Welcome to another Hooniverse Weekend. This time I thought I would explore the Arizona Auctions that are currently humming along this weekend, in part because of this post produced by our own Jeff Glucker. There are five major auction houses operating in the Arizona Desert this week including Barrett-Jackson, RM Auctions, Gooding & Company, Russo & Steele, and Silver Auctions. Let’s start out with Barrett-Jackson, and some of the fabulous Wagons that were sold, and the prices they fetched…
This is one of my favorite wagons of this auction. This is a 1957 Packard Clipper Wagon, and according to the Auction Listing:
The car offered here is an especially rare Packard Clipper station wagon, one of 869 wagons produced in 1957. Sporting Duncan McRae’s unusual styling, it is finished in Tiara Gold metallic and Artic White with gold vinyl and cloth interior. Features a powerful McCulloch centrifugal supercharger, Flight-O-Matic transmission, independent front suspension, live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs and 4-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.
The car was sold for an amazing $47,300! See the listing for yourself here.
Equally impressive is this 1958 Studebaker Provincial Wagon. Not quite as rare as the Packard, this is the last year for this particular body style, and you can see Studebaker’s attempt to cheaply modify the look to keep up with the latest offerings from their competitors. According to the listing:
This car was special ordered with the optional Silver Hawk 289/225hp motor. It is one of the nicest original Studebaker station wagons around and has a featured article in Hemmings Classic Car magazine centerfold edition. This is a rare Studebaker station wagon with only 2,412 produced in 1958. Car was purchased from the Frank Wenzel Studebaker collection, one of the utmost authorities on Studebakers. Car has 69,050 original miles.
The car went to a new home for $31,900, which was a bargain compared to the Packard above. See the listing here, and tell me what you think about this fantastic Studebaker.
This is a magnificent 1954 Chrysler New Yorker Town & Country Wagon. Yes, it is a showboat that has undergone a complete restoration, and will probably never be driven like it is suppose to be. According to the listing:
Chrysler built just 1,100 New Yorker Town & Country wagons in 1954 and this must be one of the finest. Equipped with a 331cid HEMI V8 engine with Fluid Drive, power steering, heater, radio, chrome wire wheels and wide white wall tires. Finished in Flagship Blue over an Alpine Blue body with matching two tone blue interior and blue carpets. The car has fabulous woodwork with chrome strips in the rear compartment. Everything has been done to high standards, from the meticulously restored dashboard to the door jambs. The engine compartment looks like new. An extraordinary car.
Rarity, desirability, history… These Chryslers were that last of the their kind before the Virgil Exner “Forward Look” debuted in 1955. This wagon found a new home after commanding $55,000! See the listing here.
Now compare the 1954 Chrysler Town & Country with one that is 11 years newer, but no less spectacular. This is a 1965 Chrysler New Yorker Wagon (though I think they were still called Town & Country wagons, but I could be wrong). Anyway, this car looks great, and the wheels are just the icing on the cake… According to the listing:
Original Window Sticker, Build Sheet, vehicle ID car and keys. Sold new in Claremore, OK, March 15, 1965. Always in OK and NM with no rust ever. All options on this 6-passenger wagon. Dual power bucket seats, dual air conditioning, TorqueFlite transmission, power windows, door locks, auto pilot, AM/FM radio, tilt steering wheel, retractable seat belts, remote left outside mirror, manual right mirror, tinted glass on all windows, sure-grip differential, vinyl roof cover, luggage rack and magnum chrome wheels.
This is the year in which Elwood Engel wiped away any trace of Virgil Exners previous designs from the year before including wrap around windshields, compound body curves, and push button transmission selectors. This car was a relative bargain, with a final hammer price of $20,900, including buyers commission. See the listing for yourself here, and tell me what you think.
Station Wagons would not be well represented without at least one Ford Country Squire, and here is a real beauty… A 1957 model. This is another first class restoration, with the added bonus of Air Conditioning. According to the listing:
Very rare Country Squire station wagon trimmed with beautiful oak and mahogany real wood. Optional V8 Thunderbird engine with power steering, power brakes and air conditioning. Factory Willow Green color with correct vinyl interior. Complete professional restoration with no expense spared. Runs and drives excellent.
The listing states that real wood is used for the trim… well it may be now, but it didn’t come from the factory like that. The “Oak” trim was actually fiberglass finished to look like wood. The “Mahogany” is actually a decal called Di-Noc, which was used by several car companies with wood-like finishes. Anyway, all this was good enough to bring in a final bid of $55,000. See the listing here, and see if this car was worth it.
Utilizing the same body shell as the Country Squire above, this is a 1959 Edsel Villager Wagon, with a matching 1959 Fleetform 14′ outboard runabout boat. This is a rather special offering,and according to the listing:
This is a beautiful and extremely rare 1959 Edsel Villager 4 door 6-passenger station wagon with a matching restored 1959 14′ Fleetform outboard runabout boat. It is the perfect family vacation combination for the 1950s. The Edsel wagon is in amazing original condition inside and out. It is one of the most beautiful station wagons ever produced combining glamour and utility. It has its original 332cid V8 engine and automatic transmission that runs like a top. The interior is completely original and it even has the original Window Sticker. It is extremely rare with a total production of only 5,687 cars. It was sold new at Ray Ridge Motors in Tacoma, WA. This beauty has been pampered all its life and it shows. The 1959 Fleetform 14′ outboard runabout boat was fully restored and matches the Edsel in year, style and color combination. It has its original 35hp Evinrude Lark outboard motor with electric start. This is one of the first fiberglass boats made with great 50s styling and provenance. This amazing combination is the ultimate centerpiece to any classic car collection. **LOTS 959, 959.1 AND 959.2 WILL BE SOLD AS A PACKAGE**
This is a next to last year Edsel, and is surprisingly restrained for its era, and the matching boat is just so perfect. Hammer price for the pair? Just $40,700, which is still a lot of money. See the Edsel Listing here, and the Boat listing here, and tell me what you think about this pair.
Our next vehicle is a big disappointment because it took a perfectly beautiful wagon in the form of a 1957 Buick Caballero, and turned it into something like a George Barris Custom. Yes, it is beautifully finished, has great attention to detail, and is an award winner, but to me, it’s just a travesty. Things I like? The detailed Buick Nailhead Engine with period Offenhouser and Stromberg parts, and the interior is pretty much stock (No outrageous Steering Wheel, no individual seats, no lame ass stereo). Things I hate about this car? The Chopped Roof, the Wire Wheels, The Air Ride, and the Packard Tail Lights. According to the listing:
Caballero customized station wagon with chopped top and Air Ride suspension. Custom three tone paint, custom interior and highly detailed Nailhead Buick engine. Wire wheels, laser-straight body, beautiful chrome, Packard taillights on extended quarter panels, too much to list. Car is known as “Dorothy” from the Wizard of OZ, built by OZ Kustoms in Oroville, Calif. Other body modifications include hood, front and rear fenders peaked, front doors stretched, rear quarters were extended 7″ and ’56 Packard taillights installed. 364cid Nailhead Buick engine with Offy 3×2 polished aluminum intake and Stromberg 97s. Won first place in Radical Wagon class at the Grand National Roadster Show.
It found a new home, with the buyer forking over $71,500! A fully restored Caballero would probably command more money, but it would still be worth it after this thing has been long forgotten. See the listing here, and tell me what you think.
The Chevrolet Nomad was one of those cars built during the 50s that were instantly collectible only a few short years after its demise. This 1955 example shows why… Beautifully crafted body, striking good looks, and relatively rare. According to the listing:
This car underwent a full body-off restoration to original specifications and was stored in a showroom ever since. Matching numbers, rust-free California car which was in storage for 30 years before restoration. The car underwent a complete driveline and mechanical rebuild. It has a 265/180hp 4 barrel Power Pack engine with a Powerglide transmission and all new power brake system. The exterior was stripped and refinished in original turquoise and India Ivory paint. All chrome was newly plated, rubber replaced and stainless restored like new. The interior has white with turquoise waffle pattern upholstery and panels. The car has turquoise carpet throughout with turquoise linoleum covering the cargo area as original with all stainless trim polished and chrome trim newly plated. A host of factory and dealer options include Power Pack V8, power steering, power brakes, power front seat, power windows, five white wall tires, bumper guards, spot light mirror, tissue dispenser and more. One of the 6,103 Nomads produced in 1955.
These cars will continue to be in demand, and this car was no exception, with a final hammer price of $86,900. See the listing here, and see if you agree with me.
The Ford and Mercury Woodies of 1949 to 1951 are almost as iconic as the Nomad of the 50s, especially with the California Surfer Community. This is an excellent representation of the breed, a 1949 Mercury 2-Door Woody. According to the listing:
Period modified. 6-year documented restoration. The woody wagon, as they were known, became a popular American vehicle and to this day have become more and more sought after and valuable. The Mercury woody was always considered one of the most desirable to own. It has a 3-speed manual transmission with Touch-O-Matic overdrive as an option. Other options include a radio, heater and white wall tires. This beautiful woody is unique in that it was period modified. Its Flathead V8 has three 2 barrel Stromberg carburetors, Offenhauser heads and intake. Custom paint and period custom hubcaps were added as well. It has wrap around chrome front and rear bumpers along with a new shiny “coil styled” chrome grille.
Period performance parts, overdrive transmission, new restoration, what’s not to love? Apparently it hit someones want button hard, with a final price of $99,000! See the listing here, and tell me you would love to own it…
And now for one of the featured lots that will run down the Barrett-Jackson stage today, this is a 1930 Rolls Royce Phantom II Shooting Brake. According to the listing:
Formerly owned by the famous Earl of Moray who was a descendant of King James V of Scotland. This 1930 Rolls Royce Phantom II was originally bodied with Weymann fabric covered 4 door saloon coachwork. It was rebodied in the 1950s with Shooting Brake coachwork and it was subsequently acquired by Charles Bickley in Florida who commenced a thorough restoration in the late 1980s and displayed the car in his Woodie World Museum. Since then it has been meticulously restored once again in Brewster Green with exceptional wood work. It has a beautiful walnut burl dashboard, restored windshield visor, top hinged opening windshield, passenger’s Raydyot spotlight, single Trippe driving light, Lucas headlights, single sidemounted spare on the left, fender mirrors and three row seating. The body and interior wood is finished to extremely high standards. It has been shown in Rolls Royce Owners Club Events, participated in Classic Car Club of America CARavans and is not only a superb show piece, but is a well sorted and reliable performer.
This car has been restored over and over again, and will run down the Barrett-Jackson stage mid day in the midst of other notable vehicles from Bentley, Duesenberg, Isotta Fraschini, Delahaye, Talbot-Lago, and a prototype Porsche 959! I would not be surprised if this car is valued at $750,000 to $1,000,000, but we will have to wait to find out. See the listing here.
Leave a Reply