 1968. The car may have
spent its entire life in Texas, although that’s only an
assumption. But if that’s indeed the case, the body was
probably rust-free.
David Randal, a well-known Texas-based Shelby
restoration shop, had previously restored our subject
car — Shelby chassis number 00880. The body was
taken down to bare metal and finished with a basecoat
clear coat by another Texas shop as directed by
Randal’s team. The 428 Police Interceptor engine was
balanced and blueprinted, and the restoration appears
Courtesy of Leake Auction Company
Page 45
ACC
Digital Bonus
to have been well planned,
thorough and detailed — but
not overly so.
KRs, colors and the
extra pedal premium
Shelbys like this trade rela-
tively often, so there are plenty
of comparable sales to help peg
the current market. But our
focus needs to stay squarely on
the earlier built cars — those
with the 428 Police Interceptor.
Later GT500 KRs with the CJ
engine will generally command
about a 20% to 25% premium.
Valuing a well-sorted
GT500 depends on variables
such as quality, originality,
documentation, color, options
and transmission selection, to
name a few.
This car’s color, although correct for the build, is
a love-it-or-hate-it proposition. I think it’s attractive,
but given the prospect of parting with some of my
hard-earned cash as an investment (meaning I’d like
to be able to easily sell it down the road), I’d prefer
one in red or blue — and like most muscle buyers, I’d
really rather have a 4-speed.
Our first comparable database entry is Lot S169, a
1968 Shelby GT500 that sold at the Mecum Kissimmee
sale in January 2012 for $116,600 (ACC# 201280).
This car was finished in Acapulco Blue, appeared
to be well sorted with more documentation than our
subject car, and included the game-changing 4-speed
transmission. That car appeared to be in good condition
but was certainly not over-the-top.
Next, another Mecum sale, this time in Dallas in
October 2011. There, a 1968 GT500, Lot S150.1, found
a new garage for $92,750 (ACC# 191111). This car was
also finished in the desirable Acapulco Blue but also
came with an automatic transmission, so in that re-
Detailing
Year produced: 1968
Number produced: 1,140
(GT500)
Original list price: $4,317
Current ACC Valuation:
$90,000–$127,500
Tune-up cost: $200
Distributor cap: $25
Chassis #: Driver’s side
door tag
Club: www.saac.com
More: www.mustangforums.
com
Engine #: Pad on the back of
the block on the driver’s
side
Alternatives: 1968 Ford
Mustang GT 428CJ
fastback, 1968 Chevrolet
Yenko Camaro 427 coupe,
1968 Mercury GT-E 427
2-dr hard top
gard, it’s more closely related to our subject car from
a value perspective. But this example was in lesser
condition than our subject.
Finally, an eBay sale noted in our database as Lot
330578483832 reported as sold for $75,101 on July 7,
2011 (ACC# 182265). This GT500 was finished in Lime
Gold and was fitted with the 4-speed manual transmission
and suggested to be in #2 condition. That car had
previously gone unsold at RM’s Toronto, Canada, sale
in October 2005, with a high bid of $92,000 (ACC#
39824).
The $100k barrier
So in this market, very nice, well-sorted 1968
GT500s have routinely traded for less than $100,000,
with 4-speed cars generally finding more money
— which is the norm for most muscle cars. But it’s
important to note that all of the sales referenced here
took place before Shelby’s death in May. I wouldn’t
be surprised to see a boost in the values of his cars,
although I think we’ll see that first with 289 and 427
Cobras and the earlier,
more race-oriented 1965
and 1966 GT350s.
Typically, you can add
anywhere from 10% to 25%
for a third pedal, depending
on the make and model, and
the balance of the presentation
and documentation.
Keep in mind that none
of our comparables, or
our subject car, appear to
be world-class concours
examples, which could presumably
command another
50%.
But if a Sunlite Gold
Shelby GT500 with an automatic
transmission was on
your gotta-have list, this car
was a fair deal — both for
courtesy of Leake Auction
Company.)
July-August 2012 47
ACC Investment Grade: A
Comps
1968 Shelby GT500 fastback
Lot S121, S/N 67400F2U00643
Condition 1Sold
at $196,100
Mecum Auctions, Monterey, CA,
8/21/2011
ACC# 184001
1968 Shelby GT500 fastback
Lot S115, S/N 8T02S14349101630
Condition 2Not
sold at $75,000
Mecum Auctions, Kansas City,
MO, 12/4/2009
ACC# 153237
1968 Shelby GT500 fastback
Lot S183, S/N 8T02S149558
Condition 2
Sold at $110,000
Mecum Auctions, Kissimmee, FL,
1/24/2008
ACC# 48872
the buyer and seller. A
(Introductory description
Page 46
PROFILE MOPAR
1970Hemi Superbird
PLYMOUTH
On a
different day,
this Hemi
Superbird
could have
brought
more money.
Here, it was
a spectacular
bargain
Chassis number: RA23R0A176668
by Tom Glatch
R
48 AmericanCarCollector.com
ecords indicate that only 77 Plymouth
Superbirds were built with the mighty
426/425-hp Hemi engine and TorqueFlite automatic
transmission. Fewer than 30 are known
to exist today.
This genuine R-code 1970 Plymouth Superbird is
one of those few, finished in Vitamin C Orange with
a black vinyl roof. It also features a rare white-onblack
bucket-seat interior with woodgrain-accented
console and Rallye instruments. Documented with the
broadcast sheet, it is equipped with power steering and
power front disc brakes.
ACC Analysis This 1970 Plymouth Hemi
Superbird, Lot S238, sold for
$177,550, including buyer’s premium, at Dana
Mecum’s 25th Original Spring Classic Auction on May
19, 2012.
The theory of aerodynamics is simple: A bullet
passes through the air easier than a brick. But in
practice, it has taken decades for the study of aerodynamics
to evolve to where it is today. Chrysler was
one of the first manufacturers to apply aerodynamics
to automotive design with their technically interesting
but poor-selling Airflow cars of the ’30s. Then, 30
years later, aerodynamics inched — literally — into
the world of NASCAR.
The slick advantage
Back in an era when stock cars were more than
75% factory stock, it took either a manufacturer’s
new design, or outright cheating, to create a large
competitive advantage.
The sleek, new 1966 Dodge Charger looked like a
bullet with its flush, headlight-free grille and long fastback
roofline, but the roof generated a few hundred
pounds of unstable lift at the rear, so NASCAR allowed
a one-inch plexiglas spoiler to be mounted on the tail
in the interest of safety. David Pearson captured the
championship that year with his Hemi Charger, and
was untouchable on the long, high-speed ovals.
Ford Motor Co. fired back in 1968 with their new
Ford Torino and Mercury Cyclone models, which
looked much like clones of the 1966–67 Charger.
The restyled 1968 Charger and new Plymouth Road
Runner proved to be bricks on the racetrack in comparison.
Ford created racing-specific models called the
Torino Talladega and Cyclone Spoiler II, equipped
with an extended, sloping nose, for the high-speed
ovals. NASCAR rules mandated building 500 of each
for the street, but in the intense atmosphere of factorysupported
stock car racing, where a win on Sunday
literally translated into showroom sales on Monday,
FoMoCo felt it was worth the expense.
John Hollansworth Jr., courtesy of Mecum Auctions
Page 47
ACC
Digital Bonus
Birth of the winged warriors
Chrysler countered with a special ’69 Dodge
Charger, the Charger 500. It featured a flushmounted
Dodge Coronet grille in place of the
deeply inset Charger piece. The Charger’s
r window was also
eet metal and glass
eative Industries
dge, which made
e — until Ford
i Hemi” engine later
C
Digital Bonus
Birth of the winged warriors
Chrysler countered with a special ’69 Dodge
Charger, the Charger 500. It featured a flush-
mounted Dodge Coronet grille in place of the
deeply inset Charger piece. The Charger’s
r window was also
eet metal and glass
eative Industries
dge, which made
e — until Ford
i Hemi” engine later
ed
ed it would take an
o make the Charger
9 Talladegas and
mi had little room
ated yet another
ion later in the
na.
rriors,” the Daytona
ced drag by huge
ear wing controlled lift
y as speeds neared 200
w a NASCAR-spec Daytona
h on Chrysler’s five-mile
nd oval — with Ford spy
d.
stries again built the
d 500 Daytonas for the
et, and the new Daytona
w immediate success on
e racetrack, winning the
ugural Talladega 500.
Plymouth’s NASCAR special
Not to be outdone, Plymouth introduced its own
“winged warrior” for the 1970 season, similar to
the Daytona, but based on Plymouth’s Road Runner.
Although both the Charger and the Road Runner
shared Chrysler’s B-body midsized platform, the body
panels were completely different, so the Daytona and
the new Superbird shared no sheet metal.
Bill France, NASCAR’s founder and ruling
monarch, tried to dissuade the manufacturers from
continuing to create these special models by increasing
the number of street vehicles required to be manufactured
before a car was allowed to race, so Creative
Industries had to build 1,935 Superbirds for Plymouth.
Detailing
Year produced: 1970
Number produced: 1,935,
per Chrysler Historical
Society records. Some
contend that as few as
1,920 and as many as
2,734 Superbirds were
built.
Original list price: $5,109
Current ACC Valuation:
$190,000–$275,000
Tune-up/major service: $150
Distributor cap: $19.99
Chassis #: VIN plate on the
driver’s side instrument
panel behind windshield
End of the aero era
The insanity stopped in 1971, when Bill France
outlawed all special racing models. The manufacturers,
reeling from the expense of this racing battle, also
withdrew all support from the NASCAR teams. The
“Aero Era” was over, but the limited-production street
vehicles that came out of these two seasons remain
some of the most coveted and valuable muscle cars
ever made.
The Superbird market
Dana Mecum’s 25th Original Spring Classic offered
five Plymouth Superbirds. A 440/automatic in TorRed
sold for $110,000, a well-documented 440/4-sp in
Lemon Twist Yellow sold for $185,000, and another
440-powered Superbird in Lemon Twist Yellow
reached $92,500 but did not sell. A more-desirable
440 Six Pack-powered Superbird, an amazing 5,400mile,
untouched, Bloomington Gold-certified Survivor,
reached $188k in bidding but failed to sell.
That left our feature car, a rare Hemi-powered
Superbird. This car had all the right options. Best of
all, the original broadcast sheet that accompanied the
car down the Lynch Road assembly line was recovered,
verifying the authenticity of the Hemi.
Hemi power, light price
Anything with a documented Hemi typically commands
at least $50,000 more than its lesslegendary
counterparts, and this Superbird
should have done the same. A few years ago,
Hemi Superbirds were selling for as much
as $420,000, although the market has certainly
softened from the peak of 2007–08,
with $190,000 to $275,000 being a realistic
range. That’s why $177,500 for this Hemi
is a major disappointment. Or you could
consider it a total steal.
Maybe the 5,400-mile Survivor stole this
car’s thunder. Or maybe the large number
of Superbirds for sale on the same day diluted
the pool of potential buyers. My guess
is that on a different day, this excellent
Hemi Superbird may have sold for the current
average, but on this day it was simply a
spectacular bargain. Very well bought. A
(Introductory description courtesy of
Mecum Auctions.)
July-August 2012
49
More: www.superbirdclub.com
Alternatives: 1969 Dodge
Charger 500, 1969 Dodge
Charger Daytona, 1969
Ford Torino Talladega/
Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II
Club: Daytona-Superbird
Auto Club
ACC Investment Grade: B
Comps
Engine #: Pad on top of the
block near the water pump
1970 Plymouth Superbird 440
Six Pack
Lot S69, S/N RM23V0A167079
Condition: 2
Sold at $129,850
Mecum Auctions, Kansas City,
MO, 12/1/2011
ACC# 190194
1970 Plymouth Superbird 440
Six Pack
Lot F101, S/N RM23VOA179702
Condition: 1
Sold at $169,600
Mecum Auctions, Monterey, CA,
8/21/2011
ACC# 184000
1970 Plymouth Hemi Superbird
Lot 1297, S/N RM23R0A126668
Condition: 2+
Sold at $300,000
Barrett-Jackson, Scottsdale, AZ,
1/18/2007
ACC# 44191
Page 48
PROFILE HOT ROD & CUSTOM
1950Wagon Tin Woodie
CHEVROLET
A classic
example of
what can
happen when
you build a
top-level
custom,
display it on
the national
show circuit,
and then try
to sell it
Chassis number: 5HKF41495
by Ken Gross
been extensively modified throughout, including the
redesign and fabrication to convert it from a four-door
to a two-door.
The car is powered by a General Motors perfor-
T
mance 502-ci big block, with Hilborn fuel-injection,
custom Brad Starks stacks and aluminum heads with
hand-painted valve covers. The running gear consists
of a Gearstar model 4L60 automatic transmission with
B&M floor-shifter, a Yank 2,500-rpm stall converter
and a nine-inch Currie rear end.
Awards include Goodguys Custom Rod of the Year
2009, Scottsdale, AZ; World of Wheels Best Custom
Rod, Louisville, KY; Autorama Best Custom, Detroit,
MI; NSRA Nationals — Pro’s Pick, Louisville, KY,
and more.
ACC Analysis This 1950 Chevrolet Tin Woodie,
Lot 606, sold for $154,000, in-
cluding buyer’s premium, at Auctions America by
RM’s Fort Lauderdale, FL, sale March 16–18, 2012.
Originally costing more than $275,000 to build, this
Tin Woodie is a classic example of what can happen
when you build a multiple award-winning show car,
display it on the national show circuit, and then try to
sell it.
You take a bath. In this case, for about $125k.
50 AmericanCarCollector.com
his award-winning, handcrafted beauty was
built and finished by Brad Starks Rod &
Custom. It began its life as an Arizona-based
1950 Tin Woodie four-door wagon. It has
Real woodies vs. Tin Woodies
Ford Motor Co. was America’s “wagon master”
for decades. Through 1948, Ford offered an eightpassenger,
all-wood wagon. Although it was beautiful,
the maple and birch body needed to be sanded and revarnished
at least every two years — a labor-intensive
and expensive process.
Plymouth led the charge to all-steel station wagons
in 1949. Chevrolet began 1949 with wood-bodied wagons,
then went to all-metal construction with Dynoc
decal “wood” trim mid-year. Ford met them halfway
with a steel body trimmed with actual wood. Priced at
$2,107, the new ’49 Ford wagon had only two doors,
and its extensive wood trim still required special care.
Just 29,017 units were sold.
For 1950, Chevrolet offered an eight-passenger,
all-steel, faux wood, Tin Woodie station wagon with
four doors. It was just what the market wanted. Chevy
wagon sales went through the roof, with a whopping
166,995 examples sold. Aside from normal attrition, a
’50 Chevy Tin Woodie is not a rare model.
But this feature car is strictly one-of-a-kind.
From mild custom to top show car
Brad Starks, a computer draftsman and engineer,
built it for Brian Vanzant. Starks was just starting
out in business with his own shop in Paducah, KY.
Vanzant was his first major client. Originally, the
wagon was to be a more traditional-style car with
whitewalls on steel wheels, a little more power and a
Courtesy of Auctions America by RM
Page 49
ACC
Digital Bonus
surfboard roof rack.
Reportedly a decent, rust-free Arizona
find, the body was straightened and the
front frame rails were C-notched and
re-arched to lower the car. But after
Vanzant went to a few hot-rod shows,
, big-time. Vanzant
dnick 19-inch and
d a big engine, which
r of the build, and
w exponentially.
hed the rear of the
ches and fitted an
ystem. A polished
d a set of Wilwood
es completed the
. With the woodie
e weeds, Vanzant
ed he wanted a
rn-injected, 502-ci
ock V8. And that
all.
r Brad Starks showed Brian
etch he had done of the Tin
odie as a two-door, Starks told
e Goodguys’ Gazette, “Brian
died it, mulled it over for an
, then gave him the green light.”
e of this work comes cheaply.
e doors were extended seven
illars were canted, the top
was chopped about three inches; a ’50 Olds onepiece
windshield was installed (Chevy, Pontiac and
Oldsmobile all shared this same body), and custom
side glass had to be fabricated. A full custom interior,
with a new console, covered in high-zoot leather, and
nickel-finished Classic Instrument gauges, was followed
by a beautiful “Cappuccino Craze” finish and
rendering the all-important faux wood.
Stark told ACC the hardest part of this job was
airbrushing the woodgrain. “I have about 130 hours
in that alone,” he says. The entire project consumed
5,000 hours over two years. “I like details on a car
that keep people looking,” Stark says, “so there are
plenty of those.”
This car is nicely proportioned, clean, clever and
way cool. For a major first effort by a man and his
Detailing
Year produced: 1950
Number produced: 166,995
Original list price: $1,994
Current ACC Valuation:
$20k–$26k (stock)
Tune-up, major service:
$250 (estimated)
Chassis #: N/A
Engine # Stamped on engine
block forward of right
cylinder head
Clubs: Goodguys, www.goodguys.com;
National Street
Rod Association (NSRA),
www.nsra-usa.com
Alternatives: 1951 Ford
Country Squire two-door
custom wagon, 1953 Buick
Super Estate custom
wagon, 1950 Oldsmobile
88 custom wagon
shop that are new to the game, it makes a great first
impression.
Two for the show
After the custom rod was completed, Stark and
Vanzant took the Tin Woodie to many significant
national shows, where it won its share of awards.
While $154,000 for this car is a sizeable sum, it
represents a lot less than it cost to buy and build it. “I
wish it had been more,” Starks says, “but that’s typical
of the custom car market.”
Remember the 1954 Plymouth show car called “The
Sniper” (it had a V10 Viper engine) that was built
for George Poteet by Troy Trepanier at Rad Rides by
Troy? The notoriety of that car put Trepanier on the
map. Poteet did everything in it, including the Hot Rod
Power Tour, then sold it at Barrett-Jackson in 2002
for $162,000. The winning bid was significantly less
than “The Sniper” cost to build. Unperturbed, Poteet
quipped, “When’s the last time somebody got that
much money for a ’54 Plymouth?”
That’s the attitude you have to have here.
Now what do you do with it?
Brad Starks says the Tin Woodie “needs a few bugs
worked out” before it can be truly roadworthy. It’s
been to most of the major shows, so
future opportunities for the big time
are limited, but the new owner will
blow people away at local events and
cruises.
The good news is that Starks’
business is booming. He currently has
11 projects in his Paducah shop, and
while he can’t attribute them all to
the success of this car, it undoubtedly
helped.
My advice: If you’re captivated by a
particular show car and you can snag
it for substantially less than it cost
to build, go for it. Don’t expect it to
appreciate in your lifetime. Just drive
it and enjoy it.
I’d call this Chevy custom rod well
bought, and given the trend for this
type of car, decently sold. A
(Introductory description courtesy
of Auctions America by RM.)
July-August 2012
51
1940 Mercury Custom
Lot 530, S/N 99A157242
Condition: 1Sold
at $137,500
RM Auctions, Monterey, CA,
8/18/2007
ACC# 46257
1940 Ford DeLuxe custom
Lot 1315, S/N 5K06159
Condition: 1Sold
at $77,000
ACC Investment Grade: C
Comps
Barrett-Jackson, Scottsdale, AZ,
1/15/2012
ACC# 192581
1950 Cadillac Series 61 custom
Lot 13, S/N 506281048
Condition: 1-
Not sold at $110,000
Bonhams, Carmel, CA, 8/18/2011
ACC# 183048
Page 50
PROFILE CLASSIC
1911Model 65 7-passenger touring
RAMBLER
Image by owner, courtesy of Gooding & Company
The lack
of 40-inch
replacement
tires was a
real problem
— so much
so that it
necessitated
the early
retirement
of the car
Chassis number: 26689
by Carl Bomstead
models phased out in favor of four-cylinder models,
the Rambler became known as one of the most luxurious
cars built in America. They were recognized by
the slogan “The Comfort of the Parlor and the Speed
of the Express Train.”
This outstanding Rambler Model 65 is widely
I
52 AmericanCarCollector.com
believed to be the sole existing example of the model.
Built on a 128-inch chassis, the longest offered, this
gleaming Brass Era Seven-Passenger Touring Car is
truly a sight to behold.
It is reported that the first owner of the Model
65 was an executive of the Coca-Cola Company in
Laredo, TX. Built on the wide-track chassis — possibly
the only Model 65 offered with that specification
— the motorcar would have been well-suited to its
owner, who most likely traveled the many unpaved
roads of Texas that had been well-worn with the wide
stance of horse-drawn wagons.
ACC Analysis This 1911 Rambler Model 65
Seven-Passenger Touring, Lot 67,
sold for $275,000, including buyer’s premium, at
Gooding & Company’s Amelia Island, FL, sale on
n 1904, the Rambler Company relocated from
Chicago to a factory in Kenosha, WI, where they
pioneered assembly-line procedures and took their
annual production to almost 4,000 units. By the
turn of the next decade, with the last two-cylinder
March 9, 2012.
Cars like this Rambler are very hard to come by.
Why? Because although this one is now 101 years
old, it’s also still pretty original throughout. And it
was fairly rare in its own time as well. It’s thought to
possibly be the only wide-track Rambler Model 65
ever built.
Desired option or Achilles’ heel?
This striking Rambler was originally equipped
with massive 40-inch-by-5-inch tires necessary for
traveling the heavily rutted rural Texas roads of its
day. In many cases, these were little more than trails
beaten down by horse-drawn wagons, which happened
to generally have wide tracks. So the large wheels and
wide stance were perfect for the first buyer’s needs —
these features kept the car from getting stuck, and it
likely made things a little more comfortable than they
might have been with smaller-diameter rims or more
narrow axles.
But those wheels ultimately caused this Rambler
to be parked relatively early in its life. The lack of
availability of 40-inch replacement tires was a real
problem — so much so that it necessitated the early
retirement of the car. But in retrospect, that was a saving
grace here, as when the car was uncovered many
decades later, it was very complete, even retaining its
original Laredo license plate.
Page 51
ACC
Digital Bonus
Detailing
Years produced: 1902–13
Number produced:
Approximately 3,000 in
1911
Original list price: $3,050
Current ACC Valuation:
$200k–$300k
Tune up cost: $750
Distributor cap: N/A
Chassis #: N/A
Engine #: N/A
Club: AACA 501 W Governor
Road Hershey, PA
Perfection in restoration
The restoration of the Rambler was complicated
by the initial shop closing its doors. The subsequent
restorer realized that the original (and quite rare)
brass headlamps were missing. Fortunately, they were
discovered in an unmarked box in the initial restorer’s
now-closed facility. The Rambler was then restored
to perfection, with every component disassembled
and precisely restored. The acetylene headlamps and
kerosene/electric running lights are in proper working
order, and the original coil box was rebuilt in Europe.
The convertible top has never been lowered, which
resulted in a deduction when the car was shown at
the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2008. The
judges noted that the leather straps used for securing
the lowered top did not have perforations for buckling
the top, as the owner had never intended for it to be
lowered. The Rambler did, however, go on to win a
coveted class award.
Today, the Rambler Model 65 rides on smaller,
more conventional wheels, although the original
40-inch wheels, which are marked “Coca-Cola,” were
included with the sale.
Custom tires were sourced in Germany, and the
wood wheels currently fitted have been restored. The
radiator has also been slightly modified, and a 12-volt
starter was installed.
A frequent auction flier
Since the Rambler was restored in 2008, it has been
heavily marketed. It was frequently listed on eBay,
with one seller looking for close to seven figures.
It was reported as sold at Kruse International’s
January 2009 Phoenix sale for $1,620,000. This
was at the time, however, when the Kruse Auction
empire was imploding, and few put much credence
in their reports. In May of 2010, it was again offered
by Worldwide Auctioneers at their Houston Classic
sale, where it was a no-sale at $210,000. It was subsequently
sold privately and was displayed at the LeMay
Museum’s Club Auto in Denver.
Interest in higher-horsepower Brass Era cars con-
tinues unabated, as tours and other related activities
fuel the market. A seven-figure price for this Rambler
Model 65 is certainly not realistic in this market —
that’s Duesenberg money — but the price realized at
the Gooding and Company sale is. After all, it’s the
only known example of a top-level early Rambler,
it’s had a stunning restoration, and the Coca-Cola
history makes the car a wonderful concours entrant.
And at its core, it’s still a great touring car, just like it
was back when it was new. At $275k, call it both well
bought and sold. A
(Introductory description courtesy of Gooding &
Company.)
More: aaca.org
Alternatives: 1914 Packard
4-48, 1913 Pierce-Arrow
48-8
ACC Investment Grade: B
Comps
1913 Pierce-Arrow Model 48-8
Lot 814, S/N 10431
Condition: 2
Sold at $385,000
RM Auctions, Boca Raton, FL,
2/15/2012
ACC# 192780
1912 Packard Model 1-48
Custom
Lot 124, S/N 23698
Condition: 3
Sold at $407,000
RM Auctions, Amelia Island, FL,
3/12/2011
ACC# 176569
1911 Rambler Model 65
(profile car)
Lot 2764, S/N 26689
Condition: 1
Sold at $1,620,000
Kruse International, Phoenix, AZ,
1/22/2009
ACC# 119477
July-August 2012 53
Page 52
PROFILE TRUCK
PROFILE TRUCK
des
54 AmericanCarCollector.com
his blue and white 1972 4x4 K5 Blazer has a
350-ci V8 motor, power steering and power
brakes. The interior is a beautiful blue with
front bucket seats. Excellent condition. From
sold for $24,750, including buy-
er’s premium, at Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auc-
tion on April 5–7, 2012.
“Chevy Blazer is the best way to get where you’re
going,” claimed a Chevrolet sales broch
RUC
ROFILE TRUCK
designs
offer t
TRUCK
designs
designs
offer that
bare-bones
feel without
beating down
modern
truck users’
sensibilities
LE TRUCK
designs
offer that
bare-bones
feel without
beating down
modern
truck users’
sen
FILE TRUCK
designs
offer that
bare-bones
feel without
beating down
modern
truck users’
sensibilities
the
the Riley Hogan Jr. Collection.
ACC Analysis This 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer
T
54 AmericanCarCollector.com
his blue and white 1972 4x4 K5 Blazer has a
350-ci V8 motor, power steering and power
brakes. The interior is a beautiful blue with
front bucket seats. Excellent condition. From
sold for $24,750, including buy-
er’s premium, at Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction
on April 5–7, 2012.
“Chevy Blazer is the best way to get where you’re
going,” claimed a Chevrolet sales brochure from
1972. “Not just over an old logging road and through
two streams to get back where the big fish are, but to
the office, grocery shopping, the dentist and anywhere
else you need to go... All the comfort and driving ease
of the kind of family car your wife likes. And all the
toughness and utility of the kind of pickup truck you
could use.” Typical ad speak for what was essentially
Chevrolet’s version of the Jeep CJ, Ford Bronco, and
International Scout.
But the Blazer was a little late to the 4x4 party when
it was launched in 1969. So what’s so special about it?
What made the Blazer unique was GM’s approach
FILE TRUCK
designs
offer that
bare-bones
feel without
beating down
modern
truck users’
sensibilities
the Riley Hogan Jr. Collection.
ACC Analysis This 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer
T
54 AmericanCarCollector.com
his blue and white 1972 4x4 K5 Blazer has a
350-ci V8 motor, power steering and power
brakes. The interior is a beautiful blue with
front bucket seats. Excellent condition. From
sold for $24,750, including buy-
er’s premium, at Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auc-
tion on April 5–7, 2012.
“Chevy Blazer is the best way to get where you’re
going,” claimed a Chevrolet sales brochure from
1972. “Not just over an old logging road and through
two streams to get back where the big fish are, but to
the office, grocery shopping, the dentist and anywhere
else you need to go... All the comfort and driving ease
of the kind of family car your wife likes. And all the
toughness and utility of the kind of pickup truck you
could use.” Typical ad speak for what was essentially
Chevrolet’s version of the Jeep CJ, Ford Bronco, and
International Scout.
But the Blazer was a little late to the 4x4 party when
it was launched in 1969. So what’s so special about it?
What made the Blazer unique was GM’s approach
ing
ing since 1966, and the Scout, which International
had been producing since 1960, both sat on short and
relatively narrow platforms. This gave them good offroad
abilities, but also limited interior space, on-road
handling, and towing. But it was by design — both
were introduced as competitors to the popular Jeep
CJ, which was even smaller.
Truck component revolution
The Blazer’s designers took the personal 4x4 idea
from Ford and International and ran with it, and they
killed two birds with one stone by utilizing a shortened
K10 truck chassis instead of starting from scratch. It
was a cost-saving measure, since most of the parts
required already existed, and it gave their 4x4 abilities
the competition didn’t have — namely a wider and
slightly longer track for better handling and towing,
more interior space, and available truck options such
as a/c and automatic transmissions.
The result was a 4x4 SUV that was suited to a wider
variety of tasks than the Bronco or Scout, and the buying
public loved it. The revolution and sales numbers
didn’t go unnoticed, either — by 1972, Ford was in the
Page 53
ACC
Digital Bonus
g the Bronco to
hassis to keep up,
sis kept them from
l 1978.
w market
–72 Blazers. And
e market is waking
e way it has to
p cousins, which
he $30k range
d and all-original.
M truck and Blazer/
e clean looks,
omponents, and
-bones work-truck
ating down modsers’
sensibilities.
u don’t get heated
r seats or cup
rs here — instead, you get comfort
n reason, sort of like a pair of old
r work gloves. Nice, but not plush.
e truck-happy market seems to love
igital Bonus
g the Bronco to
hassis to keep up,
sis kept them from
l 1978.
w market
–72 Blazers. And
e market is waking
e way it has to
p cousins, which
he $30k range
d and all-original.
M truck and Blazer/
e clean looks,
omponents, and
-bones work-truck
ating down mod-
sers’ sensibilities.
u don’t get heated
r seats or cup
rs here — instead, you get comfort
n reason, sort of like a pair of old
r work gloves. Nice, but not plush.
e truck-happy market seems to love
imple
imple and effective
se trucks have metal dashes and
y-to-read gauges like those used in
ce the 1940s, but you also can have
, air conditioning, power disc brakes
d more as optional original equipucks
are very usable, even today.
s solid, and parts are everywhere.
lable 4-speed manual and TH350
automatic are basically bullethe
same can be said for the NP205
n transfer case and both the 12-bolt
a 44 front used in the half-ton truck
tions.
me off, which is nice in the summer
e substantial enough to be weathn
drive a Blazer all year if you feel
ess supply of reproduction parts at
reasonable prices (compared with similar car parts)
makes that really tempting. Snow? Rain? 100-degree
Detailing
Years produced: 1969–72
(first generation)
Number produced: 83,567
Original list price: $3,456
Current ACC Valuation:
$15k–$25k
Tune-up cost: $200
Distributor cap: $12
Chassis number: Tag in door
jamb
Engine number: Pad on
passenger’s side of engine,
forward of cylinder head
Club: www.67-72chevytrucks.
com
Alternatives: 1966–71
International Scout
800, 1966–77 Ford
Bronco, 1974–80 Dodge
Ramcharger
August afternoons? None of that is a big deal in a
Blazer.
One of the best
As off-road vehicles, a lot of these have been modi-
fied over the years. But this Blazer was in excellent
factory-delivered condition inside and out. BarrettJackson’s
auction text didn’t specify if it had been
restored, but from the looks of the photos, I’d say it
was. The body panels, paint, trim, chrome, engine
compartment and interior components all looked
fresh. The engine featured all-GM components, at
least visually, including the factory Quadrajet carburetor
with anti-dieseling solenoid, exhaust manifolds
and air cleaner assembly. Save for a few modern hose
clamps, everything was in order.
The builder installed Dunlop Mud Rover radial
tires, which are a little aggressive, but they have a
great look on the Blazer’s stock steel rims. And you
won’t likely get stuck in the mud with them.
Stock rigs are king
When it comes to truck values today, stock rigs tend
to bring the most, and this Blazer fit the bill perfectly.
No aftermarket performance goodies or massive lift
kits here — just a purposeful OEM off-road look. And
as for the price, I’d call it spot-on
for the quality of the truck in this
market — although the restoration
likely cost more. Just a few
weeks after Barrett-Jackson, this
Blazer appeared again at Auctions
America By RM’s Spring Carlisle
sale, where it was a no-sale at a
reported $27,000. That seller was
looking for a higher price, and if
the recent boom in truck prices
is any indication, I think he’ll
eventually get it. In the meantime,
he got a great drivable collector
truck for a good price, and it’ll be
right at home hauling his family to
the store, the dentist or out to the
sticks where the big fish are. Well
tesy of Barrett-Jackson.)
July-August 2012 55
1972 GMC Jimmy
Lot 52, S/N TKE182S511150
Condition: 3
Sold at $28,600
ACC Investment Grade: C
Comps
Barrett-Jackson, Scottsdale, AZ,
1/15/2012
ACC# 192602
1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer
Lot 300, S/N CKE182F161240
Condition: 2
Sold at $21,600
Branson Auction, Branson, MO,
10/21/2011
ACC# 187866
1972 GMC Suburban Carryall
Lot F223, S/N TCE162F514075
Condition: 3+
Sold at $24,380
Carlisle Events, Carlisle, PA,
4/22/2010
ACC# 162044
bought.A
(Introductory description cour
Page 58
MARkET OVERVIEW
Corvettes come out on top
C2s LEAD THE WAY TO $36M AT SIX SPRING AUCTIONS
TOP 10
sales this issue
1. 1959 Chevrolet Corvette
convertible, $203,500—
B-J, p. 76
2. 1931 Cadillac Series 370A
rumbleseat roadster,
$19,7100—Bra, p. 82
3. 1970 Ford Mustang
Boss 302 fastback,
$110,000—B-J, p. 78
4. 1955 Chevrolet Nomad
wagon, $106,700—B-J,
p. 72
5. 1971 Oldsmobile 442
convertible, $100,100—
B-J, p. 74
6. 1963 Chevrolet Corvette
coupe, $94,600—B-J,
p. 76
7. 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle
LS6 replica convertible,
$84,700—B-J, p. 74
8. 1959 Chevrolet Corvette
convertible, $79,200—
B-J, p. 76
9. 1957 Chevrolet Corvette
convertible, $74,800—
B-J, p. 76
10. 1957 Oldsmobile Super
88 J2 convertible,
$72,600—B-J, p. 72
BEST BUYS
1. 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
convertible, $54,000—
Bra, p. 82
2. 1960 Chevrolet Impala
2-dr hard top, $38,500—
B-J, p. 72
3. 1970 AMC Rebel The
Machine 2-dr hard top,
$15,290—CCP, p. 94
4. 1952 Nash Ambassador
4-dr sedan, $13,200—
AA, p. 94
5. 1970 Chevrolet C10 utility
bed pickup, $7,020—
CMA, p. 90
60 AmericanCarCollector.com
by Tony Piff
bringing very good money
and outperforming seemingly
everything else on
the auction block.
I
n n n
At Mecum’s annual
Kansas City Spring
sale, the top two vintage
sale slots went to two
Corvettes, selling
for $127k and $106k,
respectively. Both cars
were 1967s, both were
427/435 cars and both
were convertibles.
Mecum’s numbers here
showed growth by every
measure compared with
last year. The auction house consigned and sold more
cars (426/607, up from 330/542), and total sales jumped
to $9.2m from $7m. Average price per car held firm at
$22k.
n n n
Up in Toronto, another 1967 Corvette 427/435 took
high-sale honors, selling for $162k at the Collector
Car Productions auction. Second place went a 1939
Packard 120 convertible, sold at $72k. A 1968 Dodge
Charger Hemi R/T was bid to $69k but did not meet
reserve.
n n n
A 1947 Cadillac Series 62 convertible was the
top sale at Classic Motorcar Auctions’ Akron sale,
bringing $92k, but not far behind was yet another ’67
’Vette. This one, a 427/400 convertible, sold at $76k.
A small-block ’65 Corvette would have taken the next
slot at a high bid of $58k, but it failed to sell. CMA
nearly doubled their sales total this year, achieving
$1m for 72 cars sold, compared with $575k last year
for 44 cars sold.
n n n
At Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach, the biggest
domestic sale (not including charity cars) was also a ’67
Corvette. This one, a perfect resto-mod, sold at a whopping
$204k. Barrett-Jackson enjoyed healthy growth in
Palm Beach, hitting a 99.5% sell-through rate (up from
88% last year) and an overall total of $17.8m (up from
$15.8m last year).
f there was a recurring
theme to the
six spring auctions
covered in this issue,
it was C2 Corvettes
1953 Chevrolet 3100 5-window pickup, sold for $33,550 at spring Carlisle
n n n
And at Spring Carlisle, held by Auctions America
by RM, the high sale was not a ’67 but a ’57 Corvette,
sold at $99k. Carlisle’s numbers appeared to hold flat
compared with last year, with an increased average
sale price ($19k, up from $18k) offset by a slight dip in
overall totals ($2.5m, down from $2.7m).
n n n
The one auction covered this issue without a
Corvette in the top five was Branson. Here, the high
domestic sale was a 1931 Cadillac V12 roadster, sold at
$197k, followed by a 1931
Auburn 8-98A cabriolet,
sold at $108k and tied with
a 1934 Hudson Indy racer,
also sold at $108k. This
continues the recent trend
of strong money for pre-war
Heavy Iron.
ACC 1-6 scale
condition rating
1. Perfect: National
show standard
2. Excellent: Club
show-worthy, some
small flaws
3. Average: Daily
driver in decent
condition
4. Meh: Still a driver,
with some visible flaws
5. Questionable:
A problem-plagued
beast that somehow
manages to run
6. lost cause:
Salvagable for parts
n n n
In the following pages,
we have full reports from
Mecum, Barrett-Jackson
and Branson. Read our
highlights from Collector
Car Productions, Classic
Motorcar Auctions and
Auctions America by RM
in the Global Roundup. A
Page 60
MECUM AUCTIONS // Kansas City, MO
An early spring at Mecum
Kansas City
BOWTIE BIG BLOCKS LEAD THE CHARGE TO $9.2M
Report and photos by
B. Mitchell Carlson
Market opinions in italics
a good position for their annual spring auction.
Held once again in Bartle Hall of the
Kansas City Convention Center, there was a
steady stream of vehicles offered during the
final three days of March.
W
$10m
$2m
$4m
$6m
$8m
0
62 AmericanCarCollector.com
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
Mecum Auctions
Kansas City 2012, Kansas City, MO
March 29–31, 2012
Auctioneers: Mark Delzell, Mike
Hagerman, Jim Landis, Matt Moravec and
Bobby McLaughlin
Automotive lots sold/offered: 426/607
sales rate: 70%
sale total: $9,240,667
High sale: 2012 Mercedes-Benz S600
sedan, sold at $140,980
Buyer’s premium: $300 on the first
$5,499, $500 from $5,500 to $9,999, 6%
thereafter, included in sold prices
Mecum sales total
1970 Chevrolet Chevelle ss 454 2-door hard top, sold at $46,640
New this year was the addition of an
extra day to start things off. Mecum added
Thursday to their agenda for the fall Kansas
City auction, and it worked well enough that
they elected to try it for the spring event —
with equally good results.
When all was said and done by Saturday
evening, 416 of the 599 cars offered changed
hands. This yielded just short of a 70%
sell-through rate, which has been typical of
Mecum auctions over the past year. In 2011,
Mecum sold 315 cars out of 512 offered at
this same location.
While the top sale was a current-model-
year Mercedes-Benz S600 — among quite
a few late-model luxury cars offered— the
next-highest sales were mostly Chevrolets.
A 1967 Corvette convertible, equipped
with the 435-hp Tri-Power engine, was the
second-highest sale at $127,200. Trailing
close behind was another example selling for
an even $106,000.
Although big-block Chevrolets did well,
trucks also brought strong money — echoing
what’s been happening in the overall
market. Two notable examples include a
well-restored 1947 Dodge WDX Power
Wagon that hammered for a no-reserve sale
at $68,900 — the seventh-highest sale of the
weekend — and a 1947 Divco milk truck
hammered sold at $55,120.
Better-quality domestic cars did well,
while lesser-quality examples struggled.
Foreign sports cars sold for respectable
prices, but late-model imported luxury cars
— far too many consigned here for my taste
at a collector car auction — were generally
underbid.
All in all, Mecum continues to not only
do well in both this venue, but also the
market as a whole. One auction doesn’t make
the market, but if this event is indicative
of where the market is going, the summer
should shape up to be interesting. A
ith spring arriving earlier
than usual — almost
a case of winter giving it
a pass in the Midwest —
Mecum Auctions was in
NO DATA
Page 62
MECUM AUCTIONS // Kansas City, MO
GM
#S93.1-1964 CHEVROLET BISCAYNE
2-dr sedan. S/N 41211F291271. Azure
Blue/aqua & gray nylon & vinyl. Odo:
56,146 miles. 409-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, auto.
N.O.M. 425-hp 409 bolted to a Powerglide.
Claimed to be original miles, with copy of
original warranty book. Could be mostly
original paint under that fresh clear-coat.
Replated bumpers and good mostly original
trim. Reconditioned mostly original interior.
Tidy and stock-looking engine bay.
With power steering and brakes. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $32,860. Almost too nice to for a
cruiser, but not a concours contender. Sold
better than bought.
#F237-1970 CHEVROLET C-10 CST
pickup. S/N CE140B141436. Dark green
metallic/dark green vinyl. Odo: 82,371
miles. 402-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Originally a
big-block 402 truck, just not this particular
402. Better-quality prep and paint. Most
trim new or replated. Minimal interior wear.
Important options include TH400 automatic,
Posi traction, HD suspension, power
steering and brakes, a/c. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $33,920. Nicely assembled, but
not a real-deal 425-hp car. Sold for the
sum of its parts.
#F236-1966 BUICK RIVIERA 2-dr hard
top. S/N 94876H921551. Light green
metallic/black vinyl. Odo: 32,614 miles.
425-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Eight-year-old
cheapie repaint with little prep but decently
masked. Minimal frosting and pits on
chrome. Interior just lightly worn. Fitted
with period aftermarket windshieldmounted
compass. With a/c and original
Protect-O-Plate. Cond: 3+.
NOT SOLD AT $25,000. Hard to think that
a green truck with an engine swap would
garner this kind of bidding, but the workmanship
was excellent. High bid seemed
market-correct, but an orange and white
one made $30,475 here at Mecum’s March
2011 KC sale (ACC# 176121).
SOLD AT $16,995. A mostly original car
with believable mileage. If you think this
was big money, imagine what it would’ve
done with a good repaint. Well sold.
#S8-1967 PONTIAC GTO 2-dr hard top.
S/N 242177P113860. Light blue
metallic/blue vinyl. Odo: 49,664 miles. 400ci
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. PHS documentation confirms
restoration to original specs. Minimal
wear and use since. Excellent repaint.
Clean, mostly stock engine bay. Equipped
with power steering and brakes, wide-ratio
4-speed and 3.55 diff. ’80s tape deck in
place of original radio. Cond: 3+.
64 AmericanCarCollector.com
#S23-1970 CHEVROLET CHEVELLE SS
454 2-dr hard top. S/N 136370K168350.
Fathom Blue/white vinyl/Parchment vinyl.
Odo: 58,708 miles. 454-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp.
Believed to be an actual LS6 car, although
motor not original. Also equipped with M22
4-speed, 3.55 Posi rear end, power steering,
power front disc brakes, Cowl induction
hood and tilt steering column.
Restored five years ago, and still presents
well. Light wrinkling in the reskinned roof,
along with scuffed-up rear window trim.
Modern Hurst shifter and electronic AM/
FM/cassette deck in the otherwise stock
restored interior displaying minimal wear.
Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $46,640. Since it couldn’t be
definitively proved right or wrong if it’s a
real-deal LS6, it sold in the netherland
between an LS5 and an LS6. The reserve
was off at $40k, so the consignor wasn’t
fire selling it or taking any chances
either.
#F31-1979 PONTIAC TRANS AM coupe.
S/N 2W87K9N166623. Solar Gold/tan
cloth. Odo: 60,327 miles. 403-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Claimed actual miles and winterstored.
Original paint and graphics wellcared-for.
Engine bay original, for better or
worse. Uneven interior fading. Equipped
with optional Oldsmobile 403 V8, WS6
package, a/c, power windows and snowflake
alloys. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $16,430. 60k isn’t exactly low
miles for a ’70s car, but the winning bidder
seemed to think otherwise. Money was a
bit strong.
#S4-1981 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z/28
coupe. S/N 1G1AP87LXBN115833. Dark
blue metallic/blue cloth. Odo: 87,787 km.
350-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Sold new in South
Africa with metric speedo, and displayed
with foreign coins found under the seats.
Repainted shortly after it was repatriated
(new repro stripe kit included). Original
interior looks detailed, with some light fading
and evidence of cigarette-smoking former
owner. Newer shocks, sway bar
fittings and fuel tank. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $11,130. I highly doubt that the
export situation was really a factor (two
owners from now, it will likely just be mistaken
for a Canadian car), but it didn’t hurt.
Market-correct.
CORVETTE
#S186-1959 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. S/N J59S102731. Roman
Red, white coves/red hard top, white vinyl
soft top/black vinyl. Odo: 69,090 miles.
Homemade VIN tag in the door jamb,
Page 64
MECUM AUCTIONS // Kansas City, MO
which does match frame number and documentation
included with the car. Stated to
be a three-owner car from new, with significant
amounts of documentation from new,
including, per the seller, “the tank sticker.”
Last redone 15 years ago to a better
driver-grade state, but shows slight deterioration.
Good trim-off repaint, but less-thanexpert
reattachment. Good door fit. Stated
that the FI system was professionally redone
15 years ago. Recent flat black paint
on most of the undercarriage. Tidy interior,
with an older soft trim kit showing light
wear. Runs out OK, but with a slight surge
at idle. Cond: 3.
code 1967 435-hp block from another
Corvette, non-stock aluminum heads
and a replacement transmission. Threeyear-old
repaint over decent body work.
Serviceable original brightwork, with some
scratching and light pitting. Original door
panels and dashpads, with older replacement
seats and carpet with light wear.
Cond: 3+.
manual transmission), I took a few notes
on the off chance my original LS1 gives up
the ghost. Considering that this is about as
close as you can get to a stock upgrade, it
could possibly enhance value, but bidding
stopped at a typical used-car price. Reran
late on Saturday, with similar result.
FOMOCO
SOLD AT $58,300. After more than a little
wrangling on Dana’s part, the reserve was
lifted at the $55k point, selling shortly thereafter.
Seemingly cheap for a Fuelie, but not
without a few issues. This is further proof
that C1s are still slipping in the market.
#F164-1964 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. S/N 40867S104494.
White/black vinyl/black leather. Odo: 4,783
miles. 327-ci 300-hp V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Good
prep and paint. Older bumper redo, with
uneven fit side-to-side. Decent gaps, mediocre
door fit. Reproduction kid-leather
seat upholstery starting to wear. Modern
Ford seatbelts, aftermarket armrest pad,
tape deck. Tidy but not stock underhood.
Optional power steering, a/c, tint glass.
Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $63,600. While the 400-horse
option was the most potent motor to have
a/c available with it, there’s enough mixmaster
powertrains out there now to make
that a moot point. Reserve was off at $52k.
#F227-1994 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
coupe. S/N 1G1YY22P9R5118624. Polo
White/red leather. Odo: 82,263 miles.
350-ci 300-hp fuel-injected V8, auto. Wellcared-for
orginal paint. Newer performance
radials on stock alloys. Seat coverings better
than rest of interior and have likely been
replaced. Aftermarket stereo. No reserve.
Cond: 3+.
#S164-1957 FORD THUNDERBIRD convertible.
S/N E7FH186794. Thunderbird
Bronze/white hard top, white vinyl soft
top/Parchment vinyl. Odo: 65,776 miles.
Optional power steering, power brakes,
power windows, full tinted glass, backup
lights, padded dash, both types of tops,
plus Town & Country radio. Recent frameoff
restoration. Repaint with light orange
peel on a few compound curves. More like
authentically replated rather than show
chrome. Halogen headlights. Tidy under
hood and undercarriage. Radial wide
whitewall tires. All-new interior soft trim.
Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $12,190. A well-kept and
prepped C4 coupe, selling for a marketcorrect
price, or perhaps a little high. I’ll
chalk it up to no-reserve red mist.
SOLD AT $35,775. A decent, generally
unmolested driver. Reserve was lifted at
the $33k mark, yielding a fair buy.
#S86-1967 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
coupe. S/N 194377S113699. Tuxedo
Black, blue stinger/black vinyl. Odo: 36,933
miles. Options include power steering,
power brakes and a/c. Fitted with GMsourced
sidepipes and Rallye wheels shod
with Redline radial tires. Powered by a JE-
66 AmericanCarCollector.com
#F148-2004 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Le
Mans Commemorative Edition coupe.
S/N 1G1YY22G845105498. LeMans
Blue/Shale leather. Odo: 64,009 miles. 6.2-L
480-hp fuel-injected V8, auto. Repowered
with a tweaked LS3, which, aside from a
Blackwing air cleaner, looks bone stock. To
match the power upgrade, transmission was
also rebuilt and fitted to a 3,200-rpm stall
converter. Repainted nose is slightly darker
than body. Ugly wiring under driver’s seat,
but less wear than expected overall.
Equipped with optional Z51 suspension,
body side moldings and dual roof panel.
Cond: 3+. NOT SOLD AT $25,000. Since I
own basically the same car (with a
NOT SOLD AT $75,000. With too-sterileto-drive
E-Birds selling at Mecum auctions
for $100k-plus within the last year or so,
the consignor likely felt that his $90k reserve
was an easy target. That didn’t prove
to be the case here.
#F24-1965 FORD THUNDERBIRD 2-dr
hard top. S/N 5Y83Z138848. Light
blue/blue vinyl. Odo: 99,966 miles. 390-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Wears a newer light
respray over the original paint, with
overspray on undercarriage. New nonOEM
windshield. Presentable original
brightwork. Decent fit and gaps. Good original
interior with light wear and slight musty
Page 66
MECUM AUCTIONS // Kansas City, MO
odor. Recently rebuilt carb and brakes,
including power booster. Generally original
engine compartment. Optional power windows
and all-tinted glass. Cond: 3.
underhood. Equipped with power steering,
power brakes, Magnum 500 wheels.
Cond: 3+.
No VIN tag on dash. Modern Edelbrock
intake and carburetor in otherwise stock
engine bay. With power steering and Super
Performance Dana 60 differential. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $39,220. It was cool to see a
rather attractive restoration of a ’69
Charger that wasn’t a replica General Lee.
The reserve was lifted past $35k, so neither
the seller nor buyer should complain.
AMERICANA
SOLD AT $5,550. 1965 was the year that
Ford went to front power discs on their big
cars, including the T-Bird. That makes drivers
like this one a bit more useable in modern
traffic. Bought fairly well, as you can
either use it as-is, or bring it up a notch
with a good detailing.
#F22-1971 FORD MUSTANG Mach 1
fastback. S/N 1F05M178312. Grabber
Lime/two-tone green vinyl. Odo: 96,208
miles. 351-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Claimed a
generally original car. Small ding in rear
bumper. Sits slightly low at rear. Uneven
interior fading, crack in steering wheel.
Engine bay detailed better than new. Per
deluxe Marti Report, was sold new in
Sacramento, CA. Equipped with 14 factory
options, including a/c, power steering,
power front discs, Magnum 500 wheels, full
tinted glass, instrumentation group, 4-barrel
351 and 4-speed. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $13,250. The custom climate
system did not inspire confidence or help
value. Well sold.
MOPAR
#F268-1968 PLYMOUTH ROAD RUNNER
2-dr sedan. S/N RM21 H8G280087.
Red/black vinyl. Odo: 65,912 miles. 383-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Decent body-on, engineout
older repaint of an original PP1 red car.
Replated bumpers, mostly new emblems,
decent original trim. Newer seat upholstery
and carpeting, expertly installed.
Aftermarket induction, tube headers, ignition
wiring and chrome valve covers in tidy
engine bay. Cond: 3.
#S7-1954 KAISER MANHATTAN sedan.
S/N K2176486. Two-tone green/green &
tan cloth. Odo: 23,876 miles. 226-ci supercharged
I6, auto. California black plates
with 1998 tags. Rust blisters forming on
bottom of trunk lid, rear quarter-panels,
and lower door skins. Dull original chrome,
with some light pitting, dull old repaint.
’70s-era fuzzy cloth seat redo. Good original
door panels, better replacement carpeting.
Cond: 3-.
NOT SOLD AT $9,000. The first post-war
car sold new with a blower, the Paxtonequipped
Manhattan was Kaiser’s last grab
for attention before they ceased building
cars in North America. The $9k offered
was almost as ridiculous as the $13k
reserve. Should have been enough.
NOT SOLD AT $28,500. This was a generally
original car, but its time-capsule charm
was hurt by heavy prep work. Big ponies
like this one took a pretty good hit over the
past few years, and the green paint may
not appeal to everyone, so high bid here
looked about right.
#F71-1971 FORD RANCHERO GT
pickup. S/N 1A47H136134. Black/black
vinyl. Odo: 63,065 miles. 351-ci V8, 2-bbl,
auto. “Recently restored 90%.” Decent repaint
has some waviness on B-pillars.
Replated bumpers, mostly original trim and
emblems, newer replacement windshield.
Re-upholstered seats and repop door panels.
Aftermarket a/c, CD player and gauges
in dash; wires dangling below. Tidy
68 AmericanCarCollector.com
NOT SOLD AT $18,000. Once you get
past the lack of amenities, you’ll find that
the 383 is plenty for tooling around. Not far
off the money for a cruise-night special.
#S20-1969 DODGE CHARGER R/T 2-dr
hard top. S/N XS29L9G161687.
Blue/white vinyl/blue vinyl. Odo: 63,065
miles. 440-cc V8, 4-bbl, auto. Frame-off
professional restoration within past few
years; less than 300 miles since. Excellent
prep and paint. Brightwork rechromed or
reproduction. All-reproduction interior soft
trim, expertly installed and unworn.
#S101-1970 AMC AMX 2-dr hard top. S/N
A0M397P302645. Red & flat black/black
vinyl. Odo: 391 miles. 360-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. “Complete rotisserie restoration”
some time ago. Good paint application,
although rattle-canned grille and radiatorsupport
show plenty of fisheyes. Mostly
original interior, with noticeable old-car
musty smell and non-stock wood-rim steering
wheel. Tidy, stock engine bay. With
power steering, power brakes and radio
delete. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $33,920. A nice 10-footer, but
the devil’s in the details. Well sold. A
Page 68
BARRETT-JACKSON // Palm Beach, FL
Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach
Auction
RESTO-MODS CONTINUE TO DO WELL. A STUNNING 1959 CHEVROLET
CORVETTE CUSTOM CONVERTIBLE SOLD FOR $203,500
Report and photos by
Jack Tockston and Dale Novak
Market opinions in italics
B
arrett-Jackson’s 10th Annual
Florida Auction, held April
5–7, 2012, at the South Florida
Fairgrounds, continued the
upward trends observed at their
Scottsdale, AZ, sale in January. Compared
with last year’s event at this venue, there was
a 42% increase in first-time registered bidders,
a $3 million gain in sales, and 55,000
spectators — up 1,000 from 2011.
Barrett-Jackson
Palm Beach 2012, West Palm Beach, FL
April 5–7, 2012
Auctioneers: Assiter & Associates; Tom
“Spanky” Assiter, lead auctioneer
lots sold/offered: 435/437
sales rate: 99.5%
sales total: $17,751,205
High American sale: 1959 Chevrolet
Corvette resto-mod convertible, sold for
$203,500
Buyer’s premium: 10%, included in sold
prices
Barrett-Jackson sales total
$10m
$15m
$20m
$25m
$5m
0
70 AmericanCarCollector.com
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
1959 Corvette resto-mod convertible, sold at $203,500
In comparison with other Barrett-
Jackson auctions in California and Arizona,
Southeastern buyers and sellers are alleged
to be more interested in cars with modern
conveniences that they can drive rather than
older vintage collectables.
We did notice more late-model cars on
the docket than at previous events, and this
is a good thing if you’re in the market for
newer — and depreciating —European or
American luxury cars. But there is a lot of
competition for consignments in the area.
Just 68 days earlier, Mecum Auctions held a
six-day sale 153 miles north in Kissimmee,
FL.
High sale of this event was a 2011 Ford
Shelby GT500 Mustang that sold (twice)
for a total of $1m to benefit the Wounded
Warrior Family Support organization — one
of eight vehicles sold (with no consignment
or sales fees) for nearly $1.8 million
to support local and national charitable
organizations. Next was a 2010 Spyker C8
Spyder SWB convertible for $220,000,
and a stunning 1959 Chevrolet Corvette
custom convertible was hammered sold for
$203,500.
More-affordable lots (traditionally
available the first day) included a clean 1950
Plymouth Special Deluxe coupe for $9,350,
and a presentable 1966 Ford Mustang coupe
at $11,550.
Average sold price (including buyer’s
premiums) over the three days was $40,807.
Among the very few consignors who held reserves,
just two failed to reach their goals: a
1948 Cadillac custom convertible was bid to
$75,000, and a 1966 Shelby GT350 fastback
to $135,000. A total of 435 vehicles were
sold (compared with 378 in 2011) ringing
up $17,751,205 in sales. Though significant
in relation to the supposedly improving
economy, that figure pales in comparison
with the $30 million-plus achieved in 2007.
All things considered, this was a sunny
and pleasurable event, and further evidence
that our collector car hobby continues to be
an advantageous alternative over other forms
of investment — and a heck of a lot more
fun than a stock portfolio. A
Page 70
BARRETT-JACKSON // Palm Beach, FL
GM
#363.1-1930 CHEVROLET Street Rod
2-dr sedan. S/N 1981929. Blue/black
vinyl/tan tweed, vinyl & cloth. Odo: 1,272
miles. Straight, all-steel body with front disc
brakes and lowered stance. Fresh interior
with Vintage Air, power seats, tilt wheel,
gray tinted glass, Alpine audio, wood-grain
dash with Classic instruments, and Grant
steering wheel. Chevy 350 crate engine.
Cond: 2.
#685-1955 CHEVROLET NOMAD
wagon. S/N VC55K091792.
Turquoise & white/green & white vinyl.
Odo: 137 miles. 265-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
Super-nice example. Older restoration is
holding up well. Excellent paintwork all
around. Nice chrome and trim. Interior is
well done. AACA first place along with
other high-profile wards. A trailer queen.
Cond: 1-.
4
under some portions of the paint. Body
putty noted in the rockers. Driver’s door is
wavy and trunk is out of alignment. Interior
is slightly soiled, with a cracked steering
wheel. Neat and tidy engine bay. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $41,800. This rod piqued my
interest. It sat just right and was a fresh
build with very good workmanship, but not
so over the top that it would be undriveable.
To my eye, early 1930s styling is the
best of all eras, and a number of bidders
seemed to agree. Well bought and sold.
#375.2-1955 CHEVROLET BEL AIR 2-dr
hard top. S/N 55L025170. Maroon
metallic/maroon & white vinyl. Odo: 34,924
miles. 265-ci V8, 3x2-bbl, 4-sp. Excellent
metallic paint with perfect panels and gaps.
Nosed and decked with a ’55 ’Vette grille in
molded surround, electric doors and
frenched Packard Clipper taillights. Molded
Pontiac bumpers front and rear, dual spots,
full-length lake pipes, and bubble skirts.
Immaculate engine. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $106,700. Last seen at the
McCormick sale in Palm Springs, CA, on
November 18, 2011 (ACC# 191363),
where it sold for a well-bought $65,100.
The seller did very well here and netted a
handsome profit. For the buyer, a very nice
Nomad bought at full retail.
#3001-1957 CHEVROLET BEL AIR 2-dr
hard top. S/N VC57L203780. Bronze/white
vinyl/black & white vinyl. Odo: 53,786
miles. 283-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Show paint in
one of the period’s favorite combinations.
No flaws on straight panels with perfect
gaps. Excellent brightwork. Continental kit,
dual antennae and fender skirts. Clean
chassis. Original engine looks fresh.
Charity car, 100% donation to the Boy
Scouts of America. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $72,600. Last seen at BarrettJackson
in Scottsdale, AZ, on January 15,
2012 (ACC# 191433), where it sold for
$84,700. One of two things happened
here. Either this car was purchased to flip,
or it was discovered that the car had more
issues than the new owner wanted to deal
with. That said, it sold at market-plus in
January, and was still a tad heavy here.
Well sold, given the lurking body issues.
#373.2-1960 CHEVROLET IMPALA
2-dr hard top. S/N 01737J280753.
Copper metallic/tan vinyl & houndstooth.
350-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, auto. Show-quality
paint, arrow-straight panels and perfect
gaps. Unbelievably mint original chrome
and stainless. Body lowered on American
Racing mags and front disc brakes. Interior
redone to stock but with Auto Meter
gauges. Power brakes, power steering,
a/c, and hidden audio. Gorgeous car. Later
350 SBC with dual quads. Cond: 1.
SOLD AT $32,450. This is exactly what my
high school dream car looked like. Final bid
was equal to entry level in market value for
a stock ’55, which makes this gorgeous
version a bargain. Particularly when considering
it was a no-sale at McCormick’s
Palm Springs sale in February 2010 at
$51,000 (ACC #160605).
72 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $55,000. One of 166,426 built.
No major flaws found after thorough inspection,
and impossible to duplicate for
the money. Selling price was just under
high estimate (with no auction fees) for an
excellent buy. Well bought and sold.
#6680-1957 OLDSMOBILE
SUPER 88 J2 convertible. S/N
578W02556. Blue & white/white vinyl/blue
& white leather. Odo: 80,235 miles. 371-ci
V8, 3x2-bbl, auto. Paint is delaminating
and bubbling. Sanding marks are showing
10
SOLD AT $38,500. An exquisite build in
pleasing colors with all modern conveniences.
This car checked all the boxes for
the Palm Beach market. One of my favorites
here; I considered it one of the best
buys at this sale, and the buyer must have
agreed. Well bought, far below the build
cost.
#60-1966 GMC STEPSIDE 4x4 pickup.
S/N K1001PF3326A. Light green/beige
vinyl. Odo: 6 miles. 305-ci V6, 2-bbl, 4-sp.
Odometer looks to have been marred by a
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BARRETT-JACKSON // Palm Beach, FL
screwdriver, and second digit is no longer
legible. A couple of sags in paint noted.
Large blemish on hood. Rock-hard
weatherstripping. Poorly painted trim.
Clean interior. Original “knuckle” axle.
Totally stock presentation. Cond: 3.
lightly soiled and worn. Nice leather smell
inside the cabin. Nice driver engine bay.
Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $18,150. The GMC 305 V6 is
legendary in the truck world as a nearly
indestructible powerplant. The stock presentation
and 4x4 look was very appealing,
but the photos did the truck no justice. No
harm done at this price.
#363-1969 BUICK SKYLARK GS Stage 1
replica 2-dr hard top. S/N
444379Y136004. Gold/black vinyl/black
vinyl. Odo: 491 miles. 400-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. GS 400 clone with perfect deep gold
show paint, new black vinyl top, flawless
chrome bumpers. Underhood is immaculate
with correct hoses, clamps, and decals.
Fabulous attention to detail that is
rarely seen. Starts on first turn, sounds
strong, almost too nice to drive. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $72,600. Barrett-Jackson is
known for nice resto-mods, and this one
was a super-nice driver. The stance and
overall look were spot-on, and I imagine it
drove like a million bucks. It will depreciate
with use, but the giddy factor might be well
worth the entrance fee.
#370-1970 CHEVROLET CAMARO RS
Z/28 coupe. S/N 124870L524551. Red &
black/tan vinyl. Odo: 92,437 miles. 350-ci
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Fisheyes, sanding marks
and a scuff in the hood along the leading
edge noted in finish. Slight ripples noted in
the body. Fresh interior with some tan
spray dye noted on reproduction parts.
Nicely restored engine bay. Cond: 2-.
desirable machine with all the sought-after
goodies on board. A real LS6 convertible
might set you back $200k, so ponying up
$84,700 seems like a deal as long as you
know that it’s not an investment.
#384.1-1970 CHEVROLET CHEVELLE
SS 396 2-dr hard top. S/N
1363701515795. Green & white/green
vinyl. Odo: 83,416 miles. 396-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Show-quality paint on a frame-off
restoration. Matching numbers. New
chrome and trim. F41 suspension and detailed
chassis. N.O.S. and correctly datecoded
pieces in 100%-correct engine
compartment. Includes Protect-O-Plate
and build sheet. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $37,950. This re-creation fooled
me until I read the honest description. This
was a stunning rotisserie build with meticulous
attention to detail. Only flaws found
were a missing radio antenna and a rusty
spring on the rear license plate bracket!
Simply gorgeous, with price paid about
20% under the estimated value of a real
one in similar condition. Well bought and
sold.
#6810-1969 CHEVROLET CAMARO
coupe. S/N 124379L514015. Gray/black &
gray leather. 376-ci fuel-injected V8, auto.
Quality resto-mod with a 4-link rear suspension.
Fiberglass hood. Carbon fiber
rear spoiler. Dimples and sanding marks
present. Center console is chipped. Seats
74 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $37,400. The F-body Camaros
are certainly on my radar screen. These
cars have a bright upside and are continuing
to grow in popularity. This was a nice,
numbers-matching, split-bumper example
done in the right colors, and it presented
well. Sold at market money, so a fair deal
for both parties.
7
ible. S/N 136670L157911. Blue &
white/white vinyl/white vinyl. Odo: 5 miles.
454-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Driver’s door and
trunk lid slightly out of alignment. Paint run
on driver’s rocker, small fisheyes all over.
Interior looks great. Engine bay better than
factory. Cond: 2-. SOLD AT $84,700.
Here’s the lesson to be learned when you
decide to build a clone, replica, or re-creation:
Do it right, and clone an ultra-
#670.1-1970 CHEVROLET
CHEVELLE LS6 replica convert-
SOLD AT $37,400. Restored by a crew
with intimate knowledge and ability. The
final bid was right in the middle of the low
and high estimates for an outstanding buy
on a show-ready piece. Very well bought.
#676-1971 OLDSMOBILE 442
convertible. S/N 344671M188300.
Red/white vinyl/white vinyl. Odo: 40 miles.
455-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. A numbers-matching
442. All gaps excellent except for driver’s
door. Some dimples noted in grille
area. Chrome and trim are polished and
very nice. Interior shows only minor flaws.
Better than factory overall. Cond: 1-.
5
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BARRETT-JACKSON // Palm Beach, FL
SOLD AT $100,100. The 442s are hot in
the market right now. Top examples in excellent
colors rarely present themselves,
and cars like this one make valuation difficult.
Big money for one without the W-30
badge on the fender.
#623-1972 CHEVROLET C-10 pickup.
S/N CCE142S183985. Yellow &
white/black vinyl. Odo: 472 miles. 350-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Fresher restoration now
softening and showing signs of light use.
Large cut in paint on passenger’s side.
Brush touch-ups and fisheyes noted. Nice
gaps overall. Trim pieces are fading. Fully
restored interior remains in great shape.
Highly optioned. Cond: 2-.
CORVETTE
9
#660.1-1957 CHEVROLET
CORVETTE convertible. S/N
E57S100968. Venetian Red/tan cloth/red
vinyl. Odo: 57,856 miles. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. Expert paint and prep. Top fits well.
Al Knoch red interior perfectly fitted and
showing no wear. Non-original 350 with
original air cleaner and five-fin aluminum
valve covers. Chassis clean and stock.
Cond: 2.
#679-1959 CHEVROLET
CORVETTE convertible. S/N
J59S106390. Blue/blue vinyl/blue leather.
Odo: 183 miles. 350-ci 350-hp fuel-injected
V8, auto. A fully built resto-mod with a
modern drivetrain. Small blemish on the
nose, fisheyes in the hood, and some
stone chips. Driver’s door is out of alignment,
and trunk lid is high. Replated
chrome is nice, but has some light
scratches. Seats are a bit baggy from use.
Fitted with a/c. Cond: 2-.
1
SOLD AT $24,200. This was the third year
in a row that I’ve seen this truck at this
sale. In 2010 it sold for $36,300 (ACC#
160250) with a fresh restoration and few
flaws. In 2011 it sold for $25,300 (ACC#
178110). This go-round, a slightly lower
number at $24,200, but just broken in for
the new owner. A fair price.
#660.2-1972 PONTIAC LEMANS convertible.
S/N 2D67X2P133151. Green/light tan
vinyl. Odo: 88,955 miles. 455-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Very nice overall and extremely rare
numbers-matching example with documentation.
Ghosted tape line on hood from
adding the nose extension. Passenger’s
door and hood gaps are a bit wide. Interior
lightly worn and soiled. Reported to be one
of only 33 ever built. Features the 455 HO
engine and is loaded with desirable options.
Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $74,800. This vintage Corvette
was restored to perfection from top to bottom,
inside and out; but with a 350-ci engine
(of unstated horsepower) dressed to
mimic a 283. Purists would cringe; street
enthusiasts would approve. Price paid approached
the $88k high estimate, so the
engine swap didn’t hurt value much at all.
Well bought and sold.
8
J59S106469. Red/red leather. Odo: 33,613
miles. 350-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, 5-sp. An older
restoration. Dust and some minor trash
noted in the paint. Passenger’s door is
tight, fuel door skewed. Seats a bit baggy.
Some brightwork is pitted. Crate motor with
plenty of chrome under the hood. 4-wheel
disc brakes. Cond: 2-.
#669.1-1959 CHEVROLET
CORVETTE convertible. S/N
SOLD AT $203,500. This car was fitted
with a modern drivetrain and suspension.
Nothing about the original 1959 GM build is
left other than the body and interior layout,
so the driving enjoyment factor should be
remarkable. Big money paid, but these
cars tend to do well at Barrett-Jackson.
Well sold.
#700-1963 CHEVROLET
CORVETTE coupe. S/N 30837S111289.
Black/black leather. 395-ci 1000hp
turbocharged V8, 4-sp. A total custom
build from end to end. Looks smashing
from 10 feet, but unwinds quickly under
closer scrutiny. Poor gaps, body seams
showing. Center console is worn. Winner
of the GM design award. Cond: 2-.
6
SOLD AT $68,200. A LeMans HO convertible
is far rarer than a comparably built
GTO. Well done, well documented, well
bought.
76 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $79,200. Last sold at Mecum’s
2007 St. Charles sale for $30,975 (ACC#
45684), in totally stock and somewhat
shabby condition. Although it had the look
of a more expensive C1 resto-mod, the
chassis was basically stock, so it won’t
have the ride of a more modern and expensive
build. No harm done at the sale
price, though.
SOLD AT $94,600. Last seen at Russo
and Steele, Monterey, CA, on August 15,
2009, as a no-sale at a whopping $165,000
(ACC# 141240), in #1 condition. Three
years later, it’s beginning to unwind, but
still a masterful build. It probably cost three
times this much to create, so can we call it
well bought? Let’s call it market-correct.
#374-1969 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. S/N 194679S713240. Blue &
white/silver vinyl & blue velour. Odo:
62,758 miles. 427-ci 1,000-hp super-
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Page 76
BARRETT-JACKSON // Palm Beach, FL
charged V8, 4-sp. Restored in 2006.
Multi-colored psychedelic paint scheme.
Big block with supercharger and dual
Edelbrock carbs protruding through the
hood. Straight body with matching hard
top. Race-car-quality engine compartment.
Cond: 3-.
#670-1970 FORD TORINO COBRA fastback.
S/N 0A38J171876. Yellow/black
vinyl. Odo: 41,777 miles. 429-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Looks to be a fairly fresh restoration
overall. Miles stated as original. Fisheyes
noted throughout the paint. Fresh tags and
stickers under the hood. Super Cobra Jet
engine. Engine bay is stellar with the exception
of the firewall. Matching numbers
and fully documented. Cond: 2.
tained for much less than invested in professional
time and money. Well bought.
MOPAR
#54-1928 DODGE pickup. S/N A1000624.
Black/black vinyl/tan velour. Odo: 39,112
miles. Claimed barn find that was rescued
for restoration in 1990. Paint has significant
orange peel. Good glass. Roof fabric is
shrinking. Excellent chrome bumpers and
headlights. Engine and chassis are dusty,
but no leaks. Solid steel disk wheels with
recent rubber. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $29,700. A single-purpose machine
designed to awe, and last seen at
this sale in March 2008, where it sold for
$34,100 (ACC# 116135). Claimed to be
streetable, it would frighten children, rattle
neighborhood dishes and perplex the fueleconomy-minded.
Obtained for the low
estimate of what a stock one would bring,
the buyer gave himself a fun toy that’s
summons-ready. Well bought and sold.
FOMOCO
3
0F02G160678. Calypso Coral/white vinyl.
Odo: 44,235 miles. 302-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp.
A very authentic restoration that is beginning
to show signs of use and age. Paint
has a run and some small scratches. Drip
rail is bubbling. Sticker remnants are leaving
a ghost pattern on the rear-quarter
glass. Very nice under the hood, but beginning
to show signs of use. Cond: 2-.
#695.2-1970 FORD MUSTANG
Boss 302 fastback. S/N
SOLD AT $55,000. A “one of one” build,
according to the Marti Report, but only because
it was sold with the poverty-style
hubcaps. Still, a low production, real-deal
muscle car, and one of only 50 with the
drag-pack option. Price paid was in line
with the ACC Price Guide, but I think this
one deserved more, given the originality
and documentation. Well bought.
#37.1-1979 FORD F-150 pickup. S/N
F14HEDJ3205. Viper Yellow/gray cloth.
Odo: 33,862 miles. 351-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto.
Tall, proper stance on new off-road tires.
Flawless paint and panel fit, excellent
chrome, no dings or scrapes, zero rust.
New glass and step plates. Color-matched
Lund visor on cab, wheelarch eyebrows
over Mickey Thompson polished alloys.
Interior as-new. Underhood clean and original-appearing.
No evidence of rural excursions
or abuse. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $14,300. This pre-war relic once
served as a dog catcher’s ride, then lived a
leisurely life until it slumbered in a dry
place for decades. It now looks pretty
much as it did in its youth, save for a bright
gold velvet bench seat that stuns an otherwise
conservative ambiance. Price
achieved here was at the top of current
market value, but how many more can be
out there? Well bought and sold.
#360.2-1968 PLYMOUTH ROAD
RUNNER 2-dr sedan. S/N
RM21H8G277812. White/black vinyl. Odo:
4,351 miles. 383-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Very
good white respray; bad door fit. Matching
numbers in tidy engine bay. Features Tru
Trac serpentine belt system, Howe aluminum
radiator and ceramic-coated Hooker
headers. Ladder bars. Interior is clean with
a/c, factory radio and tach, and Hurst
shifter. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $110,000. Recently sold for an
utterly staggering $209,000 at BarrettJackson’s
2012 Scottsdale sale (ACC#
193712). Given the two documented sales
records, the seller took a devastating hit.
Price paid today was about market money
for a well-presented Boss 302.
78 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $13,750. A total rebuild by a
meticulous body shop owner for his personal
pleasure. Process included total disassembly,
sandblasting, acid dipping,
priming, painting and clear-coating every
piece before assembly. Only the cab and
hood panel were original, with all others
N.O.S. for a better-than-factory result. A
sure winner at any truck show, and ob-
SOLD AT $33,550. A lot of good work
went into this, and maybe they just ran out
of time to plumb the doors. The car could
be a fun straight-line performer and perfect
for those “Hot August Nights.” A Mopar fan
saw the potential and paid right on the high
estimate. Fair deal. A
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Page 78
BRANSON // Branson, MO
Weathering the storm
POST-TORNADO, THE 32nd ANNUAL BRANSON AUCTION TOTALS $2.9M
Report and photos by
B. Mitchell Carlson
Market opinions in italics
the word out that the 32nd annual event
would take place as planned. The chaos of
the tornado and residual uncertainty apparently
lead to fewer consignments than
usual, but the overall quality of cars did
not suffer.
The hotel that usually offers primary
hospitality for the auction was closed for
L
Branson
Branson, MO
April 21–22, 2012
Auctioneers: Tom “Spanky” Assiter,
Andrew Assiter and John Nichols
Automotive lots sold/offered: 103/192
sales rate: 54%
Total sales: $2,856,570
High American sale: 1931 Cadillac 370A
roadster, sold at $197,100
Buyer’s premium: 8%, included in sold
prices
Branson sales total
$1m
$2m
$3m
$4m
$5m
0
80 AmericanCarCollector.com
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
repairs, but the adjoining Convention
Center, where the auction itself takes place,
was fixed up and ready. Auction day arrived
in full spring glory.
The highest sale across the block was
a nicely restored 1931 Cadillac series
370A, which garnered $197,100. Other
domestic Full Classics that sold included
two Springfield-built Brewster-bodied
Rolls-Royce Phantom Is — a 1927 convertible
sedan and a 1929 Club Sedan, fetching
$162,000 and $97,200, respectively, a 1931
Auburn series 8-98A cabriolet fetching
$108,000, and a one-of-two 1937 Cord
812 “Westchester” trunk-back sedan for
$65,100. While muscle cars sold for decent
money, there were few world-class restored
examples, so they were far and few between
in the top sales column.
One of the area’s most successful local
entertainers, Shoji Tabuchi, sold a number
of vehicles from his collection. Among
them was a 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 that
he was known to cruise around Branson.
The 428 Cobra Jet-powered ’Stang sold for
$51,300. It was the top-selling muscle car at
this auction and the top domestic car from
Shoji’s collection, with all but a handful of
the nearly dozen cars he offered declared
sold.
While fewer total cars sold, a greater
number of the headline cars sold. Indeed,
most found new homes. Post-block sales
activity was also strong. After the last
car crossed the block at 4:30 Saturday
afternoon, fourteen more transactions came
together.
All eyes now are on the fall sale, taking
place October 12 and 13. Historic downtown
Branson should be fully recovered by then,
with nothing to hamper the collector car
action.A
asting tornado damage in downtown
Branson, MO, threatened to derail
the 2012 spring Branson Auction,
but within a few weeks of the
storm, Jim Cox and his staff got
1931 Cadillac 370A roadster, sold at $197,100
Page 80
BRANSON // Branson, MO
GM
2
1000947. Two-tone green/tan cloth/tan
leather. Odo: 23,815 miles. Old show-quality
restoration has seen some use since.
Polish scratches prevalent. Broken-off
stanchion above driver’s side taillight
bracket. Loose-fitting seat leather has
glossiness from use. Originally owned by
1930s star Jean Harlow. Cond: 3+.
#560-1931 CADILLAC 370A V12
rumbleseat roadster. S/N
vinyl re-dyed at same time. Tube headers,
Edelbrock manifold, Holley 4-barrel and
new chrome alternator. Optional power
steering, power brakes, and a/c—most
components now removed. Cond: 4.
NOT SOLD AT $8,000. Last seen at the
McCormick Auction in Palm Springs, CA, in
November 2011, selling for $7,700 (ACC#
195624), making this offer look about right.
SOLD AT $7,020. Since it would be relatively
easy to do, I anticipate this getting
turned into a 442 clone. Market-priced.
SOLD AT $197,100. Sold well enough,
with the reserve released after the final bid.
#605-1957 CHEVROLET BEL AIR
convertible. S/N VC57J279246.
Matador Red/white vinyl/red & silver vinyl.
Odo: 1,319 miles. 283-ci V8, 4-bbl, 3-sp.
Originally built at the Janesville, WI, plant,
but wears one-piece Van Nuys front bumper
with aluminum Dagmars instead of rubber.
Excellent body prep and repaint.
Bone-stock and show-ready under the
hood. Repro interior expertly fitted. PowerPac
and three-on-the-tree with overdrive,
power top, twin rear antennas. Cond: 2.
#268-1966 CHEVROLET CORVAIR 500
2-dr hard top. S/N 101376W131011.
White/red cloth. Odo: 97,153 miles. 164-ci
H6, 2x1-bbl, auto. Originally light blue metallic,
resprayed to OK standard with some
overspray on the undercarriage and bottom
half of engine. Most trim has been shaved
off. Plain-Jane interior upholstery job and
new heavier-than-stock pile carpeting. On
oversized aftermarket chrome wide-stance
steel wheels with baby moons. Cond: 3.
#250-1979 PONTIAC TRANS AM coupe.
S/N 2W87K9L164796. Silver/red vinyl.
Odo: 58,739 miles. 403-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
Retains all original paperwork from new.
Recently completed three-year bare-body
restoration. Rebuilt original powertrain cosmetically
redone to stock. Like new under
the hood and undercarriage. Excellent
body and paint work. All-new seats, door
panels, carpet, and dashpad. Equipped
with the Olds 403 V8, automatic, a/c,
power windows, 4-wheel discs, AM/FM/
8-track and snowflake alloys. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $23,760. Signs of life from the
second-gen Firebird market, as this sale
approaches 2006-era levels. The good
colors and competent redo also helped
here.
CORVETTE
NOT SOLD AT $5,000. For late Corvairs, I
actually prefer the 500s over Monzas or
Corsas. Granted, you get a bench seat, but
that can be swapped easily enough, and
sure, you couldn’t get a turbo in a 500, but
you could order the better 4-carb 140. The
days of $500 daily-driver Corvairs are
gone. Now the drivers are $5k—like the
high bid for this one.
SOLD AT $54,000. Cross-checking the
body tag reveals it was restored in the original
color and trim scheme—albeit the one
into which everyone seems to change their
Laurel Green cars. ’57 Chevys may be on
a downward trend, but the buyer got a
steal here. Well bought.
#535-1965 OLDSMOBILE F-85 CUTLASS
convertible. S/N 338675M349438. Red &
black/black vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 55,544
miles. 330-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Originally
Provincial White with red interior. Average
older repaint with some trim removed, but
not polished or replated. Rattle-trap doors,
uneven gaps. Generic pleated-seat reskin
has a few seasons on it, rest of interior
82 AmericanCarCollector.com
#269-1973 CHEVROLET EL CAMINO SS
pickup. S/N 1D80Y3Z446363. Silver/black
vinyl. Odo: 50,635 miles. 454-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Average quality with below-average
prep, SS stripes not reapplied. Bedliner
sprayed in the dented box. Re-upholstered
seats, new dashpad, CD player in the
dash, aftermarket speakers behind the
seats. Clean engine bay with some aftermarket
parts. Cond: 3.
#259-1976 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
coupe. S/N 1Z37L6S413583. Corvette
Orange/dark brown leather. Odo: 74,739
miles. 350-ci 180-hp V8, 4-bbl, auto.
Original window sticker shows it was sold
new in Lansing, MI. Through four owners, it
has essentially remained original, with one
older light respray. Moderate interior wear
for the miles indicated. Recent rattle-can
repaint of the motor, with minimal masking
of the carburetor linkage. Has a/c and
power windows. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $9,720. Although not original
enough to be Survivor-eligible, and with the
base driveline, this was still a relatively
unmessed-with example with lots of potential.
Good buy for a a cruiser with some
longer-term investment potential.
#241-1990 CHEVROLET CORVETTE ZR1
coupe. S/N 1G1YZ23J0L5800399.
Red/red leather. Odo: 27,335 miles. 350-ci
BEST
BUY
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Page 82
BRANSON // Branson, MO
375-hp fuel-injected V8, 6-sp. As is typical
for a ZR-1, the unique Koolof windshield is
starting to lightly fog. Light interior wear,
tidy under the hood. Cond: 3+.
Stinky old interior has no tears or heavy
wear. Grubby engine bay. Has a/c, the only
factory option offered. Some of the components
are even still in place. Offered at no
reserve. Cond: 4-. SOLD AT $15,120. Last
seen at the 1992 Kruse Fall Auburn auction,
selling for $9,100—with 32 fewer
miles (ACC# 11280). I’ve been around
Mark IIs long enough in the Lincoln
Continental Owner’s Club to know an
expensive project when I see one. Well
sold.
SOLD AT $20,520. Unit 399 of 3,049 built
in their introductory year. Not a minty collectible
hidden since day one, but a rather
nice stock example that you could be
proud to drive without stress—or go the
extra mile to prep it as a Bloomington Gold
collectible. Well bought.
FOMOCO
#587-1950 FORD CUSTOM convertible.
S/N B0CH153229. Black/tan cloth/maroon
& black leather. Odo: 94,819 miles. 239-ci
V8, 2-bbl, 3-sp. Average older repaint with
some light polish swirls. Poor fit on doors,
panels and trim. Authentic reproduction
seats and door panels, with excellent workmanship.
Cond: 3.
#593-1957 FORD FAIRLANE 500
Skyliner retractable hard top. S/N
C7KW160706. Red & white/white retractable
hard top/red & white nylon & vinyl.
Odo: 38,632 miles. 292-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto.
Fully restored in late ’07 to stock spec,
aside from 1961–63 era modern repop wire
wheels. High-quality bare-body colorchange
repaint from original Dresden Blue
over Starmist Blue. Authentic repro seat
upholstery changed from two-tone blue
vinyl. Tidy under the hood. Cond: 2.
was still under the money by four to 10
grand.
#231-1965 FORD F-100 pickup. S/N
F10JK606904. Pagoda Green/white vinyl.
Odo: 86,935 miles. 240-ci I6, 1-bbl, 3-sp.
Restored five years ago. Mostly stripped
bodywork when repainted, with a nice
overall finish. Body tag removed from door
jamb. Authentic sloppy door seal glue.
Generic pleated-seat redo. CD stereo
mounted beneath uncut dash. Very tidy
engine bay with aftermarket chrome valve
cover, air cleaner, and electric ah-ooh-gah
horn. Needs to be force-fed when cold, as
the choke is out of adjustment, but once lit
off, runs out well. Cond: 3+.
NOT SOLD AT $9,600. A rather nice driver
that won’t kill your fuel budget. Problem
is, no one is going to bid more than this
unless there’s a V8 under the hood.
NOT SOLD AT $37,000. The too-new
wheels and Resale Red respray, perhaps
intended to broaden customer appeal,
were major disappointment here. Bid to a
market-plus amount.
NOT SOLD AT $25,000. This was one of
several cars offered from the collection of
Japanese fiddle player and Branson show
stalwart Shoji Tabuchi, who bought it here
at the Fall 2007 auction for $35,640 (ACC#
47567). It was also the only one that failed
to sell. While it had a few issues, it was still
bid a bit low.
#508-1956 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL
MARK II 2-dr hard top. S/N C56A1707.
Black/black & white leather. Odo: 63,043
miles. 368-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Poor prep
and respray, rust busting out all over. Old
bias-ply tires, one wheel cover missing.
#258-1963 FORD THUNDERBIRD
Landau coupe. S/N 3Y87M105101.
Copper/parchment vinyl/copper vinyl. Odo:
33,118 miles. 390-ci V8, 3x2-bbl, auto.
Optional Tri-Power 390 and a/c. Betterthan-average
repaint in last few years.
Older front bumper rechrome, more recent
rear, rest of plating original and serviceable.
Re-dyed original vinyl roof. Older seat
upholstery kit. Cond: 3+.
#564-1966 SHELBY GT350 H fastback.
S/N SFM6S814. Black & gold/black vinyl.
Odo: 5,390 miles. 289-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp.
Originally in Hertz’s fleet out of Milwaukee.
Repainted in 1975, now starting to wear
thin. Light wear on older repro interior
pieces. Original engine rebuilt 4k miles ago
and retains all of its original Shelby components.
Engine bay clean but shows signs of
use. Lowered front suspension, non-stock
side exhaust. Cond: 3.
NOT SOLD AT $16,000. I’ve now seen
one-third of the six 1963 M-Bird Landaus
produced. The other was at RM’s dispersion
of the Jerry Capizzi Collection in 2006,
sold for $57,750 (ACC# 43559). This one
was nowhere near as good as Jerry’s, but
84 AmericanCarCollector.com
NOT SOLD AT $85,000. Being out of
Milwaukee, it wouldn’t surprise me if this
had taken a few unofficial laps around
Elkhart Lake at $17 a day and 17 cents a
mile. The owner indicated to me that if nobody
was willing to pay his price, he’ll just
restore it.
#284-1967 MERCURY MARQUIS 2-dr
hard top. S/N 7Z69M508551.
Maroon/black vinyl/black nylon & vinyl.
Page 84
BRANSON // Branson, MO
Odo: 99,055 miles. 410-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
A one-family car being consigned by first
owner’s grandson. Recently repainted, still
with some masking tape in jambs. Great
shiny brightwork, but missing front fascia
emblems and lettering, with open holes,
and poor rocker panel trim fit. Re-covered
roof. Decent original interior with cracked
dashpad. With factory a/c. Cond: 3.
color and trim. Better-quality base barebody
repaint, but roof has prep issues.
Minimal flaws on refinished wood. Metal
dealer’s tag tastefully screwed to lower
wood trim on trunk. Like-new interior.
Show-ready engine bay. Cond: 2. NOT
SOLD AT $45,000. The 95th T&C from the
final year of Chrysler’s inline flathead 8-cyl
and wood trim. While these will never
reach the values of their earlier brethren,
they haven’t been depreciating. The presale
$50k–$60k estimate was reasonable.
SOLD AT $4,428. Despite the fact that
even the air cleaner and VIN showed this
to be a 410, the owner was positive that it
was a 428. Still, a lot of car for the money,
and with some sweat equity by a FoMoCo
fan, maybe even a few bucks to be made
on it in the future.
#558-1969 FORD MUSTANG Mach 1
fastback. S/N 9F02R117254. Maroon &
gold/black deluxe vinyl. Odo: 93,781 miles.
428-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Older cosmetic redo
with lots of overspray on rear springs.
Fitted with post-1969 rear wing and window
slats. Newer repop interior is well fitted.
Nearly bone-stock engine bay. With power
steering and brakes. Cond: 3+.
#532-1952 DODGE B-3-B pickup. S/N
8337852. Viper Red/tan vinyl. Odo: 564
miles. 218-ci I6, 1-bbl, 4-sp. Equipped with
“low side” pickup box and 4-speed transmission.
Very solid body, well prepped for
too-bright respray. Many incorrect details,
such as argent grille and front bumper
(would’ve been gloss black when new),
newer high-gloss varnished wood in bed,
mismatched 1970s hubcaps. New plain
vinyl seat and door panel upholstery.
Cond: 3+.
installed with expert workmanship, and
while several mods were rather obvious,
some were quite subtle—for example, the
graphics were all air-brushed rather than
vinyl. All in all, a well done street machine.
The reserve was off at $36k, and while not
a great investment, it was still a good buy
for a high-quality cruiser.
#538-1970 PLYMOUTH SUPERBIRD replica
2-dr hard top. S/N RM23N0A10618.
Yellow/black vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 1 mile.
426-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, auto. Originally a 383
car in Rally Red with Air Grabber hood, per
body tag. Now a fakey-doo Superbird with
replica aero parts (not take-offs from a
dead car). Nose cone has no provision for
pop-up headlights like a real Superbird, so
the lower driving lights are your only choice
at night. Good paint, decent gaps, doors
could use adjustment. Bottom of body entirely
rebuilt in box sections, tubbed for a
narrowed rear axle. Warmed-up Hemi expertly
installed. Cond: 3+.
NOT SOLD AT $17,000. Decent enough
workmanship, but poor authenticity; this
dealer found out that today’s vintage truck
buyer is more discriminating than before,
so it goes back to his lot.
SOLD AT $51,300. Another one of Shoji’s
cars, cut loose at $47k, which was more
than plenty. He was known to cruise
around Branson in it on a regular basis,
and the price paid may have included
some star factor.
MOPAR
#567-1950 CHRYSLER TOWN &
COUNTRY Newport 2-dr hard top. S/N
C491999. Juniper Green, tan &
wood/green cloth. Odo: 72,557 miles. 324ci
I8, 1-bbl, auto. Titled on engine number.
Recent frame-off restoration in original
#550-1969 PLYMOUTH ROAD RUNNER
2-dr sedan. S/N RM21H9G244397. Red &
black/black vinyl. Odo: 29,624 miles. 383-ci
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. No fender tag. Bodywork
restored to stock configuration, with betterthan-original
prep, paint and panel fit. All
new trim and replated bumpers. Little else
is stock. Redone interior fitted with steering
column from a similar-era Chrysler or
Imperial and a post-1970 pistol-grip shifter.
Under the hood is a built-up 383 with serpentine
belt system and aluminum radiator,
retaining stock Air Grabber induction system.
With Wilwood 4-wheel disc brakes,
RMS suspension system and oversized
TorqThrust wheels. Cond: 2-.
NOT SOLD AT $32,000. I would guess
they started restoring the car, but found
enough rust to require lots of cutting and
patching, so they changed plans and went
Pro Street instead. Final bid is likely what
they had into the engine.
#239-1972 DODGE DART Swinger 2-dr
hard top. S/N LH23G2B172849. Light
blue/blue vinyl & cloth. Odo: 82,081 miles.
318-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. Repainted in original
hue but originally had a white vinyl top;
only the side emblems were put back on,
nothing on the hood and trunk. Replated
bumpers, with rest of brightwork showing
its age. New low-budget radials. New seat
coverings, seatbelts and door panels, with
heavily faded and worn carpet and beat-up
arm rests. Dash cut out for a DIN-mount
stereo, water-stained parcel shelf cut for
modern speakers. Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $42,120. Everything here was
86 AmericanCarCollector.com
NOT SOLD AT $6,500. Not as unmolested
as the consignor would like one to think,
but not a horrid car. Still, the last bid was
all the money for it and then some. A
Page 86
GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
Auctions America by RM
spring Carlisle
Carlisle, PA—April 26–27, 2012
Auctioneers: Brent Earleywine
Automotive lots sold/offered: 131/267
sales rate: 49%
sales total: $2,529,335
High sale: 1957 Corvette 283/270 convertible,
sold at $99,000
Buyers premium: 10%, included in sold prices
Report and photos by John Lyons
Collector Car Productions
2011 Toronto spring Classic Car Auction
Toronto, Ontario, CAn—April 13–15, 2012
Auctioneers: Brent Earlywine and Ed
Shackelton
Automotive lots sold/offered: 178/329
GM
#421-1953 CHEVROLET 3100 5-window
pickup. S/N M53BOO8044. Burgundy
leather/burgundy. Odo: 21,800 miles. 216-ci
I6, 1-bbl, 3-sp. Excellent restoration of a
proper and correct truck. Superb prep and
paintwork, perfect chrome and trim. Radiodelete
interior likewise flawless. Detailed
underside and engine bay. Only flaw is
slight orange peel in jambs. Retains original
drivetrain. Cond: 2+.
Selected Sales Combined in One Comprehensive Report
sales rate: 54%
sales total: $3,040,243
High sale: 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/435
convertible, sold at $147,500
Buyer’s premium: 8%, included in sold prices
Report and photos by Norm Mort
Classic Motorcar Auctions
Akron spring Auction
Akron, OH—March 31, 2012
Auctioneers: Dennis Wisbey and Mark Otto
Automotive lots sold/offered: 72/117
sales rate: 62%
sales total: $1,021,565
High sale: 1947 Cadillac Series 62 convertible,
sold at $91,800
Buyers’ premium: 8%, included in results
Report and photos by Kevin Coakley
NOT SOLD AT $76,000. This showed up
just a day ahead of the sale with no advance
registration. The seller was looking
for around $90,000 but with no promotion,
that’s unrealistic. I also overheard many
bidders turned off by the brown vinyl top
and interior. Auctions America by RM,
Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
#341-1959 CHEVROLET EL CAMINO
pickup. S/N H59L116779. Red/black vinyl.
Odo: 71,946 miles. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
Fairly honest original car with 350 crate V8
engine with 3-speed automatic of unknown
origin. All trim removed during build; paint
and bumpers in nice condition. Interior
lightly modified with differing seat pattern,
incorrect steering wheel and aftermarket
radio. Clean engine bay and undercarriage.
Spray-on bedliner. From a private estate
collection, offered without reserve.
Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $33,550. This truck was head
and shoulders above several other pretty
nice ones at this sale. A deservedly strong
result, with no shortage of interested bidders
when it crossed the block. Auctions
America by RM, Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
#187-1959 CADILLAC SERIES 62 convertible.
S/N 59F019522. Cream/brown
vinyl/brown vinyl. Odo: 59,029 miles. 390-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Decent cosmetic restoration
of solid car. Correct exterior color with
brown top and interior done in vinyl.
Excellent chrome and trim, factory gaps and
panel fit. Original gauges and controls in
nice condition. Optional power seat and AM
radio. Detailed engine bay and sparking
underside. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $15,290. While the modifications
on this car would not prove terribly hard to
undo, I imagine finding the correct exterior
trim and fittings will pose a challenge. Well
bought, nonetheless. Auctions America by
RM, Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
88
#139-1961 OLDSMOBILE STARFIRE
convertible. S/N 616C01229. White/white
vinyl/beige leather. Odo: 83,800 miles. 394ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Older cosmetic exterior
restoration. Numerous chips in paint, door
jambs so heavily coated that VIN tag is
almost unreadable. Original faded and hazy
chrome and trim, newer top. Original and
very tired-looking interior with unappealing
aftermarket steering wheel. Dirty engine
bay. Cond: 4+.
AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $13,200. Market-correct price,
but plenty of room to improve it with a good
detailing. A correct steering wheel wouldn’t
hurt, either. Buyer came out ahead on this
one. Auctions America by RM, Carlisle,
PA, 04/12.
#367-1965 PONTIAC CATALINA “2+2”
2-dr hard top. S/N 252375E169146.
Turquoise/black vinyl. Odo: 86,180 miles.
351-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Seven-year-old restoration
of a two-owner car, fully documented.
Said to be one of 756 in this
configuration, with factory YK-code 421-ci
376-hp V8, Tri-Power and TurboHydramatic.
Optional power steering and
brakes, center console, eight-lug wheels,
heavy-duty suspension, factory in-dash tachometer,
Wonderbar radio, Safe-T-Track
differential and remote mirror. Featured in
May 2010 Hemmings Classic Car. Shown
with reams of documentation, including
PHS documents, original build sheet,
receipts and much more. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $24,200. The car was bid to $21k
on the block, and after about five minutes of
heavy negotiation, the seller reluctantly
agreed to sell for $22k on the hammer. Well
bought. Auctions America by RM,
Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
#SP37-1968 CHEVROLET CAMARO SS
Nickey replica coupe. S/N
124378L317292. Green/black vinyl/black
vinyl. Odo: 587 miles. 427-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. Reportedly a four-year, body-off restoration
that cost $50k in new parts alone.
Only driven 500 miles since. Appears very
well researched. Straight body with fiberglass
hood. Excellent paint. Fully
Page 88
GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
rechromed. Fresh black interior with correct
Nickey appointments. Period-correct aluminum
427 fully detailed. Nickey ladder bars
and fully detailed chassis. American Racing
wheels and Redline tires. Well done.
Cond: 2+. SOLD AT $38,500. Previously
sold for $34,000 at RM’s 2007 Novi, MI,
sale, when we said it was “worth more”
(ACC# 45180). If the clone issue didn’t
bother you, then this looked like excellent
Camaro for the money. Bidding slowed at
mid-thirties but nearly reached $40k. The
seller lost, and the new owner should be
happy. Collector Car Productions,
Toronto, CAN 04/12.
#308-1970 CHEVROLET C30 utility
bed pickup. S/N CE330J161470. Dark
green & white/black vinyl. Odo: 90,405
miles. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Decent paint.
Anodized grille is fading. Back-door window
is cracked. All utility bed compartments are
clean and fresh, doors all operable and in
good condition. Decent engine bay.
Equipped with power steering, power
brakes and tow package. Cond: 3.
Odo: 49,273 miles. 389-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
Excellent straight body and panel fit. Only
one recent repaint in original light blue with
few imperfections. Virtually spotless threeseat
original interior other than minor fading
in areas. Original clean underside and
underhood except for minimal wear. With
a/c, rear wind deflector, original radio and
whitewalls on full discs. Cond: 2.
auto. Original paint, trim, interior and underside
with practically no wear evident. No
shrinkage of any plastic panels inside or
out. Full steering wheel controls for climate
control and radio. Factory a/c, anti-theft,
AM/FM and T-tops. Clean, correct, original
engine bay. Cond: 2. NOT SOLD AT
$17,000. One of many time-warp examples
preserved for anticipated future appreciation,
hurt by the 6-cyl engine. High bid was
all the money. Auctions America by RM,
Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
CORVETTE
SOLD AT $29,700. Ten years ago, most
station wagons were being used as parts
cars, but this iconic American body style
now has a huge following and great club
support. Whether you were a wagon fan or
not, most observers gave this example a
once-over as this rarer, mostly original, former
Florida Pontiac had few faults.
Enthusiastic bidders pushed the price much
higher than I had expected, proving once
again the desirability of very clean originals.
Definitely well sold, but the buyer, with minimal
improvements, should be very happy
too. Collector Car Productions, Toronto,
CAN 04/12.
SOLD AT $7,020. Another offering from the
Chet Krause collection offered at no reserve,
this truck was driven to the sale from
Iola, WI. All in all, bargain price for a nice,
useable truck. Very well bought. Classic
Motorcar Auctions, Akron, OH, 03/12.
#168-1970 PONTIAC TRANS AM coupe.
S/N 228870N116173. White/black vinyl.
Odo: 46,111 miles. 400-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp.
Very well kept original car with some minor
cracking and checking in paint. Good glass.
Original interior shows minimal wear. Clean
engine bay. With PHS documentation.
Cond: 3.
#311-1979 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z/28
coupe. S/N 1Q87L9NS43680. Red/black
vinyl. Odo: 86,885 miles. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Paint is thick and shiny. Varied panel
fit all around. Back window is scratched.
Weatherstripping is dry-rotted. Interior is
decent except for a switch hanging by the
under-dash wires and a tattered door panel.
Cond: 3-.
#184-1962 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
S/N 20867S107390. Red/black
vinyl. Odo: 36,581 miles. 327-ci 340-hp V8,
4 bbl, 4-sp. High-quality cosmetic restoration.
Somewhat heavy paint in the door
jambs, few slight dents in trim. Old, yellowing
tires. Interior very original. Equipped
with rare factory Wonderbar radio. Factory
hard top included. Dirty engine bay, apparently
ignored during the restoration.
Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $36,025. Very nice car with a few
details still requiring attention. Also, no
mention of documentation or matching numbers,
so a bit of an unknown. Sold correctly
given the circumstances. Auctions
America by RM, Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
SOLD AT $6,480. Claimed to have been
restored in 2010, but was done on the quick
and cheap. Result looked fair both ways,
considering there are still some checks to
write to make this straight. Classic
Motorcar Auctions, Akron, OH, 03/12.
#430-1989 PONTIAC TRANS AM 20th
Anniversary Indy Pace Car coupe. S/N
IG5FW2177KL240445. White/tan leather.
Odo: 10,928 miles. 3.8-L fuel-injected V6,
SOLD AT $26,000. Initially unsold across
the block, a deal came together later at a
very fair $26k, close enough to the owner’s
desired $27k to get it done. Auctions
America by RM, Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
#415-1972 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE
wagon. S/N 863K45849. Blue/blue vinyl.
90 AmericanCarCollector.com
#412-1966 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
S/N 1946265114721. Turquoise/
hard top/navy blue vinyl. Odo: 74,291 miles.
327-ci 350-hp V8, 2x4-bbl. Frame-off restoration
has earned NCRS Top Flight and
multiple other major awards. Full documentation
includes Protect-O-Plate and factory
window sticker. Flawless paint, trim and
panel fit. Fresh-appearing interior with
excellent trim and gauges, showing only
minimal wear. Show-detailed engine, trunk
and underside. Equipped with factory sidepipes,
disc brakes, hard top and AM radio.
Cond: 2+. NOT SOLD AT $57,500.
Stunning restoration of a proper numbers-
BEST
BUY
Page 90
GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
matching car. This mid-year Corvette was
one of the nicest in the entire sale. The restoration
could not have been cheap, and
seller was right to hold out for more.
Auctions America by RM, Carlisle, PA,
04/12.
#379-1980 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
coupe. S/N 1Z878A5440211. Red/black
leather. Odo: 11,903 miles. 350-ci 230-hp
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Original paint shows minor
scratches and blemishes. Factory panel
gaps, passenger’s door release doesn’t
work. Delaminated windshield. Grungy engine
bay. Power brakes, power steering,
a/c. Cond: 3.
sible hail damage on hood. Very good original
interior. All controls look good and work
well. Factory a/c, AM radio and power antenna.
Shown with folders of original
records and receipts. Cond: 3.
Cond: 3. SOLD AT $10,450. Previously
sold for $8,250 at Fall Auburn 2011, which
we said “would likely turn a profit” (ACC#
185964). It then brought $15,225 at
Collector Car Productions’ October 2011
sale (ACC# 187764). I said it was worth
every penny then, but something must have
been amiss, or the previous owner found he
just didn’t like it. Well bought today, with
room for profit yet again. Collector Car
Productions, Toronto, CAN 04/12.
SOLD AT $31,900. Even the repaint had an
original-looking patina. The documents no
doubt helped the result for what has been a
soft-selling car these past five years. A fair
deal for both parties. Auctions America by
RM, Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
NOT SOLD AT $15,000. Sure, it’s a oneowner
car with low miles, but better examples
trade regularly for 30% less. Perhaps a
little attention to detail could make this number
achievable again, but at what cost?
Seller should have let it go. Classic
Motorcar Auctions, Akron, OH, 03/12.
FOMOCO
#423-1956 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL
MARK II 2-dr hard top. S/N 056A1670.
Blue/blue & white vinyl. Odo: 62,798 miles.
368-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Nice original car with
one older repaint holding up well. Some
minor issues with the paint including pos-
#SP104-1957 FORD COUNTRY SEDAN
wagon. S/N D7DX120937. Red &
cream/red & cream vinyl. Odo: 50,347
miles. 312-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Good, straight
solid body. Eye-catching color combination
with only minor flaws. Chrome acceptable,
but with pitted mirrors and door handles,
ding in grille. Original bumpers. Attractive
matching-color vinyl seats show minimal
wear. Original door caps and panels worn
and faded, original cracked rubber gaskets.
Rear deck painted red over original cream.
#413-1959 FORD GALAXIE 500 Sunliner
convertible. S/N B9G0115510. Blue &
white/white cloth/white & blue vinyl. Odo:
85,374 miles. 390-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. The
paint shows well as part of a fairly fresh
restoration. Minor panel-fit issues with driver’s
door and trunk lid. Brightwork shows
well. Recent mechanical work includes new
front ball joints, tie rod ends, bushings,
brakes and stainless-steel dual exhaust.
Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $28,620. Sunliners trumped
Skyliner production by more than three to
one, but the Skyliner convertible hard tops
somehow seem more abundant in the market.
This was a nice package, and, considering
the recently completed maintenance,
seemed like a bit of a bargain. Well bought.
Classic Motorcar Auctions, Akron, OH,
03/12.
#428-1965 FORD MUSTANG convertible.
S/N 81081720343. Red/black vinyl/black
leather. Odo: 43,831 miles. 200-ci V6, 2-bbl,
auto. Highly original car with one repaint
likely done years ago and preserved. Miles
claimed original and overall presentation
confirms. Original top, engine and interior.
Nice chrome and trim also indicative of a
good original car. Only notable options are
the Cruise-O-Matic transmission and power
top. Cond: 3.
92 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $13,750. The 6-cyl Mustangs
were not exactly top of the heap then (or
now), but the upside was a reliable, easy-tomaintain
car. Someone will enjoy the heck
Page 91
out of this for the next five months and then
could sell it for probably the same money,
if not a slight profit. Well bought. Auctions
America by RM, Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
MOPAR
#409-1959 DESOTO FIREDOME
Sportsman 2-dr sedan. S/N M431105387.
Coral & white/beige vinyl. Odo: 96,825
miles. 383-ci, 2x4-bbl, auto. Original car
with hasty cosmetic restoration. Newer paint
and bumpers, some filler in the rocker panels.
Restored seats and carpeting. All else
original. Detailed engine bay. Dual quads,
factory AM radio, push-button transmission.
Cond: 3-.
NOT SOLD AT $27,000. This was reported
to be a Florida car from new, and I suspect
it was a rusty, low-level driver prior to the
fluff-and-buff. High bid was more than
enough. Auctions America by RM,
Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
#359-1969 DODGE DART GTS 2-dr hard
top. S/N LS23M9B351847. Yellow/black
vinyl. Odo: 88,403 miles. 440-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Thick paint with fisheyes and general
prep issues. Scratches on windshield.
Bumpers painted to look like aluminum.
Rear valance and front grille look like black
accent paint was applied with a Popsicle
stick. Decent interior. Engine compartment
includes aluminum radiator and a homemade
fan shroud. Cond: 4.
SOLD AT $19,225. A thick and quick redo
that could have brought double the money
with better work. That said, assuming the
thick paint isn’t hiding too many sins, sorting
it out could be done without turning upsidedown.
Fair deal. Classic Motorcar
Auctions, Akron, OH, 03/12.
#380-1969 PLYMOUTH ROAD RUNNER
2-dr hard top. S/N RM23H9A167960. Blue
Fire/black vinyl. Odo: 96,886 miles. 383-ci
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. With original fender tag and
broadcast sheet. Very nice overall restoration
of a numbers-matching car. Very good
gaps and fit. Excellent paint, chrome and
trim. Attractive restored interior with perfect
carpeting and seats. Original and very nice
dash, instruments and AM radio. Cond: 2-.
July-August 2012 93
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GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
a correct truck. Excellent paint, some chips
at door edge, chrome and trim very good.
Factory gaps. Decals and wood excellent.
Correct five-slot rims restored better than
new. Brand new carpets. AM/FM radio.
Incorrect steering wheel. Older detailed
engine bay, correct details. Cond: 2-.
NOT SOLD AT $26,000. A crowd surrounded
this car before and during its time
on the block. The 383 cars are fairly low on
the Mopar totem pole, and as such, the car
fell short of reserve. Auctions America by
RM, Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
#394-1970 PLYMOUTH ’CUDA 2-dr hard
top. S/N 135234OE119111. Ivy
Green/black vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 88,885
miles. 440-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. No docs with
car, but stated to have correct fender tags,
and reportedly one of 334 in this configuration.
Equipped with U-code 440-ci 375-hp
V8, 4-speed and Pistol-Grip. Original 4739
Carter carburetor. Dana 3.54 rear end.
Excellent trim and paint. Good gaps and fit.
New reproduction bumpers with old bumper
guards. Factory driving lights. Correct instruments
in good condition. Interior could
use a good cleaning. Cond: 2-.
NOT SOLD AT $15,000. The preserved
five-slot rims were a refreshing sight, as
most rusted out and were replaced with incorrect
ones. This was the slightly less powerful
and desirable 1979 iteration, but still
worth a bid more than high bid offered here.
Auctions America by RM, Carlisle, PA,
04/12.
AMERICANA
#136-1952 NASH AMBASSADOR
4-dr sedan. S/N R680440. Black &
red/black vinyl. Odo: 42,356 miles. 253-ci
I6, 1-bbl, 3-sp. Twelve-year-old restoration,
incredible execution and preservation. Paint
superb, with minor blemish on driver’s side
C-pillar the only flaw of note. Gaps and fit
excellent, chrome and trim are show-quality,
SOLD AT $52,250. These have softened
substantially in recent years, but this one,
with its U-code engine and appealing colors,
attracted fair money. Auctions America by
RM, Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
#356-1979 DODGE PICKUP Li’l Red
Express pickup. S/N D13J893218225.
Red/black vinyl. Odo: 70,759 miles. 360-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Nice cosmetic restoration of
SOLD AT $18,590. I’ve run across three of
these so far this year at auction. This was a
nice, honest, low-miles car that had been
properly maintained. The GO Pack was the
top performance option for this car, and bidding
reflected this. Both parties have reason
to be satisfied with the result. Auctions
America by RM, Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
#435-1970 AMC REBEL The Machine
2-dr hard top. S/N A0M190Y216721.
Red, white & blue/black, red, white & blue
vinyl. Odo: 26,917 miles. 390-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. A seldom-seen muscle car with
unique, period colors. Decent repaint with
some dirt. Dings in front trim; chrome is
combination of original, rechrome and new.
Decent interior with minimal wear. Factory
wheels with dinged trim rings. Some detailing
under hood and chassis in flat black.
Cond: 2-.
interior to match. Original AM radio, very
cool Airflyte instrumentation. Engine bay
and undercarriage detailed to show condition.
1952 YOM plates. Owned by seller for
32 years. Cond: 2-. SOLD AT $13,200.
This stunning car was one of the top five in
the auction from a condition standpoint. The
cost of the restoration far exceeded the
price realized, and the buyer got an absolute
steal. Auctions America by RM,
Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
#403-1968 AMC AMX 2-dr hard top. S/N
A8M397X262982. Frost White & red/red
leather. Odo: 7,162 miles. 390-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. Unrestored low-mile car with full
mechanical freshening. Excellent original
paint and trim. Equipped with GO Pack and
rare 4-speed manual. Light interior wear.
Detailed engine bay with correct tags still in
place. Cond: 2-.
94 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $15,290. The Rebel Machine was
manufactured for one year only. This was
an excellent driver and a rare AMC, as well
as a rare muscle car. Regardless, AMC is
not to everyone’s tastes, and this clean machine
struggled to attract bids. Thus, well
bought. Collector Car Productions,
Toronto, CAN 04/12. A
BEST
BUY
BEST
BUY
Page 94
RESOURCE DIRECTORY
Put your company in the ACC Resource Directory. Call 877.219.2605 Ext. 211,
or email advert@americancarcollector.com
Auction Companies
Auctions America by RM.
877.906.2437, 5540 CR llA Auburn,
IN 46706. Home of the 480-acre
Auction Park in Auburn, IN, where
the annual Labor Day Auction is
held in conjunction with the Auburn,
Cord, Duesenberg Festival.
www.auctionsamerica.com. (IN)
Mecum Collector Car
Auctioneers. 815.568.8888,
815.568.6615. 950 Greenlee St.,
Marengo, IL 60015. Auctions:
Orlando, Kansas City, Rockford,
Bloomington Gold, St. Paul, Des
Moines, Carlisle, and Chicago.
Nobody Sells More Muscle Than
Mecum. Nobody. www.mecumauction.com.
(IL)
Russo and Steele Collector
Automobiles. 602.252.2697,
602.252.6260. 5230 South 39th
Street, Phoenix, AZ 85040. info@
russoandsteele.com; www.russoandsteele.com.
(AZ)
Advertisers Index
Adam’s Polishes, Inc ............................25
American Car Collector ........................40
ANPAC .................................................71
Auctions America .................................15
B & T Specialty Classic Car Auctions...73
Barrett-Jackson ......................................3
Bennett Law Office ...............................96
Bloomington Gold ..........................17, 58
Blue Bars ..............................................97
Callaway Corvette ..................................6
Camaro Central ....................................75
Carlisle Events ......................................77
CarPoolTables.com ..............................91
Chubb Personal Insurance ...................13
Classic & Collectible Cars Las Vegas...85
Classic Motorcar Auctions ...................79
Collector Car Price Tracker ..................97
Competition Classics ...........................89
Corvette America ..................................85
Corvette Mike .......................................27
Corvette Repair Inc. .............................23
Corvette Specialties .............................92
Cosdel ..................................................91
Silver Auctions. 800.255.4485,
2020 N. Monroe, Spokane, WA
99205. silver@silverauctions.com.
www.silverauctions.com. (WA)
Worldwide Auctioneers.
866.273.6394. Established by
John Kruse and Rod C. Egan, The
Worldwide Group—Auctioneers,
Appraisers and Brokers—is one of
the world’s premier auction houses,
specializing in the procurement and
sale of the world’s finest automobiles
and vintage watercraft. www.
worldwide-auctioneers.com. (IN)
Corvette Parts &
Restoration
County Corvette. 610.696.7888.
Sales, service, parts and restoration.
When it must be right.
www.countycorvette.com. (PA)
Mid America Motorworks.
800.500.1500. America’s leader
in 1953-2008 Corvette parts and
accessories. Request a free catalog
at www.mamotorworks.com. (IL)
County Corvette .....................................2
D&M Corvette Specialists LTD .............99
Donn Vickrey Fraud Prevention ............95
Gould Products Inc. dba Auto Ancestry 95
Greensboro Auto Auction .....................38
Hagerty Insurance Agency, Inc. ...........37
Heacock Classic .....................................7
Hydro-E-Lectric ....................................87
Infinity Insurance Companies .............100
JC Taylor ..............................................63
Jim Meyer Racing Products Inc. ..........97
Kenny’s Rod Shop ...............................25
Lamborghini Las Vegas ........................81
Law Offices of Bruce Shaw LLC ..........91
Long Island Corvette Supply Inc ..........97
Lutty’s Chevy Warehouse ....................89
Mac Neil Automotive Products Ltd ......93
Matick Chevrolet ....................................6
Mecum Auction ....................................11
Mid America Auctions ..........................29
Mid America Motorworks ...............19, 57
Motorcar Portfolio ................................79
National Corvette Museum ...................95
National Corvette Restorers Society ....40
AutoBahn Power. Performance
+ Looks + Durability + Comfort
= Autobahn Power! Autobahn
Power is a veteran of vehicle
modifications, parts and accessories.
Our specialty has been to
carry products that are better than
original equipment in performance,
safety and quality. Our warehouse,
service shop and retail store are
located in the Midwest for good
access to all parts of the USA. We
have completed literally hundreds
of project cars. These performance
vehicles are in enthusiast’s hands
across the USA. Many of the
cars are in daily use proving the
durability of our workmanship and
products. Check us out at www.
autobahnpower.com.
Classic Car Transport
Intercity Lines, Inc. 800.221.3936,
413.436.9422. Rapid, hassle-free,
coast-to-coast service. Insured
enclosed transport for your valuable
car at affordable prices. State-of-
Palm Springs Exotic Car Auctions .......59
Park Place LTD .....................................21
Passport Transport ...............................56
Petersen Collector Car Auction ............94
Pro-Team Corvette Sales, Inc ..............67
Putnam Leasing ....................................24
Reliable Carriers ...................................61
Rick Treworgy’s Muscle Car City Museum .83
Russo & Steele LLC..............................31
San Diego Classic & Muscle Cars ........65
Silver Collector Car Auctions ..............4-5
Spuds Enterprises ................................39
Swissvax USA, LLC ..............................41
Take Your Car To Auction, LLC ...........93
The Chevy Store Inc .............................35
Thomas C Sunday Inc ..........................97
Tony D Branda Mustang & Shelby .......69
Trophykits.com .....................................95
Tropical Chevrolet ..................................6
Truespoke Wire Wheel .........................87
Vicari Auctions ......................................33
Wall Words ...........................................83
Zip Products .........................................33
the-art satellite transport tracking.
Complete service for vintage races,
auctions, relocations.
www.intercitylines.com. (MA)
Insurance
Hagerty Collector Car Insurance.
800.922.4050. Collector cars aren’t
like their late-model counterparts.
These classics actually appreciate
in value so standard market
policies that cost significantly more
won’t do the job. We’ll agree on a
fair value and cover you for the full
amount. No prorated claims, no
hassles, no games. www.hagerty.
com. (MI)
Corvettes for Sale
Corvette Central. Parts and
accessories for all Corvettes.
Corvette Central has been a leading
manufacturer and distributor
of Corvette parts and accessories
since 1975. We offer the most
comprehensive and detailed parts
catalogs on the market today and
produce a different catalog for each
Corvette generation. All catalogs
are also online with full search and
order features. From Blue Flame
6 to the new C6, only Corvette
Central has it all. www.corvettecentral.com.
(MI)
County Corvette. 610.696.7888.
The most modern and bestequipped
Corvette-only facility in
the nation. www.countycorvette.
com. (PA)
The Chevy Store. At The Chevy
Store, you will find only the highest
grade, investment quality Corvette
and specialty Chevrolet automobiles.
We take pride in providing
our clients with the finest selection
anywhere. Offering investment
quality corvettes and Chevrolets for
over 30 years! 503.256.5384 (p)
503.256.4767 (f) www.thechevystore.com.
(OR)
Museums
National Corvette Museum. 80053-VETTE.
The National Corvette
Museum in Bowling Green, KY
was established as a 501(c)3 notfor-profit
foundation with a mission
of celebrating the invention of the
Corvette and preserving its past,
present and future. www.corvettemuseum.com.
(KY) A
96 AmericanCarCollector.com
Page 95
WHAT’S YOUR
CAR WORTH?
FIND OUT AT
NOW FREE! The world’s
largest collector car
price guide based on
over 500,000 sold
transactions from
.
Updated weekly.
collectorcarpricetracker.com
May-June 2012 97
Page 96
Surfing Around
Carl Bomstead
Automobilia on eBay
Carl’s thought: Bill Buckner had an illustrious major league baseball career, winning the batting crown in 1980 and accumulating 2,700
hits during his 20-year career. He is, however, best known for an error when Mookie Wilson’s grounder rolled through his legs, allowing the
Mets to win Game Six of the 1986 World Series. The offending ball was recently offered by Heritage Auctions and realized an astonishing
$418,250, including the buyer’s premium.
Here are a few items I found, some of which might also be errors, but they were not as costly:
EBAY #280823544334—UNION
OIL “SPEEDY” LICENSE
PLATE TOPPER. Number of
bids: 22. SOLD AT: $751.24.
Date sold: 2/13/2012. Several
different styles of this porcelain
license plate topper have recently
appeared on eBay. These were
in exceptional condition, although
there is edge wear and the piece
that they are attached to is aged.
It’s difficult to comment without
the piece in hand, but if it quacks
like a duck…
EBAY #15080802076—
CORVETTE SALES AND
SERVICE PORCELAIN SIGN.
Number of bids: Buy-It-Now.
SOLD AT: $1,250. Date sold:
5/2/2012. This Corvette sign
measured 24-by-11 and had
some damage at the mounting
holes. It was a new one for me,
as I’ve never seen another. That in itself is a warning sign, as a
factory sales-and-service sign such as this would have been at
most every Chevrolet/Corvette dealership in the country. Again, it’s
difficult to say with certainty without the sign in hand.
EBAY#200748584415—SET OF
FORD EVANS HEADS. Number
of bids: 1. SOLD AT: $1,100. Date
sold: 4/27/2012. Evans Speed
Equipment, which is still in business,
was founded by Bill Evans
in 1946. His belly tank racer set
the Class C record at Bonneville
in 1950 with a speed of 157.93
mph. It, of course, ran Evans 21-stud heads and 3-pot intake manifold.
The vintage Evans heads sold here were stated to be in good
condition and are rare as heck.
EBAY #180847249065—1920
NEW MEXICO PORCELAIN
LICENSE PLATE. Number of
bids: 24. SOLD AT: $4,050. Date
sold: 3/28/2012. New Mexico
first offered a porcelain license
98 AmericanCarCollector.com
plate in 1920, and they were used through 1924, with a tab that was
added from 1921 to 1924. This plate was in exceptional condition
with no chips and only a slight warp. Pricey, but find another in this
condition.
EBAY #160750822024—
ARIZONA ROUTE 66 ROAD
SIGN. Number of bids: 41. SOLD
AT: $5,600. Date sold: 3/7/2012.
Route 66 traveled through eight
states, starting in Chicago and
ending in California. Road signs
were first used in 1927 (although
this seller stated his sign was
from 1926) and are very collectible.
The rarest are from Kansas,
as only 13 miles of Route 66 went through that state. This sign,
which was rather rough, had six of the reflective marbles attached,
but the seller stated a few more were in a separate box. Expensive
as heck, but highly collectible even in this condition.
EBAY #130687614458—1965
PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS
D’ELEGANCE DASH PLAQUE.
Number of bids: 18. SOLD AT:
$355. Date sold: 5/4/2012. The
Pebble Beach Concours has
been giving dash plaques to participants,
judges and volunteers
for years, and they show up on
eBay from time to time. They’re not exactly rare, and not highly
collectible, either. They normally run less than $100, so this was silly
money.
EBAY #200753465297—1969
PONTIAC GTO “JUDGE”
PROMOTIONAL JACKET.
Number of bids: Buy-It-Now.
SOLD AT: $1,250. Date sold:
5/11/2012. These jackets were
available only through Pontiac
dealers, and if you wanted one,
you prepaid, and the dealer
would send your order to the
manufacturer. Few people went
through the hassle, so they were
scarce then and are more so
today. Even so, the price paid
seems a bit much. A