According To You: The One That Got Away
Hagerty loves stories about cars almost as much as they love the actual cars and trucks themselves. From a member story of a vehicle passed down from generation to generation, to the famous Ford-powered race car that beat Ferrari, there are fantastic stories in every corner of our hobby.
Recently, though, we wondered about the tales that could have been, particularly in the form of cars that got away. We asked members of the Hagerty Community for their thoughts on the matter. And yet again, you folks did not disappoint.
Hertz, don’t it?
@JJC: Early 1967, local Ford dealer had five Hertz GT350’s for sale $3500.00 each. I was in the process of buying a new Camaro L30/M21 at the time for a few hundred bucks less. I couldn’t see the logic in paying more money for a “used” car. Bad investment decision, but I did love the Camaro, wish I still had it. Ah well…
@Squier: In the late 60’s one of my salesmen was driving a Hertz Shelby 350H, black with gold stripes, stick (one of about 90 sticks—before they switched to automatics) as his daily driver. He grew tired of the stick and decided to sell it. I had driven it several times so he offered it to me for $2,500. I had a young family and no place to park it so I reluctantly decided to pass. I kick myself regularly and have a picture of that car as my screen saver on my phone.
No Slacking at Swap Meets?
@Mike: A 1972 Karmann Ghia Convertible at the opening of the Iola Old Car weekend in WI about six years ago. Just entered the swap area and this very nice car was up for $6500. I had the cash on me. I walked past after inspecting it and went to the loo telling the owner I would return. When I came back he just took a fat stack from the lucky buyer. Car was worth at least double…
Take Action at the Impound Auction
@David: Had a tip on a ’69 Camaro Z/28 at a city impound auction back around 1985. It was a mess; heads and intake were missing too. It was winter; cold and muddy but I brought a stack of bills. When the auction came to the car the auctioneer passed on to the next vehicle. I interrupted to ask about the Z and the auctioneer said it was already sold. Guess I never really had a chance!
Passed On Perfection?
@Wade: While renting a house and already having too many non-essential vehicles almost 11 years ago, I picked up my still-going commuter car (2005 Civic EX) for $5300. Approximately one week after that purchase, I found in my town a solid blue 1976 Chevy K5 Blazer, on the front lawn of the original owner.
Asking price was $6500 OBO and it checked every box of desirability for me: original condition (zero visible modifications), single ownership, “never seen snow, always garaged” (this was in Maine), 4×4, 350, 4-speed, white removable top, etc. Everything I could lay eyes on was legitimately near-perfect (…or perfect), down to the USA-1 plate on the front bumper. For many reasons, this truck was not an option for me at the time. Yes, I took pictures and yes, I review them occasionally and of course, I hate myself a little more every time. Still the most ridiculously clean K5 Blazer I’ve seen, for sale or otherwise.
I called the land line number scrawled on the cardboard in the window a little over a year later while in a better position but ignoring the impossibility of this thing not having sold in 2013. It was gone, naturally, and I’ve never seen it around.
Appreciate Before It Appreciated
@MtnCamantalope: During my first year of community college, strolling across the parking lot at the end of the day I saw a beautiful red NSX parked crooked all by itself in the back of the lot. I’d never seen one in person before and man, that thing was awesome. I went home and started searching for one of my own. Decent shape they were running $10-12k, $15k for a really nice one. I could have made it work, but it would have been my daily driver. I decided it would be irresponsible and I’d probably crash it anyway (definitely true). I said to myself “wait a few years so you can more comfortably afford one.” Yeah…
Intercepted By Your Bank Account
@TG: A Jensen Interceptor III. My local fairgrounds holds an annual swap meet, and I saw it there—running but not perfect—for 10K. I had never seen one or heard of them before, but I loved it… the ultimate sleeper car. Unfortunately I did not have 10K in discretionary capital at the time and had to pass. I have seen very few since, and none in running condition anywhere close to that price.
Don’t Judge Me
@MeJ: I guess mine was a ’69 GTO Judge. It was the 1990s and I owned an ’80 Corvette. I saw the Judge and inquired about a trade. The guy said the car had been there for a while and said it was doable. I thought, “Okay, I’ll be smart and think it through the weekend.” Sure enough, I decided it was a good deal, and a much more collectable car. I drove out ready to make the deal and—drum roll please—of course, it was sold.
@James: While traveling as an auditor in the late 90’s for a major bank that financed car dealerships, I would always drive by this body shop that had a 1971 Pontiac GTO convertible for sale in their lot for a few thousand dollars. I said, one day I’ll stop in and buy that vehicle. Then the department was sold and so went my job. I never saw that vehicle again. I also never knew that GM only made 17 of that model. Dohhhhh!
Don’t Check Facebook on Vacation?
@Bernard: This one wasn’t too long ago, on FB marketplace a few hundred miles from me, a pristine 2002 Miata with the LSD and the bigger of the available bodykits, unfortunately I only saw it due to being on vacation. By the time I could talk to my bank about getting the money it was in the wind.
The $5,100 AC Cobra
@Danny: It was 1987 I was coming home from a golf tournament through Pine Hurst N.C. I saw a sign for 1966 Cobra for sale for $5000. I stopped, looked, and it was an AC Cobra. The man would not take a deposit. I was an hour away from home had to get a trailer and come back to get it, and he said that would be ok.
When I pulled back into his driveway another person was loading it up on another trailer. He had offered him $100 more. I was mad and disappointed but what can you do? He showed me another car he had beside his garage he said he would take $500 for it. It had a rusty floor board and I had no desire for that rust bucket. Would love to have it now because it was a 1955 Porsche 356. Live and learn.
But They’d Rather Crush It
@BMD4800: Mid-1996, I was a poor college kid in Phoenix. Desert Valley Auto Parts was clearing out their less popular inventory and had them in line for the crusher. I spotted a ’63 Wildcat coupe with right quarter damage behind the door. I asked about it, the counter guy said it ran and drove, but no one wanted it so they were going to crush it. I asked the price, $2,200. All the cash I had to my name was $1,900. I offered $1,800. They said no. I offered $1,900 cash, they said no. I said I’ll go apply for a credit card and pay $2,200. Nope. Cash, or it was crushed. I watched them crush that car and swore I would tell everyone I could about that day: Desert Valley Auto Parts in Phoenix.
A “Minor” Problem With A Unimog
@Jeff: Around 20 years ago I had a handshake deal on a 1961 Unimog 404 Swiss Troop Carrier with only 14,000 KM. It was in excellent condition, including all the canvas. It even had the original tool kit with it (tools as in shovel, axe, etc). I was soon to purchase a 40 acre parcel of land where it would have been very handy. The seller had it priced at $7500. I told him I wanted it, but needed to arrange financing. We shook on it and a deposit was not needed (my mistake).
A few days later when I had the money and I contacted the seller, he told me that he had someone come by with cash and due to the urging of his wife, he sold it to that guy instead of waiting for me. I saw the same Unimog listed at a dealership a few weeks later for $17,500. So what did I do with the cash earmarked for the Unimog, I bought another vehicle of the same vintage but of the opposite variety, a 1961 Morris Minor.
“No Way”
@Brett: I know most will say “no way”, but when I was 12-13 and visiting my uncle outside Cleveland, my dad and uncle would go golfing. My cousin and I would go along and search for lost golf balls to sell later. On the ride to the golf course, I saw a car in a field on a trailer and I told my dad that it was Ferrari. My dad and uncle blew me off but on the drive back I made them stop.
I waded back through the weeds and there was a ratty looking faded red car on trailer with a roll cage an grooves cut in the hood that you could see the velocity stacks sticking up from the V-12. I was now convinced it was a Ferrari. My cousin and I knocked on the door to the house closest to it, and a lady came to the door with a couple small kids around her, we asked if the car was for sale. She said her husband generally never sells anything, and that was it.
About 10 years ago I saw an article about Innes Ireland being reunited with the Ferrari 250 GTO he raced back in the day with pictures of a faded red car, in a field, on a trailer, in a field of weeds, in a rural area outside Cleveland. Needless to say, the memories all rushed back, as there was the car. The one that got away. Go Google the article for Innes Ireland 250 GTO, it is a great read and some of the ones that come up have old pictures of the car.
@Gary: In 1984, I was offered a very nice Ferrari 250 convertible (I don’t recall which version) for $25,000. I had just started working full time and had just bought a house and it didn’t seem to be a prudent decision to buy a Ferrari. The seller was even willing to take monthly payments over three or four years with no interest added. By 1989, that car was worth more than $500,000 (to my recollection). Clearly I didn’t make the right decision. Nowadays it would probably cost nearly $25,000 to rent one of these for a day!
@Harry: Early ’70s, needed a car to drive 35 miles to work and back. Wound up in a Renault agency in West Chester PA, looking at R5 Le Cars. The manager had a car on consignment for $10K—a Ferrari Fantuzzi Special, V-12 red, beautiful, but it had no top—built as a spyder. I couldn’t see parking it in the street at work every day, rain or shine, so wound up with new Le Car. It was a bunch of fun to drive, but it certainly wasn’t a Ferrari.
Come Back, ‘Cuda!
@Ed: It hurts just to think about this car even today, though I lost it back in the mid 80s. It was a crushing blow that just gets deeper each year I see prices for just a rolling chassis of this car continue to climb.
I bought mine from the original owner for about $600. It was dark blue in and out, a 318 2 bbl auto, bucket seats with console, and only 1 dent under the driver’s side rear frame channel. It drove fine for about 3 yrs, then wouldn’t start and I couldn’t get inspection to renew plates. Then my apartment complex made me move it, I so moved it to my dad’s house. Then a neighbor called local city on it for not being currently licensed. There was no place found to store it, it was almost impounded, so I had to let it go to a junk yard for $50!
Now the kicker: it was a base example of my dream car…. a ’71 Barracuda with a perfect grille & straight sheet metal. Still got the production code sheet from the back seat. I need a stiff drink and tissue paper now.
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To @Mike: A 1972 Karmann Ghia Convertible … we were in a similar situation years ago. We saw a red 72 Ghia convertible @ Hershey and we figured it was now or never – even though I never thought I’d buy a car at a swap meet. So, my wife and I bought it. She owned a Ghia when she was in college, and we weren’t sure we would find another one it such good condition (100% original including Red paint that has not faded to pink). It is her “fun car” and resides nice and cozy in our dry/warm garage. We got it for $6,500 on the spot and drove it away later that weekend. So, that’s the one that didn’t get away. Happy ending.
’68 Corvette Convertible. Blue, white top and interior. 1977, $2500. I was 18 at the time and had just gotten my driver’s license back. Speeding tickets… Called my insurance company and was told to insure it was going to be a little over $200 a month. Thus the dream ended….
In ’69 I turned 16, got my drivers license. I had seen a 1967 corvette, white coupe 427/435, side pipes, of course all original at a dealership on Northern Blvd in Nausau County Long Island, NY. I told my father about it because he had offered to help buy me a car. On a sunny Saturday morning we went to the dealership and checked out the car. Salesman wanted $5000 for it. I looked at my dad and I could see the look on his face. It wasn’t the right look. I think if I’d of pushed it he might have caved in and bought it but I could see he wasn’t too happy about paying 5k for a 2 seater when he just bought a new Oldsmobile 98 for less than 3k. So we left. Maybe a good thing we didn’t buy it because at 16 I probably would have gotten in trouble with it but to this day I still think about the one I missed. Lastly, similar story in 1982 I met Bob Scorsone at Unique Corvette, Long Island, NY. Bob had an all original ’67 white coupe, tan leather interior, radio delete, all docs, POP etc. A doctor from Florida sold the car to Bob. If I recall correctly Bob wanted 35k for it. Last time the car sold at auction was for a ton, can’t remember at this moment what it sold for but it was a lot. Missed that one too, long story why I missed buying it but there it is. Jack
In 1975 I started the process to factory order a White 4 speed standard Bricklin, white in colour #6 with a four speed. I was on the final assembly line when the factory announced it was going out of business. Being a University student in my last year, I couldn’t come up with the cash to buy the car out of receivership and I lost my opportunity.
In late 1971 I ordered a Mulsane Blue 72 chevelle SS from Jack Lindsay Chevrolet in Pittsfield Mass with help from my uncle Charlie. It priced a little over $6000 with all the extras . Drove hat into 1974 when I had to trade it for a F100 as I was a married electricians apprentice. To this day I hate Fords. I have my plates NH 400 SS and the original order sheet. I suspect the SS would be over $125,000 now.
While in the market for a newer car in the summer of ’72 to replace my ratty 1960 Bel Air, a guy in my outfit had a ’66 Impala SS, 427, 390 HP bench seat automatic with 81,000 miles. In those days 100K was considered worn out, but this car was in nice shape and he wanted $600 for it. I himmed and hawd, looked at a ’69 SS 396 Chevelle with 60K on it for $2,000 (but only worth $1800) and then settled on a new Nova V8 coupe for $2500.
I guess I could say that two got away that summer (especially the ’66 SS Impala) but at least I still have the Nova.
Northern New Jersey, 1981, was offered a 1963 Galaxie “R” code, fastback. Needed engine rebuild and general restoration. Owner was asking $2,500., but I didn’t have the extra cash. Had fiberglass fenders, hood, etc. cheap bucket seats. It was a “LIGHTWEIGHT”!!
My story is of a ’65 Mustang. In 1980 I was about to get my license, and I looked at a white 289 that belonged to an older classmate who was headed off to college. I took it to my best friend’s dad who was a mechanic on his days off from the fire dept, but he said he could hear the lifters ticking and advised me that $500 was too much to pay. Three weeks later I paid double that for a ’75 Vega. Six years later I graduated college and gave up the thoroughly rusted out Vega, but my friend was still driving that same Mustang.
Yeah, In the annals of my dumb car moves: I sold my Austin Healy 1004 in perfect (for me) condition. I should have known better as the guy paid me 5 times what I had paid for it. Dumb car move #2. I turned down the chance to buy a GT40 from Comstock racing for $10,000…….and I had the cash……boo hoo.
In 2000 I came extremely close to buying a 1967 Amphicar. Had wanted one since I was 19 years old. Car was fully functioning and at $5,000, I finally had the money to make the purchase. Was getting serious with my girlfriend at the time and decided to buy an engagement ring instead. 20 years and two sons later, its better that the car got away instead of the girl! Still wish it was in my garage today though …
OMG this really brought back the cars I had in high school up and beyond. 1968 Skylark installed a 455 Buick stage one, 1968 GS 350 4 speed installed 4.88 gears, 1970 GS 350 tub it to make it a race car, 1984 Shelby Charger and then I bought a 1969 Corvette 4 speed 350/350 3.73 gears. I still have that one almost lost it in my divorce. If I had only keep them all??????
For me? During the summer of 1983, I was working 2 jobs to be able to buy a car for my senior year in high school. One day, my buddy and I were riding along is his Vega wagon, when I saw a car lot filled with Edsels.
Like a private hoard right in the middle of suburbia Lakewood, Co. I screamed WOW! and had George pull over.
We walked up to the old house surrounded by the lemon grove and an old gentleman came out.
He was unkempt, disheveled and grey and frail. I told him I would love to have an Edsel as my first car. He nodded and walked us through the cars.
“The ’58’s are valuable, son. No one wants the ’59’s, and the ’60 would probably be the car for you.”
And there it was. A 1960 Edsel Ranger. 2 door hardtop on the Ford Starliner platform. The car was white, with a blue interior, automatic with a 292 Y Block.
“How much?”
“$500 and you can drive it home, kid.” I explained about my jobs and saving for a car, and he said he’d hold it for me.
I told my Dad that evening, and we drove over to see the car. My Dad was a very experienced car guy, and that is where I got the passion for old cars. He approved of it and we drove home. And I dreamt of driving that amazing car.
One day in August, I was taking a nap when my Dad knocked on my door and said that something was amiss at the car lot. We hot lapped over their to see that all of the cars were gone, and a notification was pinned to the chain link fence
SEIZED BY IRS FOR BACK TAXES.
I still want one of those cars. However- I do now own a ’59 Edsel Ranger 2 dr hardtop.
Not so much got away as had and let go. I had a ’71 Cutlass convertible when I got married. Sold it as it needed some work and our marriage was just starting. Several years later at a local car show I see a fully restored W30 clone and tell the owner of my old car. He pulled his scrap book out and low and behold it was my old car! I wish I could have kept the car but it made me happy to know that someone gave it all that love!
I can attest to the fact that the 250 GTO was indeed on a trailer in a field next to a barn. This was on the roads of Clevelands Metro Park. This was probably 40 or 50 years ago. It still had a tech sticker affixed for the race in the Bahamas. When I mentiioned it to my brother, he and his friend went looking for it, and from what I remember received about the same response from the owner. While they were there the peeked in the barn, and supposedly there were several other treasures in there, since i did not see them I will not try to name them, I don’t have any idea of what became of them. As a side note I found out about the Ferrari when I inquired about a Lamboghini Miura at a gas station with a front wheel missing, or removed to deter theft.
1963 split window silver clean lines
In 1977 my wife and I traveled to South Carolina to buy a split window. I had 6k they wanted 10k. Went home without corvette.