Nov. 16-18 in Palm Springs
After 26 years in Palm Springs selling classic cars and trucks, Keith McCormick said, “I never know what is going to show up at the next auction, but I am always pleasantly surprised.”
The auction, set for Nov. 16-18 at the Spa Resort Casino in downtown Palm Springs, will showcase nearly 600 vehicles, some rarely seen. They range from a hard-to-find 1966 21-window VW bus to a pristine 1962 Austin Healey 3000 sporting an extensive restoration by Kurt Tanner.
“If you are not shopping for your dream car, just show up with your camera,” McCormick said, “and enjoy the day.” Vehicles can sell for a few thousand dollars up to six figures.
McCormick’s Collector Car Auction opens on Friday at 3 p.m. and is free and open to the public. It continues on Saturday and Sunday, with tickets selling for $15 for one day or $25 for two days. The tickets include $10 worth of free cash play complements of the Spa Resort Casino.
Other noteworthy cars include a mechanically perfect 1949 Chevrolet five-window pickup truck with less than 100 miles driven since a full restoration that included new chrome, glass and interior upholstery. A 1953 Jaguar XK 120 Roadster is investment grade with a jet-black exterior and a proper red and biscuit interior. A 2010 Shelby Cobra Replica boasts a 600 horsepower Roush P51engine.
While attendance has been increasing, “The trend has been toward more high-end and rare cars,” McCormick said. Investors are finding a safe haven for their money in a tangable asset. The auction last February generated well over 6 million in gross income with 450 cars sold. It produced roughly $250,000 in state sales tax, of which $40,000 returns directly to Palm Springs, he said.
The auction is a boom to the local economy, hiring 100 contract workers who check in cars and process paperwork, handle security, drive the cars in and out of the auction tent, and handle a myriad other duties. Attendance exceeded 7,000 people per day for a combined total of about 20,000 plus during the three-day event.
The auction will stream live via the Internet for three days and people who register in advance may bid for cars by phone. At the previous auction, people tuned in from across the United States, Europe and New Zealand to bid on cars.
Four cameras will be set up to show different views of each car as it passes through the auction tent. A special bank of phones will be set up to receive telephone bids. To connect to the live broadcast and receive registration information, go to www.classic-caraution.com
“ People bidding by telephone will have to register in advance and follow the same procedures as people attending the auction,” McCormick noted. Bidding requires a $30 registration fee and a “good faith deposit,” which is refunded if nothing is purchased.
For more information and a description of cars to be auctioned, go to www.Classic-CarAuction.com.
If you go
McCormick’s Palm Springs Collector Car Auction
Spa Resort Casino in Palm Springs
Friday, Nov. 16, 3pm to 9 p.m., Free
Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
One day pass, $15; two days $25
(760) 320-3290
For more information or an interview, contact
Keith or Jason McCormick,
keith@classic-carauctions.com or Jason@classic-carauctions.com
Palm Springs Collector Car Auction
(760) 320-3290 or 2850
Comments are closed.