Collector Car Buff

Future collectible cars – 2005 Auto Show – Part 2 of 3

2005 Toyota Matrix Buy and drive this car if you look good in a clown suit. It looks exactly like a 1948 Crosley station wagon that all of those clowns climbed out of at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus in the late 1940′s. It is the combination of the high belt line, the baby-buggy wheels and the tall narrow look that Crosley touted as "Smart, Fashionable and Sleek." Unfortunately, the Matrix is rated at only 28 city and 34 mpg highway. For comparison, Crosley claimed 35 to 50 mpg for the Crosley. Hey, the 1948 Crosley is highly collectible. Too bad that no one wanted to buy them when they were new and now Crosley is history.

2005 Chrysler Crossfire It’s another wolf in sheep’s clothing. (Mercedes sports car in Chrysler dress) The Crossfire stems from the previous-generation Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster. Team Viper got folded into Chrysler’s Performance Vehicle Operations group. PVO has since been renamed SRT (Street Racing and Technology) A new version of the Crossfire called the SRT-6 employs the supercharged V-6 out of the Mercedes SLK. The combination of style and performance moves the Crossfire near the top of the list of "Future collectible" cars.

2005 Chrysler 300 It’s Back to the Future for the Chrysler 300. With a 5.7-liter hemi V-8 engine, rear wheel drive, and a big bold grille that is reminiscent of the 1955 Chrysler 300, it is an incredible value for the money. Why oh why did your grandparents buy that wimpy Plymouth in 1955 when they could have bought a Chrysler 300? Will your grandchildren say something similar about you?

2005 Dodge Viper With a 500-horsepower V-10 engine, six-speed transmission and extreme handling and braking capability this modern sports car is an excellent value. It will cost you more than a Corvette but you will have a killer collectible car. It will depreciate for a few years and then zoom up in value. Why do those little old ladies that own low-miles like-new cars always buy plain-Jane two door sedans?

2005 Jaguar XKR XKR models feature a supercharged engine producing 390 horsepower and 399 lb.-ft. of torque, coupled to a six-speed automatic transmission. A Handling Package is exclusive to the XKR. The result is nearly a 100 horsepower increase over the XK8 and a stiffer suspension. Add this to the stunning good looks of the Jaguar and you have an outstanding future collectible. It’s a little spendy at $87K, but what the hey, you can afford it.

2005 Mazda RX8 The high performance rotary engine will generate 247 horsepower at 8,500 rpm with a redline of 9,000. This 1.3 litre, twin bank, rotary engine is fantastic. Combine this with the sleek styling of a sports car and the four door hauling capacity of a sedan and you have a winner. Do not fail to check out this marvel as you search for your future collectible car.

Future collectible cars – 2005 Auto Show – Part 3 of 3

2005 Lexus SC 430 The SC 430 is Lexus’ retractable hardtop premium luxury convertible. It is a combination of European and Japan design. The retractable top is nice. Time will tell if this mechanical challenge is reliable. The Lexus lacks that sleek sports car look. Perhaps it is due to the tall and stubby design necessary to make room for the retractable top.

2005 Honda S2000 The Honda two-seat roadster has the size of the small Mazda Miata and the speed of the Porsche Boxster. It’s hard to beat a Honda for reliability and value. Combine that with the sleek good looks of this little convertible and you have a winner. In the same price range as the Mustang, it is worthy of your careful consideration.

2005 Chevrolet Corvette For over fifty years Chevrolet has been the standard in American designed and built sports cars. The all new 2005 C-6 is no exception. The new Vette excels in just about every category. The design looks retro to the C-3 (68 to 82 body style). That’s good! Have you ever seen an ugly Corvette? I have not. I am a little bothered by the looks of the headlights. They give the face of the car a slightly "beady-eyed" if not "cross-eyed" look.

Hey, if you like collectible cars you can’t go wrong by buying a new Corvette. If you are concerned about prices, check out: US Auto Sales

Corvette has 400 horses and 400 foot pounds of torque and an improved six-speed manual transmission. The new 6.0 litre V8 has a cylinder head design derived from the high performance Z06. Larger tires and wheels (18 inch front/19 inch rear vs 17 front/18 rear) are standard for 2005.

America’s Car Museum – The LeMay Collection – Part 1 of 2

You may not be aware that the Guinness Book of World Records lists the LeMay collection as "The largest privately owned automobile collection in the world." His vast collection of several thousand collector cars was assembled over a lifetime of passion for the automobile. Harold LeMay died in 2000 but his legacy of this mind-boggling array of collectible automobiles will soon be displayed for public viewing in Tacoma, Washington at the Harold E. LeMay Museum.

At present the collection is housed in multiple buildings on an acreage near the family home. A few miles away from the home is the former Marymount Military Academy.

This property was acquired by LeMay and now houses hundreds of the cars in the collection.

The Harold E. LeMay Museum is dedicated to preserving and interpreting the LeMay Collection of automobiles and memorabilia, along with vehicles and artifacts it may acquire. The focus is on exploration, education and entertainment related to broad themes of American mobility and lifestyle and the automotive industry.

Harold’s wife Nancy has agreed to donate several million dollars and a huge number of the most impressive collector cars to the new LeMay museum soon to be built near the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington.

If you have a passion for automobiles the LeMay collection is a "must see." The collection is open to the public for viewing in late August of each year. I had the opportunity to view the collection last Sunday, February 13th with a group of car club members. Museum volunteers were on hand to provide information about the collection
and to assist with security. The following photos are just a small sample of the cars on exhibit.

A tour of the present museum collection begins at the office and souvenir shop near the parking area of the Marymont property. A number of the buildings are connected. The first is the LeMay Hall with a stunning array of classic cars, and very unusual automobiles. The dilemma that the visitor faces is that if you spend one minute examining each car… you are going to be there all day. Even the most passionate collector car buff is at risk of input overload.

A hallway leads you from this room and on to the Buick Room. Whatever year or model that you would like to see is lurking somewhere in this massive collection. Due to limited space and the huge size of the collection the cars are tightly packed together which is something of a problem if you would like to get up close and view the whole car. When the new museum is built this problem will be solved.

Here is a sample of cars in the Chevrolet section. Chevys from the twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, sixties… they’re all there. Numerous cars are displayed up on racks, so that there can be two layers of cars on display. In this area cars are displayed up where the bleachers used to be in the gym.

Here is a recent acquisition by the museum. It is one of the very few Tucker automobiles in existence. As I was taking this photo I had another visitor to the museum ask me, "What’s a Tucker?" This museum is just the place to assist in educating the public about such historic automobiles as the Tucker.

America’s Car Museum – The LeMay Collection – Part 2 of 2

In another building that houses 175 cars, to my amazement I found a 1954 Mercury Sun Valley that we used to own. This car was sold at a Silver Collector Car Auction back in the middle eighties. The car has approximately 34,000 original miles on the odometer. We purchased it from the estate of an elderly gentleman in New Jersey. My brother saw the car in an ad in Hemmings Motor News. He flew back to New Jersey and drove the car out to Spokane.

If you favor MoPar cars you will find them all here. Chryslers 300s, etc. will leave your head spinning trying to take it all in.

It’s the same story here with Pontiacs. How many are enough? Well, Harold LeMay wanted to save them all, and from the looks of this collection, I think that he did.

Here is a beautiful Chrysler Town and Country convertible. Unfortunately due to limited space the cars are packed so closely together that you can’t get a good view from all sides. Hopefully the magnificent new museum that is planned with solve that problem.

Here is a car that is so ugly it’s cute. I think that it is about a 1939 Graham Paige. The aero nose and headlights were a bit much. But it was oh so futuristic in its day.

If you walk the grounds you will find all sorts of vehicles lurking out behind the buildings. This hulk of a Mercury convertible would make a fine landscaping object if it were to be sunk into the ground, filled with dirt and then planted with petunias. It makes as much sense as an old rowboat filled with flowers.

Thunderbirds. They’re all there. These cars are on the second floor of a building at the LeMay home site. They must have used a huge fork-lift to get them up there.

Early Ford V-8 Club members, here are your favorite cars. The problem was that if I were to take photos of all of the great cars this article would become encyclopedic.

Another room has brass cars from the turn of the century. And, I didn’t even get in to the Packard room. Other rooms hold, Corvettes, sports cars, fire trucks, custom cars, old farm tractors. It goes on and on. Harold LeMay did not limit his interests to any one era or make of automobile.

Here is an unusual car. It’s a 1939 Chrysler Phaeton designed for the English royalty. Bet you’ve never seen one of these before!

A rare find… it is a fiberglass mock-up for something that the American Motors Company was working on. This appears to be a non-functional styling exercise.

Here is an architect’s rendering of how the new museum will appear. The building will have a spiral of several stories inside on which the cars will be displayed. If you are a serious car collector of if you just love fine automobiles, go to the LeMay Museum web site for more information. http://www.lemaymuseum.org Go see the collection. Donate your time or money to this national treasure. WDM

Collector Car Auction, Puyallup, WA – Part 1 of 3

Mid-February weather west of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State is usually damp and mild. This year was no exception. A light drizzle rain and overcast sky did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the collector car buffs attending the Silver Auctions winter event in conjunction with the Corvette Swap Meet at the fairgrounds in Puyallup, Washington.

Mitch Silver started the Auction Company back in 1979 when he put together his personal interest in car collecting and his profession as a college speech instructor. Over the years I have watched his operation grow from a small beginning to become a major player in the old car hobby. They now produce thirty auctions a year in ten western states and Canada. The auctions vary in size from small to huge. Their annual Hot August Nights extravaganza in Reno, Nevada is widely recognized as the nation’s premier collector car event.

During the past twenty-five years I have purchased and also have sold numerous cars through the Silver Auctions. My experience with them has been very good. I know them to be a firm with integrity. What they say you can take to the bank. I can think of more than one situation, in which a person not knowledgeable about old cars could easily have been taken advantage of, but the Silver Auctions people played it “straight arrow” and everyone was treated fairly.

Following are some highlights of the February 12 -13th Silver Auction in Puyallup, Washington. The smaller regional auctions such as this usually bring out some rare rolling stock and result in some incredible buys for the buyers and some surprising sales for the sellers. This auction was no exception. 41% of the cars offered were hammered down as sold. 124 cars crossed the auction block. Let’s take a look at some of the results.

It is not unusual to see some of the best buys of the auction take place very early before the crowd has gotten into the swing of things, or very late, when the buyers have thinned out. Car number one at this auction was a black 1983 Jaguar SJ6 4-door. Condition 2.0, it sold at $4,000. Not a bad buy when you consider that the Old Cars Price Guide lists the same car in condition 2.0 at $15,400. Even I would have been interested in bidding on this car if I had any idea that it was going to sell at such a low price.

Usually at the very start of the auction most qualified buyers are still wandering around looking at the array of possibilities, or hanging on to their money with some specific car in mind. This car had a reserve of $5,000, which the seller dropped to make the sale. Keep in mind that at an auction the seller is psychologically seeing the car as sold and gone. So, it is not uncommon for them to accept a bid that is much lower than what they might have hoped for.

Here is a little red coupe that most any car collector would love to own. It is a 1963 Mercury Meteor S-33. The seller brought it to the auction with a $5,000 reserve, but turned it loose to sell when the bidding stalled. It sold at $4,400. With a condition rating of 1.7 it was a beauty. The Old Cars Price Guide rates this car in condition # 2.0 at $8,400. What a buy! In the old car hobby you cannot plan on these lucky opportunities. You must buy when the opportunity arises. You need the patience of Job to wait for the right car to show up, but then you must pounce like a hungry leopard or you will see opportunity pass you by.

Next, here are a couple of baby-bird Thunderbirds that were brought to the auction by a well know restorer. This yellow 1955 T-bird came with both tops. Rated at 1.9 condition, it would have taken very little to put this car into top show condition. I observed some chips in the paint on the steering wheel. Other than that, I think that I would have rated it higher. The bidding stalled at $31,000 and it was a no-sale with a reserve price more like $39,000. Understandable when you consider that the Old Cars Price Guide rates a # 2.0 condition with both tops at $46,300.

The rose colored 57 Thunderbird was even more impressive. With a 1.5 condition rating it was bid up to $34,000. That was about 5,000 short of its reserve price of $40,000 and a no-sale. It is understandable that the owner chose not to part with it when you consider that the Old Cars Price Guide rates a condition 2.0 57 T-bird with both tops at $46,600.

Here is a Shay Replica of a 1929 Ford. It is the ideal car if you should want Model A “Wind-in-your-hair” nostalgia combined with modern mechanical running gear. Buyers bid this one up to $10,000 but the owner had a $15,500 reserve. I see similar low miles 1929 Shay Replicas at www.cars-on-line.com being sold in the $12,000 to $13,000 range. Perhaps the seller here had unreasonable expectations as to the worth of his car.

WDM

Collector Car Auction, Puyallup, WA – Part 2 of 3

I am a member of the Pacific Northwest Region of the Lincoln and Continental Owners Club, so I was particularly interested in the light blue 1975 Lincoln Mark IV. It was owned by one family since new and looked pretty good except for the over-spray from the recent repaint. The owner brought the car to auction with a reserve price of $3,750, but sold it for the high bid of $2,150. It looked to me like a very solid and collectible car for such a small price.

Moving on to some General Motors cars, This 1964 Chevrolet Impala with a $13,000 reserve price sold for $12,600. Rated at condition 2.0, I think that this was a fair price for both the buyer and the seller. The Old Cars Price Guide rates this car at condition 2.0 at $18,900. It was the right color and a beautiful specimen both inside and out. It seems odd to me that a Chevrolet Impala will always outsell a similar condition Pontiac, Oldsmobile or Buick. But there are many more Chevy owners from the past that would like to relive their memories.

Now here is a car that was detailed and prepared for the auction in a manner that would impress anyone. This black 1978 Pontiac Trans Am looked like perfection to me. Rated by Silvers at 1.6 condition, I would have rated it much higher. The owner had a whole collection of trophies he had won at various car shows. It is interesting that the Old Cars Price Guide rates a number 1.0 condition similar car a $14,400 with the options. The car was bid to $14,000 but it was a no sale with the owner holding out for a $15,000 reserve. If I were a big Pontiac buff, I would have gladly paid $15,000 for this beauty.

Next we have a red 1970 Pontiac GTO. Condition rating was 1.7. The bidding stalled at $15,600 but the owner took it back home with his reserve price of $18,500. I think that I would agree with the owner. The Old Cars Price Guide rates a similar condition 2.0 car at $21,700. For these higher dollar cars such as the GTO you really need the right buyer(s) in the room that are looking to buy a car such as this. Apparently, they just were not there that day.

Wow! Here was a beautiful white 1960 Chevrolet Impala two door hard-top. With a condition rating of 1.5 there was not much more that you could ask for here. The bidding stopped at $21,000. The owner had a reserve price of $25,500 that he was looking for. Note that the Old Cars Price Guide rates this car at $22,100 if you split the difference between a condition 1.0 and 2.0. I think that the owner either had unrealistic expectations or that he really didn’t want to sell. Otherwise this little Chevy would have found a new home.

Want a little red Truck? You can’t get sportier that this little red 1972 El Camino Chevrolet. $9,000 bid didn’t meet with the owner’s approval. He was holding out for a little more than that. I know, I know, it’s all opinion, but I would have taken the 9K and felt good about it. But, the whole purpose of the auction is to get buyers and sellers together. Guess it just didn’t work in this case.

WDM