Tag: chevys

Report: Quartet of classic Chevys stolen during Monterey week

Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Government/Legal, Chevrolet

stolen 1961 Chevrolet Impala SS 409

The weeklong festivities that take place in Monterey, CA for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance draw in some of the finest cars from around the world. Unfortunately, these events also seem to be drawing in some opportunistic lowlifes looking to score to some high-dollar hardware the easy way. In this case, four classic Chevy cars were stolen over the weekend of August 17th.

According to Hemmings, an extremely rare ’61 Impala SS 409, a ’61 Impala resto-mod and a one-owner, unrestored ’57 Bel Air all went missing after failing to sell at various auctions. The article states that the Impala SS 409 – worth an estimated $220,000 – disappeared from the Russo and Steele auction, while the other two cars vanished from the Mecum auction. In addition to these thefts, Jalopnik is reporting that a customized 1962 Corvette was also stolen around the same time only instead of being stolen from an auction, this classic ‘Vette was snatched up as the owner was enjoying dinner. Hemmings points out that the cars were most likely targeted to be stripped for parts, but check out both reports and keep an eye out for these beautiful rides.

Quartet of classic Chevys stolen during Monterey week originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Aug 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Cache of vintage Chevys in Nebraska headed to auction [w/video]

Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Chevrolet

In this Aug. 12, 2013 photo, old Chevrolet automobiles fill the showroom of the former Lambrecht Chevrolet car dealership in Pierce, Neb. Next month, bidders from at least a dozen countries and all 50 U.S. states will converge on Pierce, a town of about 1,800 in northeast Nebraska, for a two-day auction that will feature about 500 old cars and trucks, mostly Chevrolets that went unsold during the dealership?s five decades in business. About 50 have fewer than 20 miles on the odometer, and some are so rare that no one has established a price. The most valuable could fetch six-figure bids. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

This isn’t the first car dealer turned time capsule, but it might be the biggest. Ray Lambrecht stashed about 500 new cars from 1958 to 1980 that didn’t sell at his Pierce, NE, Chevrolet dealership before he closed shop in 1996, Yahoo News reports. His reasoning? Instead of selling previous model-year inventory at discounted prices, he kept the cars thinking they’d appreciate over time. Soon we’ll find out how his unique business strategy worked, as all of the old/new cars – stored in the dealership and at a farm – will hit the auction block next month. We think old Lambrecht will be making some good money – perhaps as much as six figures on some cars – as many vehicles in the collection are über rare and word of the auction has spread worldwide.

It is reported that visitors from all over the US and at least a dozen countries will descend upon the 1,800-resident town for the auction to buy old Chevys with negligible miles. The cars with the fewest miles in the collection are a 1959 Bel Air and 1960 Corvair Monza with only one mile on their odometers. A 1958 Cameo pickup truck with just 1.3 miles sits in a corner with some damage to the roof and a thick layer of dust. About 50 vehicles have 20 miles or less, including the newest vehicle in the collection, a 1980 Monza with nine miles. While the cars in Lambrecht’s collection can be a bit rough on the outside, the ones that were stored in the dealership still have pristine interiors.

So what will happen to the vehicles once they’re sold? Jay Quail, executive director of the Classic Car Club of America, says many collectors who buy the low-mileage vehicles likely will put them on display as works of art. “It’s like having a Picasso in your garage,” he says. “Collectors will pay for a car that’s totally unmolested.”

UPDATE: Take a better look at this time-warp collection with the new Associated Press video added below.

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Cache of vintage Chevys in Nebraska headed to auction [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Aug 2013 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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