Timewarp NE auto dealer auction draws big crowds, bigger prices
Mon, 30 Sep 2013
The hotly anticipated auction for a cache of vintage cars and trucks stashed by a Nebraska Chevrolet dealership took place over the weekend, and as expected, many of the low-mileage classics fetched high-dollar bids. Close to 500 former new cars and dealer trade-ins that have been sitting in and around Lambrecht Chevrolet for decades finally had their day in the sun – or mud rather, as Autoweek tells it – and on the first day alone, the vehicle lots on offer sold for more than $1 million.
One of the rarest vehicles of the bunch – a blue 1958 Chevy Cameo pickup with just 1.3 miles on the odometer – commanded the highest price of all, selling for $140,000 – even with a giant dent in its roof. Close to a six-figure price tag was a red 1964 Impala with 11 miles and a 327-cubic-inch V8 under the hood – it sold for $97,500. Another important piece of Chevy history, a 1978 Corvette Indy 500 pace car – with just four miles on it and with its interior in plastic – ended up selling for $80,000. While we may never know the real reason why Ray Lambrecht hoarded all of these vehicles at his dealership, the auction did provide automotive enthusiasts and collectors a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see and/or buy this many classics that were seemingly tucked away in a time capsule.
By Jeffrey N. Ross