Across The Block: Carlisle Auctions, Lakeland, Florida
Well, that didn’t go as planned. Though, working from a baseball analogy, batting .250 isn’t too bad. More on last week’s picks later — on to the new stuff in sunny Florida!
For years, Carlisle has been shorthand for a series of massive swap meets in a central Pennsylvania town. I’ve not had the pleasure of a Carlisle event yet, but I’m imagining a million-acre orgy of rusty cars and parts. In other words, heaven.
Carlisle Events has a variety of yearly shows that are focused on various sects of the hobby — one each for Chevrolet, Ford, and Mopar, as well as events for trucks, Corvettes, and even import and kit cars. They’ve branched out beyond the Northeast to host some events in central Florida, including this weekend’s Fall Florida Autofest.
Hundreds of interesting classics are crossing the block in Lakeland, Florida, including five that caught my eye. Carlisle doesn’t seem to publish estimated sale prices, so I’ll have to make some guesses.
The TC is the OG sports car, at least for Americans who fell in love with the diminutive size and spritely handling when stationed in the UK after the Second World War, and brought them home. With something like 40 horsepower, it’s not at all quick, especially on the three-inch wide bias-ply tires wrapped around those wire wheels.
But, damn if it doesn’t look good.
There are always a few of these for sale on eBay or elsewhere on the web — and I always seem to see them selling for around $40,000 unless they are seriously rough. This one isn’t perfect, and we can’t see whether the wooden frame is solid.
My guess: $32,000.
Jeeps always get love, especially when customized. While most have lift kits to raise the ride height, this long-wheelbase CJ-8 Scrambler has a rear body built from marine-grade lumber to create something of a Jeep Town & Country.
The floorpans look good enough, as they say, to eat from — the restoration and customization clearly was extensive and expensive. The Scrambler has become a sought-after collectible among Jeep people, often bringing numbers that would buy a brand-new Wrangler.
My guess: $55,000.
The love for the GM 3800 V6 among this crowd runs deep. The Reatta was one of the more unusual cars powered by the venerable engine. This one isn’t particularly remarkable — the wheels need some serious cleaning, though it looks to be straight with solid paint in the few photos we see. I always enjoyed seeing these on the road.
My guess: $5,000.
I was nearly fooled. The listing for this auction called this a Jaguar Mark II, but the distinctive scalloped grille, combined with the 2.5-liter V8 under the bonnet means this is from Jaguar’s upmarket cousin Daimler.
These were the ultimate sports sedan of the era. Upmarket luxury combined with excellent performance made these a popular choice. This one has been perfectly restored, having won top marks from a Jaguar club concours.
My guess: $35,000.
The baby of a Washington hot rodder, the Corvette Avelate was an attempt to emulate the iconic 1963 Split-Window Corvette coupe atop the then-current C5 chassis. They tossed in some early-’Vette side coves for good measure.
The auction notes that this car was number 5 of 11 built in 2002. It’s certainly a unique car, but I’m not certain it will fetch significantly more than a stock C5 of the same era.
My guess: $18,000.
Clearly, I need more practice. I’m calling the Volkswagen a win, since the bid went over the auction house estimate – but I was way off on the other three.
1969 AMC “Big Bad” Javelin SST
Mecum estimate: $50,000–75,000
My guess: $30,000
Selling price: $57,500
Mecum estimate: $100,000-125,000
My guess: $45,000
Selling price: $85,000
Mecum estimate: $45,000-55,000
My guess: $22,000
Bid to (NOT SOLD): $47,000
1969 Volkswagen Squareback Custom
Mecum estimate: $7,000-8,000
My guess: $12,000
Selling price: $10,500
[Images: Carlisle Events]
Some enthusiasts say they were born with gasoline in their veins. Chris Tonn, on the other hand, had rust flakes in his eyes nearly since birth. Living in salty Ohio and being hopelessly addicted to vintage British and Japanese steel will do that to you. His work has appeared in eBay Motors, Hagerty, The Truth About Cars, Reader's Digest, AutoGuide, Family Handyman, and Jalopnik. He is a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Association, and he's currently looking for the safety glasses he just set down somewhere.
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You're off on the Reatta. The body doesn't look that great, and it's a pre-airbag model with the older interior version, old gauge cluster, and CRT in the center, and it's not a convertible. It's a common, uninteresting color. It's the worst of the Reattas.
I've got a soft spot for the Reatta, they're underappreciated. I drove my dad's '91 'vert on the weekend with the nice weather and enjoyed it.