If your like me the childhood dreams of discovering a find like King Tuts tomb or a lost city in the jungles of Central America inspired by long hours reading books about adventuresome explorers are the inspiration behind countless road trips, hikes, and explorations on the road less traveled. I suppose that is why books such as The Cobra in the Barn are so popular.
Well, here is amazing discovery that should raise the bar in regard to stories of automotive treasures uncovered. This September, in tiny Pierce, Nebraska, the inventory of a long closed Chevrolet dealership will be crossing the auction block.
Imagine this – hundreds of automobiles, many never registered and with less than fifty original miles on the odometer, a full parts inventory spanning the period from the 1940s to the 1980s, and Chevy promotional material from the same period never taken out of the original packaging. Follow the link above and check out the video as well as inventory tab.
When I looked through the list of vehicles hidden in their dusty tomb for decades, my imagination was immediately overloaded. There is a 1958 Chevy Cameo with 1.3 miles on the odometer, several early 60s Chevy trucks with less than twenty miles, and a Chevy Impala or two of similar vintage with equally low mileage. Truly amazing, to say the very least.
Back when the majority of my writing was centered on unraveling the twisted history of the development and infancy of the American automobile industry I made a similar discovery even though it paled in comparison. My find was the long closed garage that had been the store house for a collector of Franklin built automobiles, and other antiques that caught his fancy such as barber chairs, cigarette machines, and gas station items.
The prize in that discovery was a beautiful 1929 Franklin sedan. With a hair of 20,000 miles on the odometer, and indoor storage for decades, the car was a true automotive time capsule.
Even though I am quite sure the rarity coupled with auction fever will drive the price for the automobiles crossing the auction block in Nebraska far beyond what my budget allows, it would be an interesting event to attend. I am quite sure this will provide fodder for many years of dreams.
