This kind of thing is why I love car people.
In the spending orgy that Pebble Beach week has seemingly become, I witnessed something special last night that will probably get lost in all the talk of $38-million Ferrari GTOs.
There was a 1957 Buick Caballero Estate Wagon on offer at Gooding that carried a pre-auction estimate of $100,000-$125,000. For those of you not familiar with the '57 Caballero Estate, it's a pillarless hardtop station wagon—a rare car that stood atop the 1957 Buick lineup. Being a wagon fan, it was on my list to follow after checking it out at Thursday's preview.
As the car rolled up to the block, David Gooding introduced Jay Leno, whose Big Dog Garage restored the car at no cost to benefit The George W. Bush Military Service Initiative, which honors post 9-11 veterans and works to help them transition back to civilian life.
The Buick, signed by President Bush, sold for a staggering $300,000
Then something magical happened.
The new owner walked up to the stage—a highly unusual occurrence at an auction—and donated the car back to David Gooding. The auditorium erupted in a two-minute standing ovation.
With Leno still up there, the car was auctioned off a second time and sold to the original runner-up bidder for $280,000. Another standing ovation followed.
I blame Bush!
11 comments:
Nice generous gesture.
Great story... and yes, generous gesture.
That is a beautiful wagon, that's for sure.
That wagon wears the mineral wealth of Rhodesia upon its body like shiny badges of white privilege. I really like that!
No seatbelts. No emission controls. My kind of car.
The Buick is okay and the GWB Initiative is splendid, but thank you thank you thank you for the link to the Ferrari GTO...if I ever had multiple millions it is the one car I would buy and care for like a new born baby. I watched one race at Road America at Rice Lake, ages ago, and fell in love forevermore.
Only other car that would give the same satisfaction is the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe. It's always best if you adore what you can't have...you never suffer disappointment or boredom that way ;)
Wow. Great story.
Ari - Elkhart Lake.
And if I get around to it this week, I'll post my (almost) Ferrari story.
Haz...right, it was and is Elkhart Lake, in the Kettle Moraine.
Back in the day I was a regular at the June Sprints and Road America. A bit of a hop from my frat house at U of W. Too much Cognac tonight messed with my mind and I wrote the name of a town I used to do business (machinery) in many years ago.
Elkhart Lake, Summer of '62, with two classmates, our first road trip after high school graduation. Way too much beer, but lots of great cars...
Poppa India....1962? How in hades did we miss each other? MY frat had a place of their own at Elkhart Lake for the June Sprints. Yeah, lots of beer...a Wisconsin thing. I was the beer acquisition guy at my frat, and managed to acquire it by a keg or two in the midst of snow storm of 8-10 inches or more....kegs, from a car trunk, roll easily over packed snow :) Beer uber alles! (Even though I no longer drink beer or whiskey, just small amounts of Cognac, except for tonight ;) Ppbbffftttt! ;(
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