10 ‘hot lots’ at Auctions America’s Auburn Auction

One of our favorite weekends of the year is in Auburn, Indiana, over Labor Day weekend. There’s the huge number of museums in the area, the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club Reunion and ACD Festival and the giant Auctions America Auburn Fall Auction that is held annually at the auction park there. This sale offers everything from Duesenbergs to motorcycles, trucks and Volkswagens. Here are 10 notable vehicles that we most anticipate crossing the block.

To see the full lineup, which will be sold from Aug. 31 through Sept. 3, go to www.auctionsamerica.com.

1935 Willys 77 pickup

When is the last time you saw one of these? Any stock Willys is rare, but a stock pickup is the is the proverbial hen’s tooth. This one will get more attention than any gasser at the drags or Tri-Five Chevy at the local cruise-in, and the price is less than a new pickup. As a bonus, it can do double duty as a chore truck around the house.

The Nash Ambassador is a stealthy Full Classic that is rarely seen anywhere, even Classic Car Club of America events. This Ambassador represents the top-of-the-line Nash, and the 1932 model’s lines are as Classic as it gets on any scale. Its price also makes it a relatively affordable open Classic car, too.

Get your Yenko on with this documented Butternut Yellow 1969 Chevelle, one of just 99 built and 19 finished in this color. It even packs four-speed shifting control behind the L72 427 V-8. As a bonus, it sports the period-perfect torque-thrust style wheels. Fun has a price, but no Yenko owner has ever complained to us about the high price of admission.

It may end up being the most expensive AMC car to cross the block, but this unique 1974 Hornet has Bond credentials. The car was driven by Roger Moore in a wild stunt for the 007 film “The Man with the Golden Gun.” The winning bidder of this no-reserve lot will get a sweet piece of cinematic history and a wildly cool AMC car to boot.

The ultimate sporty Full Classic car is the roadster, and the ultimate Classic Cadillac may very well be the 1931 model. Classic roadsters command a premium, which is why the low presale estimate of $75,000-$90,000 for this V-8 version leaves us scratching our heads, especially for this beaut. Sure, it’s not a V-12 or V-16, but the cost of fuel and maintenance of the V-8 is lower yet it has the same great looks as the versions with more cylinders. Plus, these Cadillacs can have their build history can verified through Cadillac historical services. Someone may end up getting a sweet deal on this ’31 V-8 roadster, especially since the car is offered without reserve.

A 1956 Merc is a pretty sweet car, and we’re sure someone is bound to get stung with the “bidding bug” by this top-line Montclair’s bumblebee color combo. The yellow-and-black Mercury had a professional restoration and has received many awards since. We’re sure the most rewarding experience of ownership will be cruising in this Merc with its top down. The estimate shows it won’t be a cheap car (nor should it be), but the price is certainly less than the cost of restoration. However, it’s offered at no reserve so someone could sneak off with a steal.

There’s just something about the aura of an Indy pace car, and with its special gold-and-white paint scheme, the De Soto pace car version carries that aura in spades. 1950s finned MoPar convertibles often get big bucks in the six-figure range thanks to their wow factor, so the five-figure presale estimate of this 1956 DeS makes it looks like a potential steal.

Where on earth do you find a 1951 Pontiac sedan delivery? Well, if you’re at the Fall Auburn Auction, you’ll find two! We dig the “Pontiac” livery of this blue-and-gray version, plus its spotlight and illuminated hood ornament, as well as its “no reserve” sale status guaranteeing its sale, so we’re picking it as the one to watch.

The ultimate flathead Ford is the 1932, and there’s just something about the Deuce coupe variation, regardless of the number of windows. This five-window stocker offered by Auctions America carries the four-cylinder and a reasonable presale estimate and we’re sure it will find a good home at that price.

One of the hottest up-and-coming hobby cars is the 1980s Oldsmobile Cutlass, but those straight up on fire are the muscular Hurst/Olds and the 442 editions. Although these Oldsmobiles weren’t rip-roaring speed demons, they had the look and performance that was decent enough for the expectations of the era (expectations that, granted, were low). This version shows less than 40,000 miles and looks like it, too.