Auction Results: VanDerBrink Lambrecht Chevrolet sale

The most famous auction to occur this year wasn’t in Arizona or Pebble Beach — it happened in Nebraska. Pierce, Neb., to be exact, a town with fewer than 2,000 residents located two hours northwest of Omaha. The town swelled past 10,000 people, if not twice that, for the Sept. 28-29, 2013, auction, where more than 500 Chevrolets and other American marques — many barely driven — from Ray Lambrecht’s dealership were put under the hammer. In total, all 503 vehicles sold for slightly more than $3.0M, including buyer’s premium.

“Barely driven” and “pristine” are not interchangeable terms, of course, and most of the Lambrecht cars had endured decades of outdoor storage to become restoration candidates rather than preservation pieces. Prices paid generally confirmed this, as the median sale was $2,200. Those vehicles that did represent once-in-a-lifetime survivor opportunities didn’t disappoint, however, with bids initially pumped up with presale Internet interest and then finished off by the excited crowd. Proof of this is in the event’s top sale, which was a 1.3-mile 1958 Chevrolet 3100 Cameo pickup that sold for $147,000, as well as a 4-mile 1978 Corvette Pace Car that traded for $84,000. Most of the low-mile cars were gone by Sunday, however, and prices settled down to more accurately reflect the condition of the vehicles on offer.

Top 10

1. 1958 Chevrolet 3100 Cameo Pickup sold for $147,000
2. 1963 Chevrolet Impala Hardtop Coupe sold for $105,300
3. 1958 Chevrolet 3100 Apache Pickup sold for $86,400
4. 1978 Chevrolet Corvette Pace Car Coupe sold for $84,000
5. 1964 Chevrolet Impala Hardtop Coupe sold for $78,750
6. 1965 Chevrolet Impala 396 Hardtop Coupe sold for $76,125
7. 1960 Chevrolet 3100 Apache Pickup sold for $48,300
8. 1965 Chevrolet Impala 396 Hardtop Coupe sold for $47,250
9. 1963 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Coupe sold for $44,100
10. 1963 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Coupe sold for $42,000

VanDerBrink returns to normal operations on Oct. 19, 2013, in Farmington, Minn, with the Ted Arneson Collection and the Don Miller Collection, together comprising dozens of vintage Cadillacs and Fords.

Editor’s note: this story was originally published with some incorrect buyer’s premiums added to the sale prices.