Have any of you gotten a vehicle from an auction? That’s a dumb question, of course some of you have. If you have, let us know what they were in the comments section, inquiring minds (like mine) want to know. This varied collection is wicked huge and wicked cool! Some of these vehicles are amazing pieces of history and some are just plain cool, like this 1955 Jaguar XK-140. These vehicles from the Wenzel Collection are being auctioned in Rosemount, Minnesota on September 22nd by Nixon Auctioneers. Thanks to our friend Fred H. for sending in yet another super interesting tip!
Unfortunately, as cool and varied and historic as some of these vehicles are, the photos are just this side of being horrible. My apologies to whomever took them, but man, they are really not the best way to show off such great vehicles. I hope that they’ll somehow upload some better photos before the auction starts. As someone who makes a living in photography, it always amazes me as to just how little some people, and companies, think about photos. They’ll send an intern out with an office camera or just tell them to use their cell phone and “go and take some photos, we need them asap!” Then this is what they turn back in. Ugh. But, enough of the soap box, back to these great vehicles. This Porsche 914 looks like it needs a bit of help but who knows what it’ll sell for, it could be a good buy.
This 1918 Hendrickson came a few years after The Hendrickson Motor Truck Company was founded in 1913 by Magnus Hendrickson in Chicago, Illinois. They made tough work trucks, often made to haul building materials. They pioneered a special type of suspension system in 1926 that became the industry standard and they were purchased in 1978 by a maker of leaf springs and metal bumpers, the Boler Company. Eventually Hendrickson sold the truck manufacturing business but they’re still around with offices and factories around the globe.
This is my personal favorite of the vehicles in this auction: a 1908 Brush! I know, a what? I’m not sure if this is a Model B or a Runabout or exactly what it is, but maybe one of you will know. I would sure love to own a car like this someday.
This 1949 Chevrolet pickup looks like it’s decked out with pert’near every accessory available and then some. I wish that the photos were better, this looks like a gem.
Here’s something that would cause a stir sitting in a parking spot at Trader Joe’s, a 1918 FWD truck. This is a truck, a truck-truck, a gnarly, tough hauler for those folks who don’t need latte holders or bluetooth. Or, those who don’t need to go the posted speed limit or worry about the weather with that open cab. I hope that the engine covers are there somewhere, not that it would take a master metal maker long to fabricate them. Let us know your auction purchases, and check out the link for these vehicles, something may catch your eye that you can’t live without.
There is a T-Bird pictured but there are two things wrong with the title of the picture.
WENZEL 1963 FORD T BIRD HARD TOP CONVERTIBLE
The only T-bird I see is not a 1963. Can’t tell from one picture but maybe a 65. My favorite years of T-bird convt’s.
Exactly, and not a hard top convertible either.
In the space of 10 months I bought 27 old/classic cars on auction in Johannesburg, South Africa for re sale. Every one of them was driven 2 days later the 350 miles to my home town, Durban. Only two of them gave me trouble. The first was an Alfa Romeo Sud where the spot weld holding the steering column broke loose but it was still able to be driven home. The second one was a 1981 Ford Cortina 2 litre automatic that ran a front wheel bearing so I had to abandon it at a petrol station half way home and go back to repair it a few days later. My modus operandi was to go to the auction room the day before and inspect every car that I intended to bid on and then take it for a test drive. I was allowed to do this because they knew that I would be driving my purchase 350 miles home. I actually became something of an advertisement for them as if the bidding went higher than I was prepared to pay, the auctioneer would tell the room I was a buyer that was prepared to buy the car and drive it to Durban but the price was now too high for me to pay.
yup bought a 84 dodge van at auction probley 12 yrs ago. an a lebron with the wood an leather . convert is sold now . van will be selling soon need new battery an tail pipe an readdy to go then .
Bought a 74 Austin America with 24,000 miles in 1992. Drove it home. Had a dealer pump up the suspension and state inspection. It passed. Three months later every rubber piece needed replacing and the exhaust header cracked at the flange. Got a custom twin intake, headers and a large custom exhaust bent with a glass pack. Drove it for years.
Unless a vehicle has been driven in the last few years it is almost always a mistake to drive before being checked out. Lots of damage done in the first few miles!
I picked up this 2009 Shelby GT-500 Convertible at an auction earlier this year. It came after a long day of drinking and watching cars sell for WAY more than I thought they were worth (a terrible combination). I bid once. It was my max bid. And I took the car home. My wife picked out the license plate, which reads “IMPULS”. There’s a long story that goes along with this purchase, and there’s not enough room here to tell it. But it’s definitely interesting…
1963 gmc 4×4 6′ big window stovebolt, farm auction 1979 wyoming, drove home, no problem’s ($500).project now, new part’s in boxes, oak bed & stainless strap’s, front & back glass, custom cab moulding’s, rebuilt, 454, t400,transfer case, new leaf’s frt.& rear, wide wheel’s, power stearing & brake’s,lot’s more
We’ve gotten several classics (and daily drivers) from our city’s lien sale auction- a 66 Dart GT (getting an engine swap then resto-rodded), a 79 Bronco that’s almost finished and a 2003 Volvo that my son had a head on collision in (all together now “thank God it was a Volvo!”). Car was wrecked, kid’s ok. Lien sales are a gamble, but quite the thrill. Fun to watch the guys from the junkyard buy the most hopeless heaps then make their money back on the rims. Caveat emptor because there’s no returns and the vehicle may have a boatload of overdue fees.
That FWD is a real beauty I would not be surprised one bit if that truck started life as a military truck, this is virtually the exact FWD model we used in WWI along with the Nash and Jeffrey. Very cool and surely something you very rarely ever see let alone see for sale.
Man I would love to have that Brush! Over the years I’ve bought a lot of cars at auction. One of my favorites would have to be a 67 Chevrolet impala super sport convertible. Sure wish I had that same car today.
1991 Mitsubishi Galant VR4 won at auction on BAT. My son and I spent endless hours restoring it to a high level only to loose it in a structure fire the day after this picture was taken. Very sad to be sure but nobody was hurt and even with the escalating prices of rare Japanese performance cars, we can always get another. No replacing human life.