Wherein our columnist recalls his never ending hunt…
by Wallace Wyss –
I have for some years now refrained from advertising myself as a barn finder. There’s a reason for that. In the old days I was married to a lady who worked for a major airline. So if I got word of say a Jaguar E-type in Baton Rouge, I’d go down to the airport and get a ticket (marry me fly free).
I had a group in New York that collected cars and they would Fed Ex me a cashier’s check made out to the owner if I had their name. We didn’t care what condition the car was in. That was in the ’80s and we knew about what certain models went for–say a 300SL Mercedes or a Bentley Continental.
I even bought an Iso Grifo coupe for myself but kept it only a week and sold it for a mere $1000 profit for $14,000 or so, big money then. As I was saying I turn the other way when the sirens sound of a collector car is heard. But I finally today succumbed to temptation, when going by an apartment house, seeing the open gate. I had to see what was under that car cover. The shape, seen from the street was a 300SL. A gullwing coupe would be worth about $800,000 (much more if all aluminum) but its successor, the roadster, maybe $450K and up.
So today when I saw the gate open I popped in. I turned around and aimed my car toward the gate which stayed open for a quick getaway. A couple in another car were watching me. I smiled and said “I just hafta see if this is my favorite car”. When I lifted the tarp from the side, it had no blisters over the wheelwells. Alas that meant no 300SL. So I went around the front. Lifted the tarp. A chrome grille announced it was a ’56 or ’57 Corvette. I dropped the tarp. “Not a Mercedes” I yelled out to the witnesses.
Sure a stick shift ’56 or ’57 Corvette could be worth maybe $45,000 but I don’t have the group of buyers with ready cash any more. Maybe if I sell my novel’s screen rights I’d have enough to write the owner a letter, based on his parking slot number.
Then there’s another one, a mile away from the Corvette. I’ve seen that replicar (close to a Jag prewar SS100) on the road. Not done right, but OK to gad about in. It’s covered by a tarp but I’ve seen it on the road. I’d only give $4500 for it.
A replica is a replica is a replica. Not much to see compared to a real car. But I dream on…
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
THE AUTHOR Wallace Wyss started out in advertising where he wrote ads for two of the Big Three. He has owned a variety of sports cars from a 356 Porsche, to front engined and mid-engine Ferraris to a brace of Mercedes Gullwings.
Mooi verhaal .
“Nice story”