Lot T145 – 1959 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible

Lot # T145
Auction: Mecum High Performance Auctions – Kissimmee, FL Auction
Date: January 22 – 24, 2009
This Lot scheduled to be sold THURS 7:55PM

This 1959 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible is a true jewel of a find. In the hands of the original owner up until the fall of 2007, it still has the original window sticker from Arnold Chevrolet in Crystal City, MO. This is an original unrestored car with original service records including the original owner protection policy warranty book.

There were 957 Silver Corvettes produced in 1959 and this is one of them, just as it rolled off the showroom floor.

Specs:
- White wall tires
- 283/230 HP 8 cylinder engine
- Deluxe heater
- Courtesy lights
- Windshield washers
- Parking brake alarm
- Sun shades
- Powerglide automatic transmission

The Rarest of all “‘Birds”

Lot# 1295
Auction: Barret-Jackson Scottsdale 2009
Date: January 17, 2009

The rarest of all “Birds”. If your one of the millions of avid Thunderbird owners, restorers or fans, you may have wondered about the very first Thunderbird ever produced. What became of it? Where is it now? How did it look originally? Ford Motor Company and Barrett Jackson are pleased to bring you up to date on the rarest and most valuable T-Bird built by Ford Motor Company.

As you can see, the black beauty is very much alive. It was produced at the Michigan factory on September 9, 1954. This car came equipped with the 292 “Y” block, Fordomatic transmission, power steering, power windows and power seats. The wheelbase is 102″. The BMP rating is 198 and the weight of the vehicle is 3250 lbs.

One of the first performance road test of the newly-created Thunderbird car was by a national magazine was tested on this same car. “Sports Illustrated” did an article October 4, 1954 entitled “Testing the Thunderbird”, and the first T-Bird was used as the test vehicle.

Ford verified the status of this car in 1966, designated as the most valuable T-Bird in existence. This car has captured the attention of writers, collectors and car buffs throughout the United States and globally. This car has been featured in magazines, books, promotions, internet blogs, television shows and more. It has also made many special appearances at various museums, car shows and special events like the 1984 Olympics.

The Ford Motor Company has and continues to commission the car, usually in its private trailer to various events such as their national conferences and car shows including Ford headquarters in Dearborn, MI. It has been pictured with generations of Ford executives and celebrities such as Carroll Shelby, Barbara Streisand and Jay Leno to name a few.

The history of the Thunderbird dates back to the early 1950′s when a few individuals at the top of Ford’s organizational chart conceived the idea of a sports car. Designer Frank Hershey fathered the idea of the sports car program that became the Thunderbird. The real history of this car dates back to 1965 when a well admired gentleman and car buff by the name George Watts came across what he called “A needle in a haystack”. After Ford officially verified the status of his car as the first production Thunderbird, he meticulously restored the “original” to original. After documenting every step with photos, it appeared three years later – as if it just rolled off the assembly line. The rest is history.

1956 Chevy Nomad from the “Eddie Van Halen Collection”

Lot# 1259.1
Auction: Barret-Jackson Scottsdale 2009
Date: January 17, 2009

From the Eddie Van Halen collection, this 1956 Chevrolet Nomad features factory air conditioning. 1956 was the very first year of factory air conditioning for Chevrolet.

The power plant consists of a 265/210hp Power Pack V8 with power steering and power brakes. An upgrade to disc brakes was added for better stopping performance and safer driving.

This car received a frame-off restoration, and was part of the Harrah’s Collection prior to being owned by EVH.

Making this auction package even more rare and unique, Eddie Van Halen has personally authorized a custom made, one-of-a-kind guitar built to match the theme of the car. These will be the very first instruments to commemorate the worldwide release of the EVH Brand “Wolfgang” line of guitars that make their debut in Anaheim, CA, on Thursday, January 15, 2009. If that isn’t enough, Eddie has included a pair of signature red, white and black striped EVH sneakers.

This is an unbelievable, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own the treasured car and guitar of one of rock’s most iconic figures ever. The car comes complete with a copy of the June 1999 issue of “Super Chevy” magazine in which it was featured.

1956 Chevy Bel Air from the “Eddie Van Halen Collection”

Lot# 1259.1
Auction: Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2009
Date: January 17, 2009

From the Eddie Van Halen collection, this 1956 Chevrolet 210 post sedan Pro-street Hot Rod was built by Jim Van Gordon.

The car features a 454cid big block Chevrolet with approx 600hp, a narrowed and bullet proof 9″ Ford rear with Detroit Locker, Mark Williams axels, 4.30 gears, 4-link coil-over suspension, disc brakes, 15×14 Weld racing wheels, wrapped with 33×19.50 Mickey Thompson tires and 15×4 Weld Racing wheels up front. Also features a manual valve body automatic transmission, full racing gauges and a custom interior. This car is completely drag strip and street legal and runs on everything from 110 octane racing fuel to everyday pump gas. The specs on the car are as hot as its looks.

Making this auction package even more rare and unique, Eddie Van Halen has personally authorized a custom made, one-of-a-kind guitar built to match the theme of the car. These will be the very first instruments to commemorate the worldwide release of the EVH Brand “Wolfgang” line of guitars that make their debut in Anaheim, CA, on Thursday, January 15, 2009. If that isn’t enough, Eddie has included a pair of signature red, white and black striped EVH sneakers.

This is an unbelievable, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own the treasured car and guitar of one of rocks most iconic figures ever. The car comes complete with the original 1956 owner’s manual, and a copy of the June 1999 issue of “Super Chevy” magazine in which it was featured.

Upcoming Public Auto Auctions

Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event – January 11 – 18, 2009

The Barrett-Jackson Auction Company is well known for being the premiere classic car auction company in the United States. At the Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction even the most serious collector will find enticements in the form of some of the most exclusive vehicles available at auction.

RM Auctions Automobiles of Arizona – January 15-16, 2009

The 2009 Arizona Biltmore Auction represents the finest event of its kind in the world. Building on the success of the 2008 auction which saw roughly $30,000,000 in sales and a 95% sales rate, this year’s auction will be even more impressive. With space limited to only 100 outstanding motor cars please contact one of our motor car specialists immediately for consideration of your collector car.

Mecum Auctions’ Muscle Cars & More – January 22-24, 2009

MECUM Auction’s new TV series is a huge success by all measures. In the first two weeks of the MECUM Auto Auction: Muscle Cars and More! live show, more than $3m worth of muscle, Corvette and other classic cars have found new owners from coast-to-coast. Many have come to bid in person during the auctions. Others have purchased cars remotely through telephone and Internet bids which are an integral part of the auction process allowing people to participate from around the world. The show airs live from the Indiana State Fairgrounds on Saturday evenings in HD TV on Discovery’s new HD Theater channel.

Insurance for Vintage Classic Cars

Depending on your planned usage for your new collector, there are several options for classic car insurance. Although getting the right insurance is not complicated, there are some things that you should be aware of that are not so obvious.

Many owners make the mistake of calling their current insurance agent and having them underwrite a standard policy. Seems reasonable enough and hassle free, right? Just roll it under your other auto insurance and take advantage of their “multiple autos” discount. It is estimated that the majority of vintage classic cars are in fact insured this way and those owners are in line to pay for it, in more ways than one. Owners under this description are paying higher premiums and getting less coverage.

The danger with this approach is that the policy your agent gave you is probably the same as your current vehicle’s policy. Even if your current vehicle is a high dollar car, one thing that needs to be considered is; is it appreciating in value? Hypothetically, if you own a newer car for 3-4 years and need to collect insurance in a total loss due to an accident or theft, the payout will be based on the depreciating car value, often based on Kelly Blue Book values for the year, make and model of your car. On the other hand, if you have a beautifully restored 1955 Chevy Bel Air 2-door hardtop stored in your garage, do you think it will be worth more or less three years from now? Hint: more, probably a lot more!

Do not use a standard insurance plan

Classic car insurance has been available for years. You will need to check with your provider, but usually there are some minimal driving restrictions relative to mileage, say less than 5000 miles per year, that apply as a rider on the policy for a vintage classic car. Many will require that you have a day-to-day car already registered so the classic will not be used for routine transportation to and from work or doing daily errands.

Know the various policies

1. Stated Value Policy. This type of policy lets you declare the value of a car that is greater than its depreciated book value. This is better than a standard policy, but will only pay up to the stated amount and does not factor in appreciation.

2. Actual Cash Value Policy. This is more like a standard policy where the value is determined on some kind of depreciated value. With this policy, the insurance adjuster decides what your car is worth. Hopefully they are having a nice day! Not recommended if you are using a insurance company that normally doesn’t cover classic or antique autos.

3. Agreed Value Policy. This is where you and the insurance company agree on the value of the car. There is no depreciation associated with the car. In addition, the agreed upon value can be modified during the life of the policy to reflect increases in value. This way, you are 100 percent protected and assured that you will receive the full value for your car should a loss occure.

Other considerations

• Many classic car insurance policies have minimum age restrictions, 25 to sometimes 30 years old. Younger drivers are not permitted.
• Not all classic car agents are created equally. Make sure you check out their customer service and feel confident that they know replacing a windshield on a 1967 GTO will probably be more expensive than your everyday car.
• Make sure your carrier is licensed in your state.

In summary, make sure you have your vintage classic car covered by one of the above policies and not a standard automobile policy that you would use for your teenagers ’98 Honda Accord. While the liability coverage may be the same, the coverage for your beautifully restored ’55 Chevy may amount to peanuts and not the street value of such a collector.