They’re Driven by a Classic Case of Car Mania : Auction: Event features drop-dead-red convertibles, swank Bentleys and other four-wheel wonders.
Whether they came to drop big bucks on a black 1939 Bentley or were content merely to gaze at a red-hot 1966 Ford Thunderbird convertible, the thousands who attended Saturday’s Collector Car Auction had one thing in common: They were fanatical about cars.
“Most people have pictures of their wives, kids and dogs,” said Tony Guenther, 47, of Newport Beach as he pulled out his wallet. “I have my car. It’s a 1940 Lincoln Zephyr convertible and it’s really swanky.”
Like a shopper in a grocery store, Guenther slowly trolled the aisles of classic cars at the Hyatt Newporter, inspecting the merchandise and searching for good deals. But in the end, his money remained next to the picture in his wallet.
“Nothing today,” Guenther said. “But it’s fun to look.”
Brett Lindsey, however, didn’t travel all the way from Salt Lake City just to window-shop.
“I had some money to spend and spent it,” Lindsey said after he bought a 1988 Shelby CSX Dodge Shadow for $1,500. “I’m thrilled beyond excitement.”
Lindsey, like many of the more than 5,000 people who came to the auction, was drawn to the event because it featured cars and memorabilia from the personal collection of auto designer Carroll Shelby.
Lindsey, 31, said he knew he “had a great deal” after the auction when Shelby offered to buy the engine back for $1,500 and allow Lindsey to keep the rest of the car.
“I wish I had a video of that,” he said. “I called my wife and she was really excited too and that’s a relief.”
The auction, organized by the World Classic Auction & Exposition Co., began Friday and concludes today. The auctioning of some 300 cars will generate more than $5 million in transactions between buyers and sellers before the event is over, organizers said.
“This is the premiere event in Southern California,” said Rick Cole, who inaugurated the annual auction in 1980.
That was good news to Chuck Smith of Yorba Linda, who was preparing to auction his 1966 Thunderbird convertible.
“This is the best one in the world,” he boasted, having put 3 1/2 years into restoring the fire-engine red classic. “You feel a little sad after you sell it, but you get over it.”
Especially when you’re looking to get at least $55,000 for it.
Many investors said the classic-car market was hit hard by the nation’s recession and only now is it slowly recovering. “It’s still a fairly soft market,” said Don Auerbach, a dealer from Dallas, who stood outside the large auction tent, taking a break from the action.
“It’s a good time to buy. I think the hobby is getting back to the people with a sincere interest in cars,” he said. “In fact, I’d better get back in there.”
