$12,200 for Series II

I’m in shock!!!!
I just returned from an estate auction. Most items were from a nicely outfitted machine shop. And there were tractors – lots of tractors, mostly Olivers – and a good listing of farm equipment. And there were two Dodge trucks and a Dodge sedan.

And a 1961 Series II Sunbeam Alpine. I went over the car from top to bottom, front to back – you all know the drill.

Body – decent overall, solid rockers, surface rust only on the floors and trunk. The underside had the usual Sunbeam oil and appeared to be solid. Hard to tell for sure as it was not elevated. The bonnet had a couple of dings as did the rear quarter panels. The doors were nice – usual need for anti-rattle strips – and all the glass was nice – no delamination. Bumpers were straight and would be super with a polishing. Other brightwork equally nice. Paint job was ok at 20 feet – had a few blemishes and touchup spots. All lights and lenses were in very nice used condition.

Interior – all gauges looked good with clean glass and nice bezels. Switch handles showed the usual deterioration. Dash was quite nice – even the cubby box was good. The steering wheel/horn ring was intact. The hub was badly cracked. Seats were okay but would benefit from a rebuild and recover. The console definitely needed a recover. The rubber floor mat was likely original and okay considering the age. The package shelf needed to be redone. The battery box cover had been removed. The interior smelled moldy.

The hardtop was removed from the car. All glass was either missing or needed replacing. All the rear window trim was in very nice condition. I do not know the condition of the soft top as it was not erected and the three panels were all closed.

The engine compartment was "used" and dirty. The generator had been replaced with an alternator. The air cleaners were full of dirt and debris. The brake and clutch MC’s must have been recently filled as there was brake fluid evident on both as well as the hydraulic lines. Both the brakes and the clutch worked, though. The radiator was topped up with water – no evidence of coolant. The hoses were all intact, but old. Radiator hoses were very soft. The engine did start and run after a bit of coaxing. I was not able to assess oil pressure as I was not able to see the gauge from my vantage point. The engine was run only for 30 seconds or so – not long enough to evaluate.

The license plate on the car was from 1961. I am not sure if that was the last time it was registered. The car had always been in the machine shed – cement floor, heated, dry – since it was driven to sunny SD from California.

All in all the car was in decent restoreable condition – and probably okay as is for a daily driver. I have seen much better examples,though, that have sold for $3500-$3900.

Now this is why I am in shock. The selling price was $12,200! Yep, folks, you saw it correctly – $12,200!!!!! The bidding was spirited between 3 bidders up to $10,000 and continued up to the selling price with two others. I spoke to the gentleman whose last bid was $12,000. When I asked him if he had any history or knowldege of Alpines he replied, " no – I just thought it was a cute car".

Now here is the wierd part. The winning bidders were an elderly couple that bid from their car! The car, complete with handicap stickers, was parked close to the Sunbeam and the auction helpers relayed their bid for them. The couple had been on site for a couple of hours and I never saw them leave their brand new shiney Flexfuel Ford SUV. I’d sure like to know the reason they wanted the car.

Okay, so this is much longer than my usual postings. As I said at the outset, I am in shock! I guess my cars might be worth more on a SD auction than on the usual sites! . Just kidding folks!

still in shock!
__________________
from sunny South Dakota,

Paul