Museum: Portion of GM heritage car collection up for sale
As many as 250 vehicles may be auctioned
Barbara Wieland • bwieland@lsj.com • December 18, 2008 • From Lansing State Journal
General Motors Corp. is selling off a significant portion of its classic car collection at auction next month.
The Detroit automaker wouldn't say Wednesday how many cars will be sold at the Barrett-Jackson Auction, to be held Jan. 13-18 in Scottsdale, Ariz. But the director of the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum in Lansing said the number could be as high as 250 - one-quarter of the GM Heritage collection.
Tom Freiman, manager of the GM Heritage Center in Sterling Heights, said GM isn't getting rid of the collection that now has roughly 1,000 vehicles.
"We're thinning the herd, so to speak, but in a thoughtful way," he said.
Plans in the works
GM started making plans to auction off the cars earlier this year, before the company and other domestic automakers approached Congress for emergency loans. GM periodically sells off some of its collection of vehicles at auction, Freiman said.
GM plans to focus its collection on "milestone vehicles" and might even buy cars to add to the collection, he said.
However, Freiman acknowledged the offering in Arizona is larger than the number of vehicles GM typically auctions.
More vehicles will be sold in April at a car collectors' auction in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Freiman declined to say how many vehicles will be sold, but Deborah Horstik, executive director of the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum, set the figure at 250.
"The day we have been dreading is here," she said in an e-mail to several museum supporters.
Vehicles on loan
Horstik said the museum has five to seven vehicles on loan from the GM collection at any given time.
She was asked to get one of them, a 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass nicknamed "Darth Vader" that is on display, ready for auction.
Horstik said that vehicle is owned by the museum, not GM, and is gathering papers to prove it.
But whether any vehicles in the Lansing museum are sold or not, she said the decision is a sad one for people who value GM's heritage.
"It reminds me of when the last Oldsmobile was made, in April 2004," she said. "It really was like a knife in my heart."
__________________
Solstice and Sky Fan
Retired Solstice Forum Super Moderator (Apr 2005-July 2009)
YOU CAN BUY JAZZ, or the Red Bull Racer, or the weekend racer!
__________________
2008 Black/Black GXP, purchased 7/23 right off the train.
Mod#1 blacked-out headlights
Mod#2 GMPP Intake -I like to hear my turbo.
Mod#3 Special Sauce (23PSI)
Mod#4 Solo Street Race
Mod#5 Repaint w/ Custom Silver Stripes
'07 Charger R/T Mama's car
__________________
2008 Black/Black GXP, purchased 7/23 right off the train.
Mod#1 blacked-out headlights
Mod#2 GMPP Intake -I like to hear my turbo.
Mod#3 Special Sauce (23PSI)
Mod#4 Solo Street Race
Mod#5 Repaint w/ Custom Silver Stripes
'07 Charger R/T Mama's car
Location: In the land of clunk, grind, and leak: Getrag hell!
I see an awful lot of vehicles on there that, in my mind, wouldn't be worthy of a museum, and SHOULD go. Too many Vettes in that list, the vettes to hold would be one each for every body style. Pick up trucks? Puleeeze. Clear out the mundane, I can't imagine what the other 800 or so vehicles are, hopefully they're not holding on to any SUVs, there's NOTHING remarkable about any SUV, period. Or Van.
__________________
Vin 6384...83,200 miles...not all who wander are lost..
NASSOA(TM) Founding Team Solstice 2006
2009: Kerrville..St. Pats..TATL I..NASSM09..Lake Pepin..PVGP..Door IV..Dells IV..Penguin IV
Runs/Meets in '06: 13 '07: 13 '08: 7
Wow, they are selling Jazz. It will probably fetch 50k+ or some other high end price.
Anyone know if Barrett Jackson will be televised? Would love to watch it.
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
Linear Mode
