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Everything Goes! Mark Smith Estate Auction

Come October 19-21, 2022 the Hill City of Lynchburg, Virginia hosts the Mark Smith Estate Auction, where myriad belongings of the late auto enthusiast go to the highest bidder. With all lots at No Reserve, you know someone will find a bargain or two. Before we dive into some highlights, take a virtual detour and review this thread at AACA where friends and acquaintances share stories about Mr. Smith’s love for cars, trucks, and related items, and some personal snapshots of his knowledge and helpful nature. Three days of barking auctioneers and hammer-dropping should make for lively bidding and conversation. Check out all the details at PolkAuction. Thanks to reader Patrick M. for submitting this tip.

This 1942 Buick Super looks like a factory low-rider. Dig those extra wide whitewalls! The fastback body is built for speed, and the inline eight cylinder motor promises plenty of buttery torque, though running condition is not mentioned. Deeply checked paint and small rust spots cover the stately hardtop, and it looks highly original except for the reupholstered seats.

The perfect thing for the Porsche fan who has everything, this 1960 Porsche diesel tractor brings German takes engineering down on the farm. What better way to spruce up die landwirtschaft?

A dented left quarter panel, sunburned paint, and a cracked dashboard mark low points on this 1970 Datsun 240Z. The California license plate suggests this two-seater spent a prior life in the Golden State, which normally means dry, solid metal and minimal rust.

This 1962 Studebaker GT Hawk features rat-rod red wheels and black primer, perfect for your Rockabilly car club.

If the Porsche tractor didn’t get your blood pumping, how about this 1973 BMW 2002 tii? A mechanically fuel-injected four-cylinder masterpiece beneath the hood makes this two-door sedan a hot collectible today. Bid to win this specimen for the most fun you’ll have (with your clothes on) in something with less than 150 HP.

I’d bid on this gorgeous Century Whirlwind just to own something with a name that cool. Let’s put this beauty back into the water before your local restaurant buys it for a salad bar.

Described as a 1945 Ford Willy’s Jeep, this flat-fendered military implement promises minimal comfort and maximum capability. Keep your fingers on the outside of the steering wheel when you hit the ruts or you’ll soon hear the phrase “metacarpal fracture.”

A 1923 Oakland Touring Car bristles with pre-Depression optimism, its cheery blue paint and snappy white-walls inviting a drive in the country. Steering wheel controls put the choke and other knobs and levers within easy reach, and the limousine-quality rear leg room promises to please your resident slam-dunker.

This streamlined post-war bruiser comes with a 32 foot horse trailer. Nothing says “High fuel prices don’t affect my fat wallet” like rolling up to a dressage event in a 1949 International KB-8 with your Trakehners in tow. Plan ahead before bidding; it will take more than a Powerstroke dually to relocate this monster. Which is your favorite?

Comments

  1. Avatar angliagt Member

    Wow! That’s only about an hour from here.
    Some really cool cars!

    Like 6
  2. Avatar Bob Martin

    The cars start on page 13 of day 2. It’s a shame that the descriptions are so short. I wish Barn Finds could do a write up on almost all those cars!

    Like 0
  3. Avatar ccrvtt

    150+ cars? Big deal – I can only see about 90 that I would give my eye teeth for. This would be worth the trip just to bask in the glow of so many wonderful cars.

    Like 0
  4. Avatar Robby C

    Wow! Love the Datsun, BMW, and the boat!

    Like 2
  5. Avatar Mr. "P"

    I worked for Mark in the 1980’s, as a teenager. He had some amazing automobiles. I can only imagine, what that collection grew into, in the following years?

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Mr. "P"

    I worked for Mark, in the 1980’s, as a teenager. He had some amazing cars, then. I can only imagine, what was acquired, in the following years? Probably, some really incredible stuff.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar ken tilly

    Doesn’t look like he much in the way of restorations. I have a connection who has a warehouse full of cars like these which he won’t part with as he is going to restore them! Yeah right, if he lives to be 300 he won’t have enough time. Guaranteed he will die and his wife will call in the collectors and they will be gone for a song.

    Like 5
  8. Avatar K.B,Roadsend

    So much to unpack here ! And I am not referring to the collection
    I notice the absence of the regular commentors they too might be in a contemplative dither after reading the AACA story that so quickly turned to the what to do when you are no more discussion
    So much of what I have gathered has come from just such situations “How do we get rid of all that junk”
    One story comes to mind ,after the passing of one fellow car nut A man who had been very involved in Auburn Cord collecting for about 50 years
    His surviving distant relatives whom he likely had not even seen in years had not a clue as to what he had or what it was and he had withdrawn considerably from regular people as many of us nuts tend to do His neighbors had pretty well pestered him to his end ,,,,Wanting him to join them in offering their properties up for a shopping mall or some other development I missed the deal of a century the distant kin were so pleased when they slickered a guy into giving them 50,000 for all that old junk …He then in turn found a group of Drs to give him a 100,000 for 8 or the best cars ( I later saw one of those cars at an auctions fetch 98,000)and then the auction began get that junk off that VALUABLE real estate 2 auctioneers started at 10 that morning and I bought the last lot at 10 of 8 that night Having bought many automobiles ,buildings full of stuff as lots ,piles as lots and so on ,took 5 weeks two of us spending 12 or more hours a day 7 days a week loading trucks and bring em home get another and go Much of it still in the trucks I hauled it home on I suppose that is one of the signs you have a “problem” is when you bring goodies home and just leave it in the trucks for storage and then just go buy more trucks for the next go round Some say the difference between the men and boys is the size of their toys So that would transfer over to the difference a car nut has a garage full of stuff and REAL NUT buys it by the acre at a time In my case I have over an acre of building and ya just keep stacking higher
    Regarding Ken Tilly’s comment about the man he knows …There are varying attitudes One man I knows merely says “Ive got it and you don’t” I consider a bit un-friendly .In my case when someone says why dont you restore these cars ? I am working on it fast as I can ,but I point out to them ,to make me happy they dont have to run ,I just enjoy looking at them ,all they need do is give me pleasure …my being able to wander through them ,show the and talk about them with those who wander by and enjoy them .I might say …When you buy a painting or some other piece of art and it just sits or hangs on the wall …does anyone ask why it isnt doing more ? Well I suppose that does depend on the asker some might say …You can sell that for a bunch of money ..and then you would have more money ..some might even say you could sell that and think of the good you could do giving that money away “some thinking ..to ME” and I surely can’t purport to have the answer that is one left to each individual “nut”
    When one has acquired an auto collection valued at over a million and other odds and ends of even more value ,sitting on real estate worth over a million and having dedicated so much life to said collecting that they have no spouse and no children no close heirs…other than the collection their does come a time when one should start devising a plan
    I have devised a bit of a plan and long wondered how I might share that idea with other enthusiasts for feed back,advice and comment and this might perhaps be a proper forum as such is at the forefront of several minds having read these articles

    Like 2
    • Avatar WJOsborneDempster

      Beautiful works of art. All of the cars, parts, artifacts…can’t collect enough. Keep on filling the trucks. Cheers.

      Like 0
    • Avatar Rallye Member

      I’m a car slut, a junk junkie and a widower. We did a lot of stuff together. I’m trying to sell some of her stuff and it’s hard.

      What’s your plan?

      Like 0
  9. Avatar angliagt Member
  10. Avatar Kenn

    Build, or fund a museum, but with a driving course included and allow folks to drive these grand collector cars! For a small fee to cover maintenance. Let them learn to drive a “T”, for example. Or even a stick-shift for that matter, since I’ve learned few folks under 40 can do so today. I’ve visited the Auburn Cord museum in Auburn, IN many times, and thought how great it would be to drive one of those beauties.

    Like 1
    • Avatar angliagt Member

      Can you imagine what the insurance would cost for
      something like that?

      Like 0
  11. Avatar angliagt Member

    I was seriously thinking of going to the preview of this auction,
    until I saw that there’s a $100 (3 day),or $50 (one day) entry fee.
    Guess that leaves out those of us without $$$$.

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Steve Trainum

    Mark had a lot of cars and motorcycles that weren’t on the auction lists. Some super rare items. Wondering if and when they will be sold. Worked for Mark in early 70’s in Philly area. Went to high school with him in Charlottesville, Va , 69-70

    Like 0

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