Horde of barn-find Pontiacs up for grabs in Kansas
When Pontiac fanatic Bernie Larson passed away in 2020 at the age of 79, he left behind a tremendous collection of his favorite cars. His stash, located in Tonganoxie, Kansas, is going up for sale on June 12, administered by VanDerBrink Auctions.
Larson was a retired postal worker who, year after year, visited swap meets in search of second-generation Pontiac Firebirds. The wide variety of his collection is testament to his success: A video posted by the auction house shows a barn with a few second-gen Trans Ams and Firebirds in the 1977–81 range followed by an even bigger building with a 1978 Trans Am and several earlier second-generation Trans Ams, including a 1974 Super Duty.
A few high points among Larson’s cache, according to the VanDerBrink auction listing, are a pair of four-speed 1978 Trans Ams and two four-speed 1979 10th Anniversary Trans Ams. That’s not to mention a 1981 Turbo Trans Am, with various Formula models, and at least one Chevy-305-powered Esprit sprinkled in for good measure.
In addition to the cars, many of which appear to be dusty but complete, Larson’s garages are stuffed with a generous collection of original Pontiac parts, including seats and hoods. An entire wall of one garage is filled with a wooden rack that store wheels three rows high. Yet another building has rows of cylinder heads, intakes, and 350, 400, and 455 engines on stands.
The crew at VanDerBrink is currently cleaning the cars and, when possible, reuniting them with their hoods and engines. More details are on the way, but, once the individual listings are posted, you should still have plenty of time to evaluate the lots and decide whether a summer trip to Kansas is in your future.
