Antique & Classic Cars Blog

The internet world has expanded the venues where dreamers imagine hitting the jackpot, getting that Irish Sweepstakes/Powerball/Gold at the Rainbow’s End score that makes all our cares of meeting the mortgage, paying for college, covering that repair bill or health emergency recede from our minds.

The ‘63 Pontiac Tempest hasn’t lit up the collector car world like its kin, the ‘64-on GTO or the early Firebird or Trans-Am have. This car and its Buick and Olds cousins, the Skylark, Special and F-85, regularly trade hands for several thousand bucks in decent shape.

Imagine then posting a faded, dinged up, engine- and transmission-free ‘63 Tempest on eBay and watching the bids climb from lawn-mowing money to a very respectable year’s salary.

This is what just happened on eBay for a Michigan seller who bought an ex-drag car Tempest when its previous owner passed away. Bidding started at 500 bucks. The seller must have fallen off his chair when the winning bidder pushed that by another $226,000.

In their exchanges with the seller, bidders hot for old race machines sleuthed their way to the conclusion that this anonymous, faded Tempest was likely the former drag-race champion car campaigned by Stan Antlocer.

For a one-of-kind car like that, souring economy or no, deep-pocket collectors are willing to smash their biggest piggy bank. At least until eBay takes down the post, here’s the auction. Check out the Q&A…. (For comparison, here’s a complete ‘63 Tempest drag car — built up and very non-stock — that runs sub-10 in the 1/4.)

Exciting day in cyberspace.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 14th, 2008 at 7:10 am and is filed under Car stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.