Auction Preview: Greensboro Auto Auction 2015
The summer running of North Carolina’s Greensboro Auto Auction (they have another sale in November) will take place from July 23-25, 2015, with about 500 collector vehicles expected to cross the block. The Greensboro sale typically brings out more attainable classics and there are more than a few no-reserve lots, so it’s an appealing auction for those of us on a budget. Here are five vehicles that have piqued our interest:
1970 Ford Torino Cobra
Hagerty Price Guide: $30,500 – $83,200
The Cobra Jet-powered Torino Cobra packed a lot of performance into an attractive shape (either SportsRoof or Hardtop) and had legitimate motorsports pedigree. Considering the amount of car you get, they are also relatively affordable, and values for them haven’t moved much over the last few years. The 1970 example available at Greensboro is ideally equipped with a four-speed, Traction-Lok, power steering, Magnum 500 wheels and Protect-O-Plate.
1949 Crosley CD Station Wagon
Hagerty Price Guide: $4,700 – $18,500
The Crosley wagon at Greensboro won’t appeal to the originality and authenticity crowd thanks to its newer wheels, lightly customized interior and, more importantly, its engine. The original Crosley unit was swapped for a Mazda B220 inline four from a 1980s pickup and mated to a five-speed. These are all things that detract from value, but in its current form this Crosley will be both more reliable and able to keep up with modern traffic. Plus, it would make a great promo vehicle for a small business or a neat trackside accessory/parts hauler at any vintage race.
1962 Studebaker Champ Pickup
Hagerty Price Guide: $26,0$6,400 00
Any gathering of classic trucks is going to have a sea of Chevys and Fords, so one surefire way to stand out would be in a Studebaker, as plenty of people have forgotten that Studebaker even made trucks. This has been reflected in values. Prices for the 1960-64 Champ have risen along with the general growth in the vintage truck market, but not as much as some of the more popular models.
1951 Daimler DB18
Hagerty Price Guide: N/A
The appealing thing about a vintage Daimler is that it has similar styling to a contemporary Rolls-Royce or Bentley, but usually costs considerably less. The Greensboro example is an unrestored car that appears clean and dry. It also wears attractive and characteristically swoopy Hooper coachwork. Hooper was actually a subsidiary of Daimler at the time, but also did bodies for Rolls-Royce and Bentley, and a casual observer might very well mistake this car for one.
1979 Datsun 280ZX
Hagerty Price Guide: $3,500 – $19,300
While the Datsun 240Z was a highly significant automobile that has gained much appreciation among collectors recently, the later, fatter 280ZX that replaced the original Z-cars hasn’t gotten much love and values have remained flat. There are always exceptions, however, and the 280ZX that will cross the block in Greensboro has actually been restored and must be one of the nicest ones around. The 280ZX appeals to people of a certain age who have personal ties to these cars rather than interest in their performance. If there are enough of those people in the room on auction day it could lead to a surprising price. If not, expect it to do the four- to low five-figure number that most of these cars do.
