Mike, you make an excellent point....
On watching the auction Friday night, an '89 red Avanti convertible was
driven onstage, with Al Jardine (of Beach Boys fame), pitching beach balls
into the crowd, wearing a hawaiian shirt, etc, with a Beach Boys song playing
in the background. The car itself was in pristine condition, but, let's face
it, Avanti fans are not large in number. That said, the car sold for over
$27,000, or nearly $10,000 over market value. The commentators did note that
this was on the high side for such a car.
On the other hand, this was the only instance I saw where celebrity played a
part in jacking up the price of a car on the block. Two of Jerry Seinfeld's
Porsches were auctioned off, both in, of course, incredible condition.
Seinfeld did not attend, and the cars sold at reasonable prices.
Arie Lyundike (sp), winner of the Indy 500, drove his Ferrari 360 Modena
onstage. Bidding stalled at around $150,000, he removed the reserve bid, and
the car was sold. The car in question is currently sold out, and there is a
waiting list. Most buyers would have to have paid nearly $200,000 for such a
car, given market conditions.
My last example was when Bob Bondurant drove up in a Ford GT-40. Goosing the
throttle coming onstage, the sound was incredible, and the crowd went nuts.
Still, bidding on the car went way over $300,000, and the car did not meet
its reserve, and that was that.
Tom
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