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Jan 23, 2008 - It's a fixer-upper

There were two auctions this weekend that showed the two extremes of the car hobby.

First was the Barrett-Jackson auction from Scottsdale, Arizona. The cars coming across the block there were amazing in their quality and, for some, their price. When a Plymouth, a basic brand, brings six- and seven-figure prices at an auction, you understand that there's been a shift in the hobby. It wasn't too long ago that only the rarest of the pre-war classics and the most exotic post-war sports cars sold in their prices. Brands like Ferrari, Bugatti, Duesenberg, Mercedes-Benz, and Cadillac were the top of the automotive food chain. Today, the cars bringing the highest prices have much more common brand names like Chevrolet, Ford, and Dodge.

This evolution shows that people in the old car hobby are quite dynamic. But they all require the skills and the tools (or the money to pay people with those two things) to bring "regular cars" to show quality levels. Even if you're just aiming to make a great car for yourself (as opposed to a million-dollar prime-time showcase at Barrett-Jackson), you need the right tools. And the right car.

Which brings me to the second auction.

Saturday morning, a small local car museum sold their collection. Parts by the thousands and cars by the dozens were on display for the buying public to appraise.

The musuem's curator must have had an affinity for small cars because many of these vehicles were among the smallest of the small. A few pre-war Fords, including two woody wagons, balanced out the tiny post-war European cars from Italy and Germany. Even the Austin-Healey Sprites (seven of them) look large next to the Honda 600 Coupe or Isetta 360.

Many of the vehicles were "restorable" but all of them would have taken quite a bit of work to get them just drivable. Had you attended, you could have had two 1967 Minis for less than $1,000, combined. How about Austin-Healey "bugeye" Sprites ranging from $715 to $2,400? And a handful of Volkswagens (Bugs and Buses) ranging from $110 to $770.

Those vehicles may have looked like bargains from the prices, but condition actually tells the story better...and they were rough.

On the other hand, the least expensive Isetta sold for just over $3,000 and the most expensive more than doubled that price. A medium "hit-and-miss" motor sold for $7,700. And the pre-war Fords brought the big bucks with a '29 Model A woody wagon bringing a modest $6,050, a '22 Model T woody wagon fetching $9,900, a '38 convertible commanding $14,300, and the '39 woody wagon topping the auction with a price of $47,300.

These aren't the prices found in Scottsdale, but these aren't the vehicles or the conditions found in Scottsdale either. Perhaps when the new owners of these vehicles get them restored, they'll send us some pictures so that we can share them with you.

8:08 am | Categories: restoration, repair, antiques, classic cars, scottsdale, ford, chevrolet, honda, model a, model t, woody, isetta, eastwood, plymouth, mercedes-benz, duesenberg, bugatti, dodge, cadillac, auction Permalink | Alert Administrator

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