Any interest or updated info on the Tupelo, Ms. Auction?

[West Peterson]

38 minutes ago, TNGizmo said:

Seems like enthusiasm is waning.  58 Packard sold at $10k with a low estimate at $30K

 

No. I disagree. Just shifting from one segment to another. It found a buyer at a price he was willing to pay.

The price of a collector car does NOT dictate the amount of enthusiasm there is for that car. Just because I didn't buy any of the Tupelo cars doesn't mean I don't have enthusiasm for them.

[John_Mereness]

25 minutes ago, j3studio said:

 

I phrased that incorrectly—I didn't think the color was wrong, just not what buyers might prefer.

People should be buying Cord L-29's via quality of the underlying product prior to restoration (was it a decent car pre-restoration) more so than being concerned with color.  I am still leaning toward the black unrestored car being something people could figure out it was always a pretty decent car (ie they bought a decent base product to work with).  

Edited April 27, 2019 by John_Mereness (see edit history)

[JV Puleo]

33 minutes ago, jeff_a said:

The online description says it was a period motor swap and that the Peerless may have been owned by the fire truck company.

 

 

I think that is a real stretch. The engine swap would have had to be done when the Peerless was still a relatively new car to make any sense at all but I can testify to the fact that it appeared to be a very neat job. In fact, at first, I didn't even notice it not having ever seen a 6-cylinder Peerless engine. But it seems far more likely it was done in the 50s or thereabout.

 

I thought the price (whether it sold or not) was pretty generous considering the difficulty of finding an engine if there even is such a thing out there to be bought. There's no question it was an extremely impressive car - the equal of any brass car in existence but a serious expense to restore or even get in runable condition. I don't remember what the rear interior was like but I think it was completely intact but very dirty.

[J3Studio]

Lots of parts cars at this point …

[J3Studio]

… that was a really hopeful price range for a chrome bumper shark Corvette with no provenance or special equipment.

Edited April 27, 2019 by j3studio (see edit history)

[trimacar]

Avanti at 21K shows some respect.  Cord at 67K makes me sure that the recent offer on my unrestored, but running and driving, Cord phaeton, was slightly low, as it was right there...

 

Tuckers, I just don't understand.  Yes, they are "rare", but really not a desirable car overall, except for bragging rights.

 

West is correct, to judge the current market by one isolated auction is just bad information in and bad information out.  This auction did not have the correct people looking at a lot of the cars, not that there's anything wrong with that.

 

My eldest sister used to run a small antique shop.  I was with her numerous times at estate sales or auctions or flea markets, and an obvious good deal would appear.  Every now and then, she'd pass, and just say "let someone else find this treasure...."

 

Same applies to cars, at times a buyer or bidder just thinks hey, let someone else enjoy it or experience the pleasure of bringing a museum car back to life...…..

[TNGizmo]

Bonham was way off on their estimate on the sp2...

[J3Studio]

Just now, TNGizmo said:

Bonham was way off on their estimate on the sp2...

 

You aren't kidding! I had never heard of them until today. Pretty car.

[TNGizmo]

I knew they were gaining popularity but I didn't think it would go that high.

[TNGizmo]

The super beetle beat out the 914?!

[John_Mereness]

Amelia Island Concours had a coachbuilt Volkswagon class - it helps that these cars are getting some notoriety in addition to a fair number of VW people looking for things that are unusual/different. 

[jeff_a]

Well, the 1930 Auburn went for $19,000. So it did outsell the '58 Metro @ two grand.

[John_Mereness]

2 minutes ago, TNGizmo said:

The super beetle beat out the 914?!

I get the impression it is a pretty nice example of a Super Beetle Coupe (as well as a super nice example of a Beetle Convertible). 

Edited April 27, 2019 by John_Mereness (see edit history)

[trimacar]

2 hours ago, John_Mereness said:

65-110K as the estimate on the 1938 Cadillac V-16 (with sale price of 65K) - by the way, a cloth interior is still pretty expensive to do (only difference I see is cost of leather to cloth and perhaps 5%).

Correct, labor is the big thing.  A closed car upholstery job is easily 15K, and if you have to rework chrome, woodgrain, real wood accents, and so forth, 25K or more is easy to reach.  This is not "Pebble Beach" work, those costs have gone beyond the normal realm of restoration costs....

[John_Mereness]

The Opel GT was probably a steal at 2K - my Aunt drove one new and it rusted up to the door handles and then a little further (ie one with no rust to limited rust if such was the case is pretty rare). 

[John_Mereness]

That was fun, I usually do not sit through an entire auction. 

[John_Mereness]

2 minutes ago, Dave Fields said:

We bought a couple cars. I might be able to comment better when they come in. The price means nothing. Condition is everything, and I don't mean paint and body. We have been cleaning gastanks and carburetors and fuel lines all week. I stink of rotten gas... Ah but when they start! I drove a 1927 Chevrolet today. Last time I rode in one I was 8. Also drove a 1950 ford woody that needs more gas tank and fuel cleaning. Didn't know early 30s Packards take 12 quarts of oil. I do now. Picture is the crew working on the 1912 Breeze.

 

Congratulations !  And please do share.  Also, I like your good old fashioned metal gasoline cans !  

 

[J3Studio]

12 minutes ago, John_Mereness said:

That was fun, I usually do not sit through an entire auction. 

 

Agreed. Thanks to all who contributed to this thread (and others) with their knowledge.

 

This auction may have been easier to watch because we knew all the cars were going to sell.

[1912Staver]

That Alvis Speed 20 DHC looks like a very reasonable price at $42.000.00.  More than I can afford but what a car.

 

 

Greg in Canada

[1937hd45]

4 hours ago, TNGizmo said:

Bonham was way off on their estimate on the sp2...

What is an sp2?

Bob

[1937hd45]

3 hours ago, Dave Fields said:

We bought a couple cars. I might be able to comment better when they come in. The price means nothing. Condition is everything, and I don't mean paint and body. We have been cleaning gastanks and carburetors and fuel lines all week. I stink of rotten gas... Ah but when they start! I drove a 1927 Chevrolet today. Last time I rode in one I was 8. Also drove a 1950 ford woody that needs more gas tank and fuel cleaning. Didn't know early 30s Packards take 12 quarts of oil. I do now. Picture is the crew working on the 1912 Breeze.

 

Is this the same Breese that was in the early 1940's VMCCA events? There is a film of one driving around a race track in Massettuchetts on this Forum some were. Congratulations on your win. Bob

[1912Staver]

38 minutes ago, 1937hd45 said:

What is an sp2?

Bob

A South American sports VW variant that is rarely seen in North America.  Quite nice at that.

 

Greg

[nick8086]

Any one  here buy this...

Edited April 28, 2019 by nick8086 (see edit history)

[mercer09]

The model R brought good money.

 

can anyone comment on why the early Pierce went so low? was it in tough shape?

[edinmass]

6 minutes ago, mercer09 said:

The model R brought good money.

 

can anyone comment on why the early Pierce went so low? was it in tough shape?

 

 

In  the listing it was listed as a new body. Also, anything post 1915 will be less than half of the price of a HCCA car.

Edited April 28, 2019 by edinmass (see edit history)

[mercer09]

thanks Ed. Well I see 2 diff prices on the model R, so I guess the 67k I first read was wrong. Looks like 31k.......

[jerry k]

The 1923 Marmon Speedster brought $89,600 NOT $8,960  You about gave me a heart attack !!  

[mike6024]

On 4/27/2019 at 11:24 AM, John_Mereness said:

I thought the 1927 Stutz Boattail a near steal at 52K against a 80-120K estimate.

Yes

[edinmass]

 The Stutz was a rebody. 75k for a real car was 1990 money. 

[mercer09]

looks like 90k is the golden number at the moment on the speedsters. That was the asking price of the one that sold on here a few months back.

[Walt G]

I don't know how many Breeze cars are around but the one in the photos posted looks like it may be the one that was here on long island back about 40 years or more ago and owned by a fellow in Queens County (  eastern most  borough of New York City ) named Mel Sperazza. ( I think that is the way he spelled his name) . I though that he had the only one that existed at the time. His was painted tan as well.

[alsancle]

I think the Nash at 80k was good money considering they painted it a shade of "horrible".   Duesenberg feels like a deal for a one off attractive body.   I guess the age of the restoration is really done.

[1937hd45]

2 minutes ago, alsancle said:

I think the Nash at 80k was good money considering they painted it a shade of "horrible".   Duesenberg feels like a deal for a one off attractive body.   I guess the age of the restoration is really done.

So there were two color blind bidders in the room, interesting. 

 

 

Bob 

[mike6024]

[J3Studio]

17 minutes ago, 1937hd45 said:

So there were two color blind bidders in the room, interesting.

 

Ouch!

[Gunsmoke]

I found the entire auction very interesting, the beauty of no-reserve and the fact the museum is not a BJ  type company trying to wring every last buck out of the event, made for some good buys. The scarcity and story behind the Tucker obviously drives it's price ($1.8M) for what I have always seen as an otherwise ugly and ill-conceived project. While I have always admired Tucker's drive and intentions, the product was never going to succeed, too many untested mechanicals and a lumpy body (JMHO). The yellow '31 Cord convertible coupe at $110,000 seemed low to me, I did not watch that particular sale, was there something unusually negative about that car? Finally the Owen Magnetic rusty chassis went for big money. Whats the value there? 

[trimacar]

My opinion is that Tuckers were interesting cars, and had virtually no following until the movie was made.  Yes, it's an interesting story, but seven figures interesting?  I think not, but there apparently are deep pockets who think so,

 

Don't get me wrong, fascinating car, but think of all the incredible cars one could buy for 1.8 million......and seriously, this car would not be in the mix.

 

The Nash is a great car, colors atrocious to me, but then again a repaint might add 50K to value.  

[alsancle]

Someone needs to make a movie about something I own.   I don’t get the tucker thing at all.  But you see a 50/50 split. Half the guys love them and half the guys hate them.

[1935Packard]

3 hours ago, trimacar said:

My opinion is that Tuckers were interesting cars, and had virtually no following until the movie was made.  Yes, it's an interesting story, but seven figures interesting?  I think not, but there apparently are deep pockets who think so,

 

Don't get me wrong, fascinating car, but think of all the incredible cars one could buy for 1.8 million......and seriously, this car would not be in the mix.

 

I agree that seven figures interesting is odd for a Tucker. At the same time, it's hard to find an American car that is (a) truly distinctive both mechanically and cosmetically, (b) well known to most people in the hobby, and (c) made in such low numbers that most people never see one.

[1937hd45]

Just now, 1935Packard said:

 

I agree that seven figures interesting is odd for a Tucker. At the same time, it's hard to find an American car that is (a) truly distinctive both mechanically and cosmetically, (b) well known to most people in the hobby, and (c) made in such low numbers that most people never see one.

That would be any race car Harry Miller built. Bob