Is the JFK ambulance up for auction at Barrett-Jackson a fake?

Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Pontiac, Celebrities

John F. Kennedy Pontiac Bonneville Ambulance

John F. Kennedy Pontiac Bonneville Ambulance – Click above for high-res image gallery

The plot seems to be thickening around the auction of a 1963 Pontiac Bonneville ambulance that supposedly transported the body of President John F. Kennedy’s body after his assassination. Unfortunately, a kink has arisen in the tale of how this vehicle went from a piece of national history to the auction block. Originally the seller claimed that the vehicle was sold as surplus before receiving a full restoration. The only problem with that tale is that the real vehicle was never sold at a Naval auction. Instead, the ambulance that ferried the late commander-in-chief was donated to John F. Kennedy library.

From there, the Kennedy family apparently asked that the vehicle be destroyed – a request that the library promptly obliged. On June 26, 1986, the Pontiac ambulance was loaded into the jaws of a crusher and turned into scrap. For any fan of rare or vintage vehicles, the photos of the vehicle with its doors caved in courtesy of a fork lift aren’t easy to look at. The stout of heart will have to head over to Jalopnik to get a closer look.

Barrett-Jackson has decided that while the car may not (read: probably isn’t) the one that carried President Kennedy’s body, it will still be sold at auction. While the fact that the vehicle up for auction in Arizona may not be the real deal is likely to decrease its value considerably, we still think the car is cool as hell. What better way to get the family around town than in a Navy grey ’63 Pontiac ambulance?

How about the hearse that carried JFK’s casket? The ’64 Cadillac is also up for bid on eBay motors with a buy it now price of just $1.5 million. You can check it out here.

Gallery: 1963 Pontiac Bonneville JFK ambulance

[Sources: Jalopnik, eBay Motors]

Is the JFK ambulance up for auction at Barrett-Jackson a fake? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shelby Cobra barn find up for auction in Fort Lauderdale

1963 Shelby Cobra CSX 2080 barn-find

1963 Shelby Cobra CSX 2080 barn-find – Click above for image gallery

Some collectors wait years for something like this to turn up: a pristine, original 1963 Shelby Cobra. Chassis number CSX 2080 has been sitting untouched since 1981, and has had only two owners in its history. And now it’s going up for auction.

The headline consignment for the Collector Cars of Fort Lauderdale event held by the newly rechristened Auctions America by RM, this Cobra could very well be the find of the new year. Its body and interior are in remarkable condition for a car this age, and the original factory powertrain recently underwent a complete overhaul – kind of a necessity for a car that’s been sitting still for nearly thirty years.

Pre-sale estimates place it around $425,000 (give or take a quarter-k), joined by such early consignments as a ’32 Duesenberg, a 1969 Shelby GT500 Fastback and a 2005 Ford GT. The event takes place at the Broward County Convention Center on March 3-5, but you can scope out the details in the press release after the jump, along with the photos in the gallery below, right now.

Gallery: 1963 Shelby Cobra CSX 2080 barn-find

[Source: Auctions America by RM]

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Shelby Cobra barn find up for auction in Fort Lauderdale originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Knight of the Auction: Screen-used hero car K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider up for bid

Filed under: Coupe, Auctions, Ford, Celebrities

Hero car - K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider

Hero car K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider is for sale – Click above for high-res image gallery

For sale – Celebrity car. One lightly used crime-stopper of a coupe, has go-fast looks with a fuel-efficient powertrain. If you want attention, this is the car for you. Valued between $25,000 and $35,000.

Looking to add some celebrity “muscle” to your garage? Profiles In History is hosting a Hollywood memorabilia auction and lot #122 is one of two hero cars from the modern version of Knight Rider. Surely you recall the series… our very own Alex Nunez sat through every single episode to provide you with details of what was going on.

In the updated show, which first aired in 2008, K.I.T.T. is a Ford Mustang that wears Shelby GT500KR parts. The car in this auction has all those parts, inside and out, except it falls short one kind of important aspect: there’s no supercharged V8 underhood… or any V8 at all for that matter. And it’s not even the good V6 Mustang. Inside the engine bay sits the old 4.0-liter unit and it’s paired with a five-speed automatic transmission. That’s right… this K.I.T.T. is all show and no go.

Sadly, the most interesting thing about this car is that it also includes the wooosh-wooosh signature Knight Rider sweeping red light up front. Even that would get old quickly. Buying this car does have its benefits though, as the auction proceeds are being put towards a children’s charity. The auction is a one-day affair scheduled for November 6th, 2010 at The Globe Theater in Universal Studios. David Hasselhoff sold separately.

Gallery: Hero Car K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider

Hero Car K.I.T.T. from Knight RiderHero Car K.I.T.T. from Knight RiderHero Car K.I.T.T. from Knight RiderHero Car K.I.T.T. from Knight RiderHero Car K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider

[Source: Profiles In History via Inside Line]

Knight of the Auction: Screen-used hero car K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider up for bid originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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David Brown’s rusty old Aston sells for £200k at auction

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Auctions, Aston Martin, UK

1958 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkIII Drophead

David Brown’s 1958 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkIII Drophead – Click above for high-res images

How much would you pay for a rusty old car? A couple grand, if it had real potential? More? How about $319,000? That’s how much one rusty old Aston Martin recently sold for at auction, and needless to say, it far exceeded pre-auction estimates.

Of course, this 1958 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkIII drophead is no ordinary old car. It belonged to the legendary David Brown himself, the former Aston boss whose initials still grace the company’s GTs to this day. The car’s been sitting under a tarp, hidden from the world for 30 years. Naturally it’s not exactly in tip-top condition at this point, and it’ll require a significant amount of work to be brought up to spec.

“A rolling restoration project” is how auctioneers Barons British Heritage called it. We’ll call it a labor of love, and a mighty expensive one at that. Details in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: 1958 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkIII drophead, ex-David Brown

[Source: Barons]

Continue reading David Brown’s rusty old Aston sells for £200k at auction

David Brown’s rusty old Aston sells for £200k at auction originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 18 Sep 2010 12:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Update: King reportedly pulls famed UAW Black Lake resort off the auction block

Filed under: Etc., Earnings/Financials, UAW/Unions

UAW black lake resort banner image

Are you looking for 1,000 heavily forested acres in the heart of Northern Michigan? Something in the $33 million range with a world class golf course and sleeping quarters for a couple thousand? If you are, it appears that the United Auto Workers’ Black Lake resort is going to have to come off that (very) short list, because the Rank and File isn’t selling. The Detroit News reports that UAW chief Bob King and the new union board has taken the resort off the market. CB Richard Ellis Senior Real Estate VP John Carver called the decision “a matter of the new board reviewing previous policy decisions.”

That previous board said in January that the recession was a big reason that the facility needed to close. The fact that the resort has lost a reported $23 million since 2005 didn’t help much either, and declining union membership appeared to be the nail in the coffin. Guess not. UAW leadership apparently isn’t talking about Black Lake and why they took it off the market, but DetNews quotes UAW local leaders who say that events are still being scheduled there.

We’re sure there will be plenty of people out there who won’t like the decision to retain such an extravagant resort considering the fact that thousands of UAW members have lost their jobs in the past couple of years. But then again, with Bob King and his blue-collared brothers and sisters looking to make a comeback, selling off the UAW’s crown jewels probably wouldn’t serve to bring up morale.

[Source: Detroit News]

Update: King reportedly pulls famed UAW Black Lake resort off the auction block originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monterey 2010: Gooding smashes records at Pebble Beach auction

Filed under: Classics, Auctions

2010 Gooding Pebble Beach Auction – Click above for high-res image gallery

We witnessed several million-dollar cars go up for sale at RM’s auction on Saturday night, but across town, the Gooding & Company auction had even more impressive metal crossing the block. Gooding’s two night auction resulted in more than $64 million in sales, including six world records. “We went into this year’s Pebble Beach Auctions with high expectations because of the sheer number of extraordinary cars we had consigned,” said David Gooding, President and founder of Gooding & Company. “Our highest-ever Pebble Beach weekend results at $64.59 Million speak for themselves and I couldn’t be happier.”

The record-setting cars auctioned off by Gooding:

  • 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione at $7,260,000
  • 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza at $6,710,000
  • 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta SEFAC Hot Rod at $6,105,000
  • 1956 Maserati 200SI at $2,640,000
  • 1951 Ferrari 340 America Spider at $2,530,000
  • 1937 Jaguar SS100 at $1,045,000

In addition, several other cars topped the million dollar mark including a 1995 McLaren F1 at $3,575,000, a 1928 Mercedes-Benz S 26/180 Boattail Speedster at $3,740,000 and a 1966 Ford GT40 Mk I at $1,650,000.

Gallery: 2010 Gooding Pebble Beach Auction

[Source: Gooding & Company]

Monterey 2010: Gooding smashes records at Pebble Beach auction originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monterey 2010: RM auction stacked with million dollar cars

Filed under: Classics, Auctions

RM Auction during Monterey car week

2010 RM Monterey Auction – Click above for high-res image gallery

RM Auctions always reserves its most prestigious cars for Saturday night during the Monterey car week, and this year’s lineup of vehicles was one of the most impressive in recent history. No less than 14 cars broke the million dollar mark, although the highlight of the auction, a 1958 Ferrari 250 TR, failed to meet its reserve price despite a $10.7 million offer on the table. Here’s a rundown of the million dollar cars at the auction:

Lot 359: 1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C Lago Speciale Teardrop Coupe – $4,620,000
Lot 351: 1954 Ferrari 375 MM Berlinetta – $4,620,000
Lot 353: 1949 Delahaye Type 175 S Roadster by Saoutchik – $3,300,000
Lot 360: 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder – $2,612,500
Lot 347: 1955 Jaguar D-Type – $2,090,000
Lot 365: 2007 Ferrari FXX Evoluzione – $1,925,000
Lot 335: 1959 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Series III Coupe – $1,760,000
Lot 345: 1933 Packard Twelve Coupe – $1,622,500
Lot 346: 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Series I Cabriolet – $1,622,500
Lot 342: 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Berlinetta – $1,567,500
Lot 341: 1933 Duesenberg SJ Riviera Phaeton – $1,430,000
Lot 349: 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/6C Alloy Berlinetta – $1,155,000
Lot 339: 1966 Ferrari 500 Superfast – $1,127,500

You can see the highlighted cars from RM’s auction in the high-res gallery below.

Gallery: 2010 RM Monterey Auction

1958 Ferrari 250 TR1958 Ferrari 250 TR1959 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Series III Coupe1959 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Series III Coupe1966 Ferrari 500 Superfast

Photos Copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

Monterey 2010: RM auction stacked with million dollar cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 15 Aug 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monterey 2010: Blue Oval bargains kick off RM auction

Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Ford

Mercury Messenger Concept

RM Ford-Themed Monterey Auction – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Monterey auctions kicked off last night with a special Ford-only sale put on by RM. Despite an offering of significant race cars and a slew of concept cars, bidding was sluggish and many of the final sale prices were well below the pre-auction estimates. Some of the concepts like the 2000 Ford Prodigy Concept and the 2002 Lincoln Coninental Concept Shell sold for just $14,000 each, while many of the high profile cars sold for less than half the estimates. The 2003 Ford Supercharged Thunderbird Concept went for $60,000, the 2004 Lincoln Mark X Concept sold for $92,500, and the 2004 Ford Mustang GT-R Concept went to a bidder who only had to fork over $100,000.

The top sales of the day were actually a pair of Lincolns, one a 1962 Continental “Bubbletop” Kennedy Limousine ($429,000) and the other a 1933 KB Custom Dietrich Convertible Sedan ($385,000). Some most significant cars were no-sales, including a 1903 Ford Model A that is the oldest existing Ford ever sold (high bid of $325,000) and a 1964 Cooper Ford “King Cobra” that didn’t meet the reserve at $450,000.

You can see the Ford concept cars and many of the other vehicles at RM’s Thursday night auction in the gallery below, and be sure to check back for more auction photos and results this weekend.

Gallery: RM Ford-Themed Monterey Auction

2004 Lincoln Mark X Concept2001 Ford Forty Nine Concept2001 Lincoln MK9 Concept2005 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Adrenalin Concept2001 Ford EX Concept

Photos Copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

Monterey 2010: Blue Oval bargains kick off RM auction originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Auction Action: Steve Saleen’s pre-pro Ford GT up for grabs in Monterey

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Ford, Celebrities

Steve Saleen’s Ford GT Prototype – Click above for image gallery

Steve Saleen has apparently gotten it in his mind to auction off his personal Ford GT. While we’re not exactly ones to go all star-crossed over a vehicle’s ownership history, this particular car is more than a plain vanilla GT with Saleen’s name on the title. In fact, the car was never titled at all because it’s the fifth of nine prototype vehicles built before GT production got off of the ground in 2005. The car started life dipped in yellow, but received the blue on white treatment at some later point in history.

If the paint doesn’t do anything for you, the fact that the car reportedly wears a hand-built twin-screw supercharger should. Supposedly, Saleen’s GT was the only of the nine prototypes to receive the blessing of forced induction. The car currently has 4,000 miles on the odometer thanks to a lengthy stint in PR and a few movie appearances in the likes of The Fast and the Furious and Rocky Balboa – that’s got to be worth something, right?

If Saleen’s supercar sounds like something you wouldn’t mind sticking in the garage, you’ll need to check out the Russo and Steele auction at Monterey this weekend.

Gallery: Steve Saleen’s Ford GT Prototype

[Source: Russo and Steele via Automobile]

Auction Action: Steve Saleen’s pre-pro Ford GT up for grabs in Monterey originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gooding to auction 1995 McLaren F1 in Monterey

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Auctions

1995 McLaren F1 to be auctioned by Gooding & Company – Click above for high-res image gallery

Gooding & Company’s auction coinciding with this year’s Pebble Beach Concours is coming up in a few short weeks, and the lineup of available cars is shaping up to be quite impressive. Already dozens of incredibly compelling and valuable collector cars are scheduled to make their way across the block, but the car that has caught our attention the most so far is a 1995 McLaren F1.

The F1 is singularly special in its own right, but this particular car is even more attractive to buyers in the United States since it’s one of the few examples actually registered in the country. The car was sold originally to Larry Ellison, the CEO of Oracle, who was one of the sponsors of McLaren’s race team back in the mid-1990s. This F1 comes finished in classic Magnesium Silver paint with a black interior and comes with its factory-delivered luggage and tools. The estimated price? A mere $2.5 to $3.5 million. Follow the jump for full details in the press release from Gooding, and be sure to check out the images below.

Gallery: 1995 McLaren F1 – Gooding & Company

Photos by Paul Litwinski (C) 2010 Courtesy of Gooding & Company

Continue reading Gooding to auction 1995 McLaren F1 in Monterey

Gooding to auction 1995 McLaren F1 in Monterey originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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