Spring Carlisle Auction, April 2024

Carlisle Events held its annual Spring Auction this year on Thursday and Friday, April 18 and 19. For as long as I can remember, the Spring (and Fall) Carlisle Auctions have been held inside the Expo Center, across the street from the Carlisle Fairgrounds. I believe that the building was erected about 10-12 years ago specifically as an auction site. This year, the shelter was welcomed, thanks to the changeable weather (cool temps, occasional drizzle) I experienced on both days.

I eyeballed the lots on the Carlisle website in the days leading up to the event and found it disappointing that compared to previous years, nothing I saw on the screen got me very excited. For the most part, that remained true during my in-person inspections as well, although there were a few cars sold for what seemed like almost-bargain prices, which drove me to go inspect them post-sale. This year, I found the patience to sit through much more of the actual auction, and the big news here was the incredibly low sell-through rate.

On Thursday, I watched 71 cars cross the block and 31 sold, for a 43.7% selling percentage. Friday’s numbers were almost identical: I saw 139 cars in live-action bidding, and 62 found new homes, for a 44.6% sales rate. Combined, I witnessed 210 cars reach the block with 93 trading hands, for an abysmal two-day sell-through rate of 44.3%. (I have witnessed percentages at Mecum and RM Sotheby’s closer to 70%-90%.) Carlisle, unlike some other auction companies, makes no effort to negotiate reserves with sellers, which leads some consignors to slap unreasonably high reserves on the cars. Additionally, many bidders are dealers who are not going to pay above wholesale prices. This accounts for this end result.

This wasn’t for lack of effort on the part of the auction staff, all of whom kept themselves actively engaged with the audience (a bit thin on Thursday, and much more crowded on Friday). During introductions, I learned some new job titles. The men who stand out front and/or wander into the audience to make eye contact with bidders, barking at the auctioneer when they get a live one, are “Ringmen”. And when the vehicle owner is required to stand next to the auction block, an employee known as the “Grinder” is there to persuade him/her to lower their reserve. I presume the job title relates to their expertise at grinding the owners down until they relent.

An amusing trend this year was the number of cars with personal items left inside which should have been removed during prep. Cell phone holders, garage door openers, music tapes, and spare parts were found in numerous cars. Had I pinched them, no one would have been the wiser (but I’ve long had no reason to own an 8-track copy of “Goat’s Head Soup” by the Rolling Stones).

Below are details on 9 cars which sold; a few other cars which failed to meet reserve are included as well. Prices are hammer prices and do not include buyer’s fees. As always on Richard’s Car Blog, entries are listed in ascending sale price order. While I personally found the overall selections lackluster, I still maintain, as I have for years, that an auction offers a possible opportunity for a collector who’s open-minded to score an interesting toy for not too much change. Let me know if you see anything below that you would have bought for the sale price had you been present.

Lot 102, 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class convertible

SOLD FOR $3,250

Silver paint, black convertible top, black leather interior, chrome factory wheels, trunk lid lip spoiler. Digital odometer reads 134,257 miles, not outlandish for an 18-year-old German car. Biggest notable flaw: driver’s seat-mounted side air bag has deployed and has not been repaired. If this car runs and drives (it was driven across the block), the buyer will fix the seat and flip it for a profit.

Lot 105, 2001 Jaguar XJ8 sedan

SOLD FOR $4,500

This lot was declared unsold at a bid of $3,750 and was sold post-block. Medium blue metallic, light beige interior, 5-digit odometer reads 68,595 miles (could that be 168,595?). No obvious defects spotted during cursory look. Whether this is a good deal or not greatly depends on a Carfax or similar clarifying the car’s true mileage.

Lot 525, 1994 Ford Mustang convertible

SOLD FOR $8,250

Red paint, tan top and interior, factory alloys, 5.0 V8 with automatic, 6-digit odometer reads 082,496. Sign on car claims it was Texas car and that everything works. This new style Mustang which debuted after a very long run of the Fox-body was not a big favorite with the Mustang crowd. Nevertheless, the combination of eight cylinders and top-down motoring for under 10 grand puts this one in the Win column.

Lot 520, 1984 Nissan 300ZX

SOLD FOR $8,500

Red paint, grey cloth (velour) interior, T-tops, V6 with 5-speed, 6-digit odometer reads 112,849 miles. Sign on car claims one-family owned since new. I thought this may have been the deal of the day among the cars I watched cross the block. The car was very clean overall and very difficult to cosmetically fault in any way.

Lot 132, 1940 Buick sedan

SOLD FOR $8,750

Black paint, wide whitewall tires, beige mohair interior. Drivetrain not noted but presumably straight-8 with 3-speed manual. Rear-hinged rear doors. Paint looks decent, glass is all good, interior looks new, biggest glaring fault is a badly cracked steering wheel. This car proves that there is still interest in pre-war cars, and this vehicle would be an excellent entry in a Glidden Tour.

Lot 176.1, 1965 Chevrolet Corvair convertible

SOLD FOR $11,000

Yellow paint, black convertible top, full wheel covers, whitewall tires. black vinyl interior. Six-cylinder engine with four 1-barrel carbs, four-speed manual transmission. Based on what I have seen Corvairs sell for on Bring a Trailer, someone got a very nice 2^nd gen Corvair convertible for a very good price.

Lot 512, 1961 Mercury Comet S22 2-door sedan

SOLD FOR $11,500

This car was a no-sale at a top bid of $7,500 and was sold post-block. Black paint, red vinyl interior, buckets, center console. Inline 6, 144 cubic inches, automatic. Sign on car claims 31,214 original miles, and appearance could support that. I loved this car for its rarity and its cheeky no-nonsense appearance. I have not seen one of these since my college roommate drove one in 1975! Despite its overall condition, I thought that the $7,500 bid I witnessed was “all the money”, but someone thought enough of it to step up to the owner’s reserve.

Lot 547, 1985 Nissan 300ZX 2+2

SOLD FOR $15,000

White paint, red velour interior, T-tops, rear window louvers, factory alloys, 6-digit odometer reads 067,553 miles. Very clean overall, but the extended wheelbase of the 2+2 severely detracts from the styling. Compare this to the ’84 300ZX Lot 520 described above, and 520 now looks like even more of a bargain.

Lot 519, 1972 Plymouth Barracuda

SOLD FOR $38,000

White, black side stripes, black vinyl top, black vinyl interior, trunk lid spoiler. Engine is 340 4-barrel backed by 4-speed manual. Five-digit odometer reads 65,609. This was the only E-body Mopar at this auction, and sold for more than I expected, although I am out of touch with these ‘70s muscle car prices.

NOTABLE NO-SALES

Lot 250, 2000 Ford Mustang convertible

BID TO $7,250, NOT SOLD

Dark red metallic paint, black convertible top, light grey interior. Engine is 3.8L V6, with 5-speed manual. Six-digit odometer reads 025,391, and Carfax report which I obtained backs that up. The car did not have a nick, scratch, or door ding on it. The front bumper remained undrilled for a plate. Driver’s seat bolster showed slight wear. I had a chance to speak with the consignor, who told me that the car had been owned by an elderly gentleman who never drove it in the rain and always garaged it. When he passed away the consignor bought it to bring here. The auctioneer announced that the reserve was $10,000 which, even in this condition, is a bit rich given that one can get V8 convertibles for that money. Still, I found this one of the most intriguing cars at the auction.

Lot 530.1, 1986 Mazda RX-7 coupe

BID TO $7,500, NOT SOLD

Blue metallic paint, grey cloth interior, factory alloys, front bra, six-digit odometer reads 105,542 miles. Sign on car claims original owner, “quality repaint” in 2008, and new tires. Aftermarket items include new stereo and exhaust. These 2^nd gen RX-7s have taken off in recent months, and I agree that the high bid was a little light. My guess is that 10 grand would have taken it home.

Lot 215, 1970 Cadillac Eldorado

BID TO $16,000, NOT SOLD

Green paint, black vinyl top, green cloth interior, full wheel covers, whitewall tires, 5-digit odometer reads 91,251 miles, 500 cubic inch V8, 3-speed automatic, FWD. Some paint bubbling near vinyl roof, water stains on driver’s seat upholstery. The 1967 Eldorado was another smash hit for GM, and with the exception of the headlights now being fully exposed, this 1970 model was essentially unchanged. I don’t see this generation Eldo at auctions too often; I feel that the consignor could have accepted the high bid as a reasonable price considering its condition and moved on.

Lot 529, 1965 Plymouth Satellite 2-door hardtop

BID TO $28,000, NOT SOLD

Gold metallic paint, black painted roof, gold wheels with dog dish hubcaps, two-tone gold interior. Underhood is 426 wedge V8 with 3-speed 727 automatic. Sign on car claims power steering, power brakes, power windows, Plymouth AM radio. These cars are rare in any condition and this one looked very well sorted. The Mopar interiors of this time period are light, airy, and have an almost delicate appearance to them compared to their domestic competition. Given the high-quality look to the restoration combined with the high-horse powertrain, I agree that the bid was light; but what is it really worth?

END SHOTS

AROC-NJ Breakfast Meet, April 21, 2024

April 21, 2024 RichardReina Drives, Events Americana Diner, AROC NJ Chapter

What a turnout! With 10 Alfa Romeos of various vintages parked outside, 19 Alfisti parked inside, and an infinite amount of camaraderie, the NJ Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC-NJ) held its 4^th consecutive breakfast meet on Sunday April 21, 2024, at the Americana Diner in Shrewsbury NJ.

Old and new Alfas complement each other nicely

My GT 1300 Jr was a no-show as it is still suffering from braking woes (breaking woes?), but with 2 new remanufactured rear brake calipers in place, I’m hoping for an end to this latest saga soon. Instead, I drove to fellow Chapter member Tony’s house and hopped into the navigator’s seat of his 1967 Guilia TI. Tony ably piloted us along Route 287 and the Garden State Parkway, easily keeping up with Sunday morning traffic. (His car was born with a 1300 and now has a 2.0L transplant for extra con brio.) We arrived a few minutes before 9 a.m., and I was happily surprised to see a respectable turnout in the diner’s parking lot.

Of the 10 cars, 4 were classics: in addition to Tony’s blue TI was a white Giulia TI, and two Spiders, one red and one white. The 6 other Alfas were modern: 2 4C’s, one red and one white; 3 Giulias, in grey, bright red, and dark red; and one Stelvio in blue. Together, it was an impressive display of incredibly fine Italian styling and engineering.

The staff at the Americana welcomed us warmly and had our table ready for us. Eggs, pancakes, home fries, and plenty of coffee to wash it all down were on the menu, as was the usual chit-chat about the states of our hobby cars. While the late April weather was cloudy and cool, the climate did nothing to deter us from continuing our conversations outside amongst our Alfas. Tony and I were motoring out of there sometime after 11 a.m. and his Giulia got us home without incident.

Pay no attention to the man in the mirror

With 4 successful breakfast meetings completed, I’d say that we have a strong tradition underway. The May breakfast date and location are yet to be chosen, but there is a Chapter meeting during this upcoming week when those facts will be decided. My Alfa better be ready by then!

Suzanne, JP, and Steve with their Giulia

Two cars (the white Giulia TI and the white Spider) feature significantly reworked engines with Twin-Spark heads:

An unplanned visit to the America on Wheels Museum in Allentown PA

April 7, 2024 RichardReina Events, museums Allentown PA, America on Wheels Museum

Although I knew in the back of my mind that this could be a bad idea, I decided to head out to Hershey PA on Wednesday of last week for a “twofer”: I intended to visit the AACA Museum and also swing by the AACA Library to drop off some books I wanted to donate. Yes, it was raining when I left, with the forecast predicting “rain all day”. I’ve tried more and more to not let the weather forecast dictate my plans, and so I departed around 7 a.m. as intended. However, the weather forecast I had consulted was the one for my hometown. Neglectfully, I had not checked the weather predictions for central Pennsylvania.

The first hour and a half of the drive, though, was uneventful. At about the halfway point, I pulled into a favorite Dunkin’ Donuts which I frequent, treated myself to a hot brew, and sat down for a while. That’s when I heard the sheets of rain begin to whip against the building, riled up by the increasing winds. Hmmm. If I got to the Museum by 10, rushed through it, skipped the book dropoff, and skipped lunch, I’d still be driving back home in what now looked like the brunt of the storm. Time to reconsider….

I remembered that there was a car museum in Allentown PA, although I knew nothing about it. I looked it up: “America on Wheels”. I called to ensure that they were open, but the best I could glean from the voice recording was that they were open “Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.”. Since today was Wednesday, I reckoned that they were indeed open. This meant heading back the way I had just traveled, but maybe I could salvage the day. Allentown would be only an hour home, so reverse direction I did.

The Google Machine took me directly there, which was a few miles off the highway. I was not alone in visiting the museum on this soggy day. Paying my $13 Senior rate, I walked in and was immediately impressed. The displays were well done, and each car had a descriptive plaque. There were also “side exhibits” more geared toward school-age children, which were nevertheless nice to see. A standout feature was the continuous focus on local Pennsylvania history, such as several antique automobiles which had been sold new in the Allentown area.

The day’s highlight was the special exhibit of air-cooled cars. As I entered it, my low expectations were quickly exceeded when I spotted, of all things, a beautifully restored BMW Isetta. The remainder of the air-cooled cars did not disappoint either.

The use of the drive-in marquee was clever

It’s ironic and perhaps a bit sad that this museum does not do more marketing. As someone who has been regularly traveling for the last few decades in the greater Macungie/Carlisle/Hershey area for automotive events, I would suggest that the museum could (and should) do a better job of promoting itself. If you’re reading this and have not paid the America on Wheels Museum a visit, it is highly recommended.

BELOW, MACK TRUCKS, AS A LOCALLY-MANUFACTURED BRAND, WAS WELL-REPRESENTED

BELOW, A TRIO OF PRE-WAR FORDS

BELOW, AN ORIGINAL CONDITION 1942 PLYMOUTH (ANY ’42 CAR IS RARE)

BELOW, AIR COOLED CARS GALORE!

The upholstery & sunroof were non-original material, otherwise, a nice restoration

This Porsche 356 was cosmetically stunning

The VW Microbus pickup and its Corvair competition

A Fiat 500 with an air-cooled 2-cylinder engine

BELOW, THE ‘RESTORATION SHOP’ FEATURED SOME BEFORE & AFTER EXAMPLES

BELOW, THE INTERIOR OF A 1950S DINER HAD BEEN PURCHASED AND MOVED TO THE MUSEUM

The 2024 New York International Auto Show

April 1, 2024 RichardReina Car shows, Events NYIAS

As has long been custom, the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) is scheduled this year around Easter week. The show officially opened to the public last Friday March 29, and will be open through next Sunday April 7. Press days were Wednesday and Thursday March 27 & 28, and I was there on the 27^th, again able to attend on a press pass representing Richard’s Car Blog.

For show-goers excited to see some well-known domestic brands such as Buick, Cadillac, Lincoln, Chrysler, Dodge, and Ram, as well as big import manufacturers like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Mini, Mazda, and Alfa Romeo, I have disappointing news: NONE of these manufacturers entered their wares in the 2024 edition of the NYIAS. This trend is not surprising, and has been ongoing for several years. In our internet-driven 21^st century world, many automobile manufacturers are seeing diminishing returns for their not-inexpensive investment in global auto shows. One side effect of such decisions is that those who do show up to play (including Toyota/Lexus, Nissan/Infiniti, Honda/Acura, Hyundai/Genesis/Kia, and Subaru) take advantage of the physically larger footprint available to them.

Perhaps the oddest decision to me was the way that GM and FoMoCo “split the bill”. There were large displays from Chevrolet and GMC, but sister brands Buick and Cadillac stayed home. Similarly, there were plenty of Ford-branded cars and trucks while Lincoln sat it out. What does that say about how top-level executives view their portfolios? Note that I excluded Jeep from the “absent from class” list above. While no new Jeeps graced the carpeted main floor, Jeep did again have its simulated off-road track experience set up outside. Even on press day, there was a line of people wanting a ride.

The bottom level of the Javits Center was again mostly occupied by a large EV test track. Ironically, there were Cadillac EVs there, as well as EVs from Ford, Hyundai, and Kia. Also downstairs: a two-car Lucid display. (Hey! Get one while they’re still building them!) It is noteworthy that EVs are still being pushed while U.S. sales show a strong shift toward hybrids.

Below is my commentary by manufacturer, in no particular order.

THE HYUNDAI GROUP (HYUNDAI, KIA, GENESIS)

Quite possibly the stars of the show, these 3 brands offer style and features compatible with competitive vehicles, while usually undercutting them on price. Remember when car shows always included a good selection of concept vehicles? Hyundai remembers. Painting all 3 in bright orange and lining them up was traffic-stopping. I don’t think there were any other true concepts at Javits this year. Their production models are outstanding as well. The new Santa Fe looks like a Range Rover, which is not a bad thing, and the Genesis SUVs are, in my opinion, some of the best-looking of the genre available today.

SUBARU

We’ve seen this act before: a manufacturer takes a vehicle attribute which is readily available among other car makers, and markets it to make it its own. Granted, Subaru was an early pioneer of AWD, but even as the rest of the world added it, Subaru never stopped hawking it. Folded into the mix is the whole outdoorsy, paved/off-road, car-for-all-seasons seasoning, and voila! We get Subaru = Love.

Can’t say they haven’t been successful with it, though. The real shock to me is how Subaru now claims safety as another badge of honor. Have you seen any of their recent TV commercials? As someone who worked for the Volvo brand for 30 years, I stopped dead in my tracks when I spotted the wrecked Subaru. Who has the nerve to display such a thing? In the past, only Volvo would have. Of course, Volvo didn’t show up, so Subaru has the badge to itself. Perhaps just as shocking was seeing the 20-year-old Forester, another way for Subaru to brag about its heritage.

VOLKSWAGEN

Speaking of heritage, who doesn’t remember the Beetle? And if you do, then you certainly remember the bus. VW brought a 1949 Beetle to the show (quite rare) and then parked it alongside the ID.Buzz, the modern EV version of the beloved hippiemobile. They were both painted a similar shade of blue as well. Was the Beetle there to remind us of how inexpensive VW’s used to be? My very first new car was a 1977 VW Rabbit, which stickered at $3,599. Today’s GTi, sized and shaped not all that differently from my bunny, displayed a Monroney claiming that the GTi starts at $31,765, not bad with current average transaction prices hovering near 50 large. But note that the vehicle on display really costs $42,000.

TOYOTA

Four vehicles, four quick comments. The 2025 Camry has entered itself in the Ugliest Car Grille competition, giving some of its Lexus cousins a serious challenge. Who designed the Toyota Crown? Are its “distinctive” looks designed to make it easier to find in a parking lot?? If you think the GTi is expensive at $42k, check out this Corolla GR for $47k. And finally, the new Land Cruiser is easily the best-looking of these 4, with its retro design that avoids current cliches.

FORD

April 1964: The Ford Motor Company unveils a new youth-oriented car, the Mustang, making its debut at that year’s New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadow Park, Queens, NY.

April 2024: At this year’s NYIAS in the Javits Center, exactly 10.3 miles from Flushing Meadow Park (according to Google Maps), the Ford Motor Company celebrates the 60^th anniversary of the Mustang. On display: plenty of new Mustangs. MIA: any previous generation Mustangs, any mention or memorabilia from the World’s Fair, and any historical records from the model’s long and successful history. I think Ford missed a significant opportunity.

CLASSIC CARS

Each year, the NYIAS seems to find a way to squeeze in one or two classic car displays. This year did not disappoint, and better yet, they were in easily accessed areas, compared to previous years when they were tucked into a basement corner.

FINAL COMMENTS

It’s been decades since I commuted via mass transit. On the Port Imperial ferry, I noticed how eerily quiet the cabin was. As this photo shows, it’s because almost no one actually speaks to any human beings anymore. Everyone has their nose in their phone.

Hyundai was so dominant, even their banners took over the front lobby.

This vehicle did not make it to the show this year.