Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post: Gems at Pebble Beach 'Car Week' 2018 Continue reading the Original Blog Post
What was the hammer on Dean Jeffries Porsche? There were a couple ISO and Bizzarrini's on the lawn I was stalking as well as Tucker #44 that Rob Ida just restored.
It eventually sold to someone else... These are two of the most important cars in our history - especially the Chrisman coupe. And obviously, they are worth what they sold for as someone was willing to pay it. I just didn't realize that there was a group out there valuing this stuff that high. I mean, just a few years ago Ralph Whitworth's collection (which had some equally important cars in it) went for pennies on the dollar in comparison. The question is - is this a bubble or are these cars now that appreciated? To me, it all depends on the market age. We gotta get young people invested into this thing of ours to keep these kinds of cars appreciated for what they are. If we don't, all of these people with the means are gonna die off and there won't be anyone left to step up and take care of this stuff.
I think once these things become acceptable at pebble beach and other high end Concorse it’s enevitable. Also at the age they are now, they are still cheaper than a soutchik or Franay bodied delahey/ Alfa/ etc etc. Plenty of collectors are buying cars just to get them on the “lawn” at these events. The cars are bought on history and provenance rather than any great love for the history or marque. Is it a bubble? It all is to one degree or another.
The Dean Jeffries Porsche sold for $436,000, not sure if that was with or without the buyer's premium, but supposedly it went to an enthusiast who plans to keep it the way it is rather than put it closer to stock.
"We gotta get young people invested..." That pretty much says it all, Ryan. We have a local club, the Rochester Street Rod Association, pardon the name, which I and a few others started back in 1970. The membership fluctuates, but presently has just about 150 members. As in most clubs some members are very active while others prefer to be more casual about their activity. As I look around me at our monthly meetings I see a whole damned bunch of white-haired geezers and very few young people. However, the young guys that we do have are fairly active and very interested in modified old cars and the history surrounding them. It's my hope that these young guys, although there are relatively few of them, will carry the banner of old cars and how to modify them long after we shuffle off to hot rod heaven. What I see from my own surroundings gives me hope that the fire still burns. At least I hope it does.
Getting youth involved in the hot rod scene was a prime objective of SEMA 50 years ago! Take a kid to a car show ads still appear in the print books. There is a fairly large youth involvement in cars, it's just not "tradition" in the eyes of HAMB members. One grandson has a Mustang and the other has a tricked out Toyota truck. Both of these cars cost less than a stock Model A. They watch Fast & Furious, we identify with American Graffiti. When Bruce Meyer got hot rods and customs on the lawn at Pebble Beach, interest and prices both jumped among collectors. The cost of buying and maintaining a collection rods and customs in this league is beyond the comprehension of mere mortals!
Value? To Hot Rodders? Or investors?? These two (three with Dean's 356) have gone from being cool/historical cars we might drive on the weekends (yea not the Chrisman Coupe) to Investments, Art check my portfolio. I don't remember what the Chrisman Coupe sold for after the restoration,,,$25,000 to $50,000 and now it only went for $410,000?? Only?
The Jeffries Porsche sold for $436K with the buyers premium - about $100K less than I expected for it but it did go to a good home in Los Angeles where it was born, to a good guy who is a fan of Dean Jeffries(his father knew Dean as well). He will absolutely preserve the car as it is which was very important to me so I decided to drop the reserve and let it go since I was deeply concerned about the future care of the car. He plans to take the car to various events in California so after 56 years on the east coastDean's Porsche is back in southern California where it belongs. Plus the new owner plans to drive it! He's promised to send me a picture of the car in front of Dean's old shop on Cahuenga Blvd.
The question is - is this a bubble or are these cars now that appreciated? To me, it all depends on the market age. We gotta get young people invested into this thing of ours to keep these kinds of cars appreciated for what they are. If we don't, all of these people with the means are gonna die off and there won't be anyone left to step up and take care of this stuff. Ryan, do yo mean like how well the Golden Sahara, and the Kookie Car were taken care of?
With the cars we are interested in as historical rods or customs the known and detailed history of The Jack Carlori '36 Ford Coupe had a lot to do with the price I'd think, that and as far as I know it has never been altered noticeably from the original build. Pretty much like some of the exotics with all of the known history behind them. I just happened to flip on to the auction a while before it went across the stage and they did a good job of presenting it and detailing it's history. Every much so as they did with a couple of the rather special Ferraris that sold about the same time. Even those in the tent who weren't interested in bidding on it knew they were seeing a very historical car that had full documentation and was real close if not exactly as it was built in the late 40's.
A few years after I got out of school and moved to California in 1973, I attended a specialty-car auction or sale at the Universal City Hotel, located adjacent to the Universal Studios (and right across from Dean Jeffries' shop). As I remember, the cars were located in a parking garage. I came upon a sad looking but way cool coupe with "Dobbie Gillis" painted on the car (it had evidently appeared in the popular TV show in the 1950's or 60's). Today, I would recognize this as the Chrisman Coupe but at the time I had no idea as to the cars history. I was fascinated by the body lines, the sleekness, the hood scoop on the roof, and the hemi in the trunk. As I recall, there were some engine and other parts stripped from the car and it had a very abandoned look about it. But I absolutely fell in love with it! I'm fairly sure the price was $5,000, a very high price for a hot rod at that time. I don't recall if the price was listed on it or that's what came up at auction. I didn't have even a spare $100 to spend on a car at the time, nor did I have the skills to bring it back to life. But I've thought about the car and that moment ever since. It is lucky for the car and hot rod fans everywhere that I was flat broke...I'm not sure what I would have done with it but it probably wouldn't have made it to today. Can anyone add to this story? I didn't have a camera with me...I'm describing this from a foggy image. Here's a link to an article that discusses the car and notes that it had a high auction bid of $485,000 in 2010, which was short of the reserve. https://www.hotrod.com/articles/hrxp-1107-chrisman-barris-dobie-gillis-coupe/
It's fairly certain that when a car is sold for prices that are at the extreme top end, that car is unlikely to ever be driven again. It will be a trophy exhibit in somebody's collection - sometimes tucked away for a select few to see it. Garpo
Trying to do my part to encourage youth into the hobby. Was at a cruise night last week and a young boy, maybe 9, was admiring my coupe. I asked him if he would like to sit in it. Let him honk the horn. He had a smile ear to ear. His shirt matched the green in the interior perfectly. His parents were so grateful. Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Thanks @Jive-Bomber...stunning pics, Gems indeed and congrats to the new Calori owner or and the owner of the Chrisman Coupe...both stunners in my books and I know if either was mine it would have to be started and driven. Hopefully the owners get that bug...its worth the price of admission...
I'm 34, and I've got a half dozen friends my age that are pretty hardcore into the hobby. We've talked about how the clubs and sitting around a fairground staring at our taillights don't really appeal to us. How come all of the motorcycle clubs do poker runs, reliability runs, then have have live bands and beer at the end of the day? That sounds like a helluva lot more fun but car clubs don't do it...
I'm 37 and I feel exactly the same way (minus the beer maybe, but that's beside the point). I think some car shows and club meets only feel like grey-hair events because they're boring with nothing to do or too time consuming for people far from retirement. The interest is definitely there. I'm also surprised by the money those cars brought, but I'm really happy to hear it, maybe even proud. It helps bring some legitimacy to the hobby and I'm glad those early cars are so appreciated. If anything worries me about the future of the hobby, it's not high prices or disinterested youth, it's junkyards getting force-crushed and quickly disappearing supply of raw materials.
I am one of the few who have had my hands on both of these cars and feel honored. Yes, wee need to drive our stuff, but we also need to preserve history. I would love to drive either, but I feel there will always be a place in the richer part of our society and gearhead world that will keep these cars what they are as historical pieces, even if that means they will never be driven again. I for one would love to see the Chrisman coupe on the salt again for the photo op. I know it can be done and the people who need to make it happen if they can work their schedules out...
Think we could just photoshop her onto the salt... ;0) If she were mine I’d keep her in a giant ziplock and vacuum out all the oxygen. Ok, maybe drive her twice a month to keep the wheels round.
There are a number of us old guys that feel the same way. Fortunately I have the time to drive two or three days to events that feature driving. Next month we have a group driving from Liousville to South Bend, In to Springfield, IL to Quincy, IL. The end point is the Early Tin Dusters Fall Color Run. Phil
The Christman Brothers coupe is very cool, but the "race car only" seating pretty much limits it's usefulness as a hot rod.
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