If you are looking for a seldom-seen car or project to add to your collection, there are a dozen of them assembled in Madison, Wisconsin, looking to find new homes due to an estate liquidation. Most of these are cars that don’t pop up very often, such as Crosley, DAF, Morris, NSU, Renault, Siata, Singer, Skoda and even a Shala-Vette. The most common is a VW Beetle, but it’s a convertible. These treasures are available here on craigslist where each car has a brief description and an asking price. Thanks, Ikey Heyman, for another of your interesting finds!
The seller has the unenviable task of selling off his recently deceased father’s collection of autos. Old dad had a passion for the unique and unusual, for sure. They’re not the assortment of Fords, Chevys and Mopars that normally turn up. Instead, they are either imports or rarities produced by U.S. independent automakers that bit the dust long ago. Broken out by decade, the seller has two cars from the 1940s, two more from the 1950s, six from the 1960s and two from the 1970s – 12 in total. The only makes where there is more than one car is Crosley and NSU.
1940s
1946-48 Crosley CC Four: a van that’s in project condition — $5,000
1947 Singer: a convertible that’s also a project that last ran in 2016 — $4,500
1950s
1950 Crosley: a small truck that ran when it was parked — $6,000
1959 Morris Minor 1000 – a convertible that runs, drives and is in good condition all around — $12,000
1960s
1963 Skoda Felicia: this one also runs and drives — $12,000
1965 NSU Sport Prinz: another project car — $4,500
1966 NSU Spyder: this car is Wankel-powered and perhaps the sleeper in the group — $25,000
1969 DAF 55 Coupe: this one is in perfect condition with just 33,000 miles — $14,000
1967 Renault Caravelle: a project that was last in running order in 2013 — $5,000
1969 Shala-Vette: I’ve never seen one of these; it runs and drives — $13,000
1970s
1970 Siata Spring: another runner — $11,000
1971 VW Beetle: a convertible; while Beetles aren’t uncommon, the ragtops are; also a nice runner — $12,000
In case you’re keeping track, the asking price for all of the cars combined is $124,000
The Shala-Vette has a distinct “Mach 5” look…
The Shala-Vette was the basis for “The Monster,” driven by David Carradine as Frankenstein in the original “Death Race 2000” movie. The original was for sale a decade ago for $14k on Volocars.
Ha! Funny you mentioned death race 2000….. opening and closing scenes were filmed at the Chet Holifield fed building in what is now Laguna Niguel CA and was empty as it was built for Rockwell but never occupied then traded to the feds in a land swap. It was the only building there back in the day and always had a weird vibe.
If I had to pick just one, it would be tough, but the Skoda Felicia, Shala-Vette, and Singer would be at the top of the list.
Both NSUs would be my purchase! That NSU Wankel Spider is worth waaaay more than $25K, esp once it’s been restored
I look at these cars and think: “That guy was a RayT with money.”
Except I wouldn’t have bothered with the “Shala-Vette,” even now that CJinSD mentioned that it was related to a car in one of my fave movies, “Death Race 2000.” But the seller would instead have been offering a Topolino, Deux Chevaux or Wartburg in its place. Or a Flying Feather.
What a neat bundle of cars — I spoke with the owner earlier today actually and he was a gearhead himself, so the passion carried on which is cool to see. Nice guy and helpful to my questions — considering the purchase of the Siata and an another (unadvertised) car; trying to make space now in the garage…*sigh*
The front end of the lead photo car caused me to immediately think of an International Harvester truck!
I really like that red lead photo car but I have no idea what it is. Im not sure Ive ever seen one. I cant match it to the list of cars. Anyone know? Love to see the interior as well.
If you provide the number of the photograph someone will identify it.
Skoda Felicia
The car, if you mean the orange car, is a Skoda Felicia.
Sorry, but it is sold.
all the cars are priced to sell look to be in great condition nice
I’m glad the seller is an amiable fellow, and good luck with the sale(s). Have to wonder how far he’ll get with parties having serious interest from a Craigslist ad? CL listings, and multiple car sales in particular, within one Craigslist post usually get overlooked by people with deep pockets.
One of the several rare-bird cars my kid brother found for sale in Evansville, IN in the ’60s was a Skoda convertible exactly like this one, same color and everything. While he was fixing something under the dash one day he found a very weird spider, with markings close to this same color plus black. He captured it in a jar and took it to a spider expert at the local college. After drawing several blanks, the professor looked into spiders of Eastern Europe, and found that it was a rather rare specimen native to Czechoslovakia! What was remarkable was that the car had been in the US for several years …
I love to hear stories like this. Amazing that the Czech spider had not only made the journey over here, but managed to survive for so long. Maybe it was the offspring of an initial spider, and the captured one had been hatched on American soil?
Out of curiosity, what became of the spider? Did your brother donate it to the college?
I drove a NSU ro80 from the late 60s, supposedly only a handful were ever brought into the states. The story goes that one day audi engineers showed up and took measurements of the car that were used to build the audi 5000s in the 80s. The vw semi automatic trans was like the old vw bugs. Great memories
Jeff,
A quick note on your comment; NSU had very high warranty costs from the Wankel motors that put them belly-up. Audi took over NSU, and their new Audi was actually based on the next Generation NSU sedan.
I like the Caravelle. But will not entertain the purchase.
a bunch of neat cars!
If youissed these the first time they are back for sale again.
https://madison.craigslist.org/cto/d/madison-rare-odd-classic-cars-for-sale/7275417420.html