Category Archives: Auctions

Auctions

Colorado Vintage Car Collection Heads to Auction With Bids Starting at 50 Cents

Some families pass down jewelry, watches, or antique furniture. The Born family of Colorado accumulated something considerably harder to store: hundreds of vintage cars and pickup trucks.

After three generations of collecting, a portion of the family’s extensive automotive collection is heading to auction. The event, organized by VanDerBrink Auctions, will feature approximately 300 vehicles, signs, and pieces of automotive memorabilia, with some lots reportedly carrying starting bids as low as 50 cents.

The auction is scheduled for September 19 in Eaton, Colorado, a community approximately 90 minutes north of Denver and just east of Fort Collins. An in-person vehicle preview is planned for the previous day, while online bidding will also be available.

A Lifetime Spent Searching for Vintage Cars

The collection belonged to the late Doug Born, his father, and his grandfather. According to the auction information, the family spent decades traveling to auctions across the country in search of vintage automobiles.

That long-running passion resulted in a collection that is less a carefully curated showroom and more a snapshot of American automotive history. Restored vehicles sit alongside unfinished projects, work trucks, delivery vehicles, and cars that appear to have been waiting for their second chance for decades.

For buyers, that variety is part of the appeal. The auction offers everything from early Ford icons to unusual station wagons and hard-to-find commercial vehicles.

Early Fords Dominate the Auction

Ford enthusiasts will find plenty to explore. Among the highlights is a 1912 Ford Model T Touring, joined by several Model A examples and a customized 1932 Ford Roadster.

The collection also includes a substantial number of Ford coupes, sedans, pickups, and project vehicles from the 1930s and 1940s. Some are restored, while others are better suited to buyers looking for a long-term restoration project.

Notable Ford-related lots reportedly include:

  • 1912 Ford Model T Touring
  • Several Ford Model A examples
  • Customized 1932 Ford Roadster
  • 1933 and 1935 Ford coupe projects
  • 1934 Ford three-window coupe project
  • 1934 school bus project
  • Multiple 1936 and 1937 Fords
  • COE, or Cab Over Engine, trucks
  • Ford panel trucks and delivery vehicles
  • Numerous F-Series pickups

For a restoration shop, the collection could represent years of work. For a collector, it may offer the opportunity to find a vehicle that would be difficult to locate through a conventional classic-car dealer.

Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Dodge Add Variety

Although early Fords make up much of the auction, the Born family collection is far from a one-brand affair.

Chevrolet enthusiasts can choose from a broad selection, including a 1931 Chevrolet sedan, a 1955 Chevrolet NAPCO pickup, and a 1964 Chevrolet Bel Air two-door. Several early Chevrolet pickups, panel trucks, delivery vehicles, and project cars are also included.

The 1955 NAPCO is particularly interesting. Chevrolet’s NAPCO four-wheel-drive system helped transform conventional pickups into more capable work vehicles, making examples from this era appealing to collectors interested in both vintage styling and early four-wheel-drive technology.

The collection’s other makes include:

  • 1957 Pontiac Super Chief station wagon
  • 1961 Oldsmobile 98 two-door hardtop
  • 1958 Dodge station wagon
  • 1974 Pontiac Firebird Esprit
  • Henry J models
  • International trucks and panel trucks
  • Plymouth Ramcharger

That mix gives the auction a distinctly American character, spanning prewar cars, postwar family vehicles, classic pickups, and more unusual automotive survivors.

Could Some Cars Really Sell for 50 Cents?

Local media outlet KDVR reports that starting prices for some vehicles are as low as 50 cents. That figure is likely to attract attention, but it is important to distinguish between a starting bid and a final sale price.

A low opening bid does not necessarily mean a vehicle will sell for pocket change. Final prices will depend on the vehicle’s condition, completeness, desirability, bidding activity, and whether multiple buyers compete for the same lot.

Still, the possibility of acquiring a vintage vehicle from a major collection at an exceptionally low opening price is part of what makes this auction noteworthy. For buyers willing to take on a project, the event could offer opportunities that are rarely found in the traditional collector-car market.

Auction Date, Location, and Preview Details

The Born family collection auction is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. on September 19 in Eaton, Colorado.

Auction details:

  • Auctioneer: VanDerBrink Auctions
  • Location: Eaton, Colorado
  • Collection size: Approximately 300 vehicles, signs, and automotive memorabilia
  • Auction date: September 19
  • Start time: 9:00 a.m.
  • Vehicle preview: September 18
  • Bidding: In-person and online
  • Reported starting bids: As low as 50 cents for some lots

Potential bidders should review the official auction listing for the complete catalog, vehicle descriptions, preview arrangements, bidding terms, and any updates before attending or placing a bid.

A Rare Opportunity for Collectors and Restorers

Large collections of vintage cars occasionally come to market, but few offer the same combination of scale, variety, and unfinished potential as the Born family collection.

The auction includes recognizable classics such as the Model T, Model A, and Bel Air, but it also features the less glamorous vehicles that often make a collection truly memorable: school buses, panel trucks, COE trucks, work pickups, and project cars that have survived largely because someone believed they were worth saving.

Whether the goal is to restore a prewar Ford, find an unusual Chevrolet truck, or simply explore a remarkable piece of Colorado automotive history, the Born family auction promises plenty of reasons to look closely.

For collectors, the most intriguing question may not be which car is the most valuable, but which forgotten vehicle is waiting to become someone’s next great project.

Source: VanDerBrink Auctions

Auctions

1953 Cadillac Elegante Covered in 24-Karat Gold Sold for $1.275 Million

The one-off Cadillac Elegante, designed by Albrecht von Goertz and handcrafted by Carrozzeria Motto, has become the most expensive Cadillac ever sold at a public auction. With just 7,000 kilometers on its odometer and a body featuring 24-karat gold details, this rare American grand tourer achieved $1,275,000 at Kruse Auctions in Auburn, Indiana.

There are expensive classic cars, and then there are cars that seem to exist in a category of their own. The 1953 Cadillac Elegante belongs firmly in the latter group. Conceived as a bespoke American luxury sports car, clothed in a handcrafted aluminum body and finished with an extraordinary combination of pearl white paint, gold accents, and red Italian leather, it was never intended to be an ordinary Cadillac.

After remaining largely hidden from public view for approximately 73 years, the unique Elegante finally reached the auction block. Kruse Auctions presented it as the centerpiece of its Auburn, Indiana, event, and collectors responded with a record-breaking bid of $1,275,000.

That figure makes the 1953 Cadillac Elegante the most expensive Cadillac ever sold at a public auction, surpassing the previous record by more than $300,000.

A New Auction Record for Cadillac

The previous Cadillac auction record was established in 2023, when a 1934 Cadillac V16 Fleetwood Aerodynamic Coupe sold for $940,000. The Elegante’s $1.275 million result represents an increase of $335,000, underlining the growing appeal of rare, coachbuilt American automobiles among serious collectors.

The significance of the sale extends beyond the price itself. Unlike many high-value Cadillacs that owe their desirability to a prestigious engine, famous ownership history, or limited production, the Elegante is a genuinely unique creation. No second example was ever built.

A Cadillac Unlike Any Other

The Elegante was based on the Cadillac Series 62 chassis, but its bodywork was not a conventional factory design. The project was entrusted to the Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Motto, which spent approximately 30 months hand-crafting the aluminum body.

The reported cost was around $30,000 in 1950s currency, an enormous investment for a custom automobile at the time. That combination of time, craftsmanship, and expense helps explain why the planned production run of 10 cars never materialized.

The Elegante was designed early in the career of Albrecht von Goertz, the German-born designer who would later become famous for creating the BMW 507. Kruse Auctions described the Cadillac as one of the early projects that helped establish his reputation.

The car therefore represents an intriguing moment in automotive design history: an American luxury chassis interpreted through Italian coachbuilding and shaped by a designer who would later produce one of Europe’s most celebrated sports cars.

24-Karat Gold Meets Italian Coachbuilding

The Elegante’s most obvious visual signature is its use of gold. The body is finished in pearl white, complemented by a gold-colored roof, while several exterior details—including the door handles, windshield frame, and custom bronze elements—are plated in 24-karat gold.

Yet the car’s appeal is not simply a matter of extravagance. Its design combines restrained proportions with theatrical details, creating the impression of a carefully commissioned grand tourer rather than a conventional American custom car.

Inside, the Elegante features red Italian leather, a lucite steering wheel, and an illuminated St. Christopher medallion. The result is a cabin that feels closer to a bespoke coachbuilt automobile than to the mass-produced luxury cars of its era.

Kruse Auctions characterized the car’s design as a combination of “understated luxury, exclusivity, and a sense of theater unlike any other automobile.” That description captures the unusual balance at the heart of the Elegante: it is lavish without being visually chaotic.

5.4-Liter V8 Power and Electrohydraulic Hardtop

Beneath the handcrafted bodywork, the Elegante uses a 5.4-liter V8 engine with overhead valves, producing approximately 213 horsepower.

That output would have made the car a serious performance machine by early-1950s American standards, but the Elegante was designed as a grand tourer rather than a stripped-down sports car. Its appeal lies in the combination of performance, comfort, and extraordinary craftsmanship.

The car also features a hardtop that can be lowered using an electrohydraulic mechanism, adding another layer of technical sophistication to an already unusual design.

Seven Decades Out of the Spotlight

The Elegante’s rarity is reinforced by its history. Before its appearance at the Kruse Auctions event, the car had reportedly never been offered to the public, making the sale the first opportunity in roughly seven decades for collectors to acquire it.

It arrived with just 7,000 kilometers on the odometer, along with documented restoration history and clear ownership records. For a one-off automobile of this age, those details are crucial. A unique design may attract attention, but provenance, condition, and documentation are what allow serious bidders to justify a seven-figure purchase.

The car’s history also includes significant damage caused by Hurricane Andrew. Restoring it was not a quick cosmetic exercise. The process took 16 years and was completed in 2014, returning the Elegante to the condition that ultimately helped it achieve its record auction result.

From 1955 Auto Show Star to $1.275 Million Collector Car

The Cadillac Elegante was presented at the New York International Auto Show in 1955, where its unusual styling and bespoke construction would have made it a standout among conventional production automobiles.

The original plan called for 10 examples, but the project remained a one-off. That makes the car more than a rare Cadillac—it is a surviving piece of experimental automotive design, created at the intersection of American luxury, Italian craftsmanship, and European design influence.

Its recent sale demonstrates how the collector-car market continues to value originality and provenance. The Elegante is not simply a restored classic Cadillac with expensive trim. It is a singular automobile whose design, construction, and history cannot be replicated.

Source: Kruse Auctions

Auctions

1959 Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage Sells for Record $4.24 Million at Pebble Beach

A legendary 1959 Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage has sold for $4.24 million at Gooding Christie’s prestigious Pebble Beach Auctions in California, establishing a new world auction record for the iconic Maserati racing car.

Offered during the Pebble Beach Auctions on August 14, 2026, the rare Maserati exceeded its pre-auction estimate of approximately $3 million to $4 million. The result underlines the extraordinary collector appeal of the Tipo 61 Birdcage and its status as one of the defining racing machines of the golden era of motorsport.

The car, fitted with bodywork produced by Allegretti, combines an exceptionally lightweight chassis with a powerful four-cylinder engine and a remarkable competition history. Its $4.24 million sale price also arrives during a particularly significant year for Maserati: 2026 marks the centenary of both the Maserati Trident and the marque’s first major appearance in international motorsport.

A New Auction Record for the Maserati Tipo 61

According to the official results published by Gooding Christie’s, the $4.24 million transaction represents a new world auction record for a Maserati Tipo 61.

The result is hardly surprising given the model’s rarity, engineering sophistication and racing pedigree. Only 17 examples of the Tipo 61 were produced, making the Birdcage one of the rarest and most desirable Maserati competition cars ever built.

The winning bid also pushed the car beyond an already ambitious estimate of $3 million to $4 million, demonstrating how strongly the market continues to value historically significant racing automobiles with documented competition heritage.

More than six decades after its creation, the Tipo 61 remains a compelling example of how innovative engineering can transform a relatively compact sports car into a formidable endurance racer.

Why the Maserati Birdcage Was So Revolutionary

The Tipo 61 belongs to Maserati’s famous Birdcage family, designed under the direction of engineer Giulio Alfieri.

Alfieri’s central challenge was straightforward but technically demanding: create a racing chassis that was both extremely light and exceptionally rigid.

The solution was revolutionary for its era.

Instead of relying on a conventional heavy tubular frame, Maserati constructed the Birdcage chassis from approximately 200 thin steel tubes, each measuring only around 10 to 15 millimeters in diameter. The tubes were welded together into an intricate lattice structure that visually resembled a birdcage.

The nickname quickly became inseparable from the car.

The resulting chassis provided an extraordinary combination of low weight and torsional rigidity, allowing Maserati to build a highly responsive two-seat barchetta while maintaining the structural strength required for endurance racing.

It was a remarkable expression of the front-engine, rear-wheel-drive racing philosophy of the late 1950s and early 1960s.

From Tipo 60 to Tipo 61

The story of the Maserati Birdcage began with the Tipo 60, introduced in March 1959.

The Tipo 60 used a compact two-liter, four-cylinder engine derived from the unit developed for the Maserati 200S. Mounted at the front and tilted approximately 45 degrees, the engine installation helped lower the car’s center of gravity while also allowing Maserati to keep the front section of the car exceptionally compact.

Breathing through two Weber 45 DCO3 carburetors and using a dual-battery ignition system with a Marelli distributor, the two-liter engine produced approximately 200 horsepower.

That figure might not sound extraordinary by modern standards, but in a competition car weighing only about 570 kilograms, it was more than enough to produce serious performance.

The chassis featured front suspension with coil springs and a De Dion rear axle combined with a transverse leaf spring. The result was a lightweight and sophisticated racing machine designed to exploit every advantage available under the regulations of the period.

Then came the Tipo 61.

The Tipo 61 Birdcage: More Power, Same Brilliant Formula

In 1959, Maserati evolved the Birdcage into the Tipo 61.

The fundamental chassis philosophy remained intact, but the four-cylinder engine was enlarged to 2,890 cc. Output increased to approximately 250 CV at 6,800 rpm, while vehicle weight rose only modestly to around 600 kilograms.

That gave the Tipo 61 an exceptional power-to-weight ratio.

Maserati claimed a top speed of approximately 285 km/h, an extraordinary figure for a lightweight front-engine sports racer of the era.

But outright speed was not the Tipo 61’s only weapon.

The car’s relatively low fuel consumption reduced the number of pit stops required during long-distance races. In endurance competition, where victory could depend as much on efficiency and reliability as outright pace, that advantage could prove decisive.

The Tipo 61 was therefore not simply a faster Birdcage. It was a more effective endurance-racing weapon.

Two Consecutive Nürburgring 1000 km Victories

The Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage established its racing credentials with two consecutive overall victories in the Nürburgring 1000 km.

In 1960, Stirling Moss and Dan Gurney drove a Tipo 61 to overall victory.

One year later, in 1961, Masten Gregory and Lloyd Casner repeated the achievement for the Camoradi team.

Those victories cemented the Birdcage’s reputation among the most successful sports-racing cars of its generation.

The Nürburgring was an especially demanding test. Its long, technically challenging circuit rewarded cars that combined high-speed stability, mechanical efficiency, braking performance and driver confidence. The Tipo 61’s lightweight tubular chassis and potent engine made it ideally suited to the challenge.

For collectors today, those victories are an important part of what makes the Tipo 61 so valuable. Its appeal is not based solely on rarity or beautiful bodywork; it is a genuine piece of motorsport history.

Just 17 Maserati Tipo 61s Were Built

Rarity is another major factor behind the car’s extraordinary value.

Maserati produced only 17 examples of the Tipo 61.

That extremely limited production run places the Birdcage in a select category of historically significant racing automobiles. Every surviving example represents a tangible connection to a period when manufacturers were experimenting with lightweight structures, unconventional engineering solutions and increasingly sophisticated endurance-racing technology.

For collectors, the combination is particularly powerful: low production numbers, iconic design, advanced engineering and major international race victories.

The $4.24 million Pebble Beach result demonstrates just how much those qualities can command in today’s collector-car market.

A Perfect Result for Maserati’s Centennial Year

The record-setting sale carries additional significance because of the year in which it occurred.

2026 marks 100 years since Alfieri Maserati introduced the Tipo 26, the first racing car to carry the Maserati Trident on its bonnet.

On April 25, 1926, Alfieri Maserati competed in the Targa Florio with the Tipo 26. The car won its class for machines up to 1,500 cc and finished eighth overall.

That result marked the beginning of a century-long Maserati racing tradition built around technical innovation, bold engineering and competition success.

A century later, a Maserati racing car has once again made headlines at one of the world’s most prestigious collector-car events.

The circumstances could hardly be more fitting.

The Maserati Tipo 61 Is More Than a $4.24 Million Collector Car

The $4.24 million sale of the 1959 Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage is significant not simply because it establishes a new auction record for the model.

It represents the continued appreciation of an era when racing technology was advancing at extraordinary speed and manufacturers were willing to pursue unconventional engineering solutions in the relentless pursuit of performance.

Giulio Alfieri’s intricate tubular chassis was a brilliant response to the eternal racing challenge of reducing weight without sacrificing rigidity. The result was a car that looked as dramatic as it performed.

With approximately 250 horsepower, a weight of only around 600 kilograms, a top speed approaching 285 km/h and a chassis built from hundreds of slender steel tubes, the Tipo 61 embodied the engineering philosophy of its time.

Its victories at the Nürburgring only strengthened that legacy.

Now, with its record $4.24 million sale at Pebble Beach, the Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage has added another chapter to its extraordinary story.

For Maserati, the timing could hardly be better. One hundred years after the Tipo 26 first carried the Trident into competition, the Birdcage remains a powerful reminder of why the marque’s racing heritage continues to fascinate collectors, enthusiasts and historians around the world.

The Maserati Tipo 61 was born to win races. More than six decades later, it is proving equally capable of winning the attention of the collector-car market.

Source: Maserati