All Photos by the author.
In the wee hours of the morning, while those staying in an around Pierce, Nebraska for the Lambrecht Chevrolet Company collection auction dreamt of the barn finds that await them, rain showers rolled in turning the auction field into veritable marshland. It wasn’t enough to deter the droves of potential buyers and general spectators as they rolled into the northwest edge of Pierce, where the history-making auction began at 9:30 a.m.
Though the rain had subsided by daybreak, the morning started out at a brisk 50 degrees, but as soon as the sun peaked through the clouds, it proved quite pleasant—and it made for a comfortable atmosphere where, at the end of Day 1, around $2 million dollars in vehicle purchases occurred.
As we jockeyed into position to hear the VanDerBrink auction team call out lot numbers, vehicle descriptions, and ultimately bid prices, the auction start held close to plan and some memorabilia went first. Shortly after 11:00 a.m. the vehicle portion of the auction begun and we quickly found ourselves surrounded by what had to be at least 20,000 fellow interested enthusiasts of all ages.
The Corvette pedal car was the first big sell and its high bid reached $16,000. The 1958 Cameo Pickup with 1.3 miles was the first vehicle auctioned off and its selling price would surely set the tone for the remainder of the day. The crowd was in awe as bids trickled past $80,000 and gasps could be heard as it crept toward the six-figure mark. It seemingly surpassed that mark as quickly as it achieved it and headed toward $125,000. When the auction finally closed, the turquoise-and-black pickup drew a whopping $140,000!
The remaining top ten vehicles sold on Day 1 include: a 1963 Impala with 11 miles, which sold for $97,500; a 1978 Corvette Pace Car with 4.3 miles, which sold for $80,000; a 1958 Apache Pickup with 5 miles, which sold for $80,000; a 1964 Impala with 4 miles, which sold for $75,000; a 1965 Impala with 12 miles, which sold for $72,500; a 1960 Apache Pickup with 2 miles, which sold for $46,000; a 1965 Impala with 12 miles, which sold for $45,000; a 1963 Corvair Monza with 17 miles, which sold for $42,000; and another 1963 Corvair Monza with 17 miles, which sold for $40,000.
It seemed as if many of the nearly 170 cars sold on Day 1 were purchased at a premium, but plenty sold cheaply too. Because the operational condition of most was unknown and with the damage that the decades of exposure has caused on the exterior and interior, it’s difficult to say how many were bargain buys. The best purchase of the day may have been an unassuming 1974 Monte Carlo Landau, which was clearly stored indoors. Appearing rust-free, loaded with options including a 454 V-8, and just 21,000 miles on its odometer, high bid at the auction’s close was just $15,000. A valve cover had been removed off the big-block and never replaced, so operational condition is a guess, but it was otherwise complete and unaltered.
Day 2 of the Lambrecth Chevrolet Company collection starts today at 9:30 a.m. where several hundred additional vehicles will be sold. Big crowds are expected and the weather forecast calls for a perfect day, so if you’re attending arrive early!
For more info and full results, visit Vanderbrink Auctions5
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