Mecum Auctions to sell entire antique microcar collection.

[JohnnyRingo]

On February 15, Mecums will auction off the entire Bruce Weiner Minicar Museum at no reserve in Madison Georgia. The cars are in mostly pristine condition.

The entire 800 page catalogue is online here as a slide show. It's obviously fairly big, so you may have to give it a few seconds to load. Have patience:

http://www.rmauctions.com/digitalcatalogs/2013/BW13/

Besides the usual BMW Isettas and Messerschmitts, there are some unusual automobilia lots as well. Unfortunately, most of these cars will go to smaller private collections and never be seen again.

Here's a very cool commercial for the auction featuring a race between a Mustang and a Peel P50:
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[FredStembottom]

1. I'm a jinx!

I drove to Branson, Mo. a few years ago just to see the '57 Heaven museum.
That was one where the guy had collected (nearly) every model of American car from 1957 and restored every one to show room condition.
Will always be a highlight of my entire life.

About a year later, I see the Mecum auction ad for the entire collection! No warning.
This collection should have had a place made for it at the Smithsonian. It was so comprehensive and perfect.

Lately, my brother and I have been musing on making a run to the Weiner micro-car museum. Another not to be missed collection.

Now this!

I apologize for what I, the jinx, have done.........

[JohnnyRingo]

2. Alas... this is the fate of most great collections.

When the collector gets old and land in Sunnyside Acres, the heirs decide they don't have the passion the old man had, and the cars go to auction. Unfortunately, many unique cars disappear from the public eye forever, or until that collector ages.

The cycle does repeat itself endlessly though, as new collections are spawned all the time. At least you can flip through that interactive catalogue to your heart's content. Meanwhile, please stay away from The Peterson Museum in LA. LOL


On edit:
I think saw online pix of that "57 Heaven" collection from an email and it was indeed a treasure. Unfortunately, people seem to buy what they wanted to take to senior prom, and those Tri-Five collectors are getting the keys taken away by their kids by now.

We saw the rise in '60s muscle cars as the Baby Boomers began inheriting the estates of The Greatest Generation a few years ago. When the economy crashed, many buyers had a choice between keeping their McMansion or that half million dollar Hemi Challenger in the garage, and they flooded the market with many cars that probably shouldn't have been restored in the first place. Blue chip examples will always be valuable, but I doubt the market bounces back in time for Baby Boomers to buy again.

What I always wondered, is what will the Gen-Exes buy? Will it be Chevettes and tuner Hondas? Will they have the means when they inherit the Baby Boomer's lesser fortunes to buy an old car? Do they care?

[FredStembottom]

3. I guess you are right, Johnny.

Sigh......

I believe the '57 Heaven collection had that kind of fate. The old man got too old and no one picked up the reins.

On the other hand, you are right about the continual churning. One of my biggest surprises was stopping at a ridiculous little museum in Murdo, SD. In among the Beatle lunch box collection and a lot of tractors and old polka records was one of the original Tuckers!

Cars sure get around.

[FredStembottom]

4. Great questions!

My 20 something kids may or may not be an indication.
My 22 yr. old is all 90's Hondas that you modify with wings and cold air ins and all that.
My 26 yr old son likes the cars from the '30's.

But mostly, their gen. Seems to have no real interest in cars.

[JohnnyRingo]

5. Adam Cramer, a bike builder from Philli says it best, I think:

"Who's the next me?":

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Your kids are older, and mine too, but what about the ones coming up? I call them the Gen-Xbox generation.

[FredStembottom]

6. I have no idea really.

I haven't gotten ahead on kids that age yet.

[JohnnyRingo]

7. Since you were interested in the microcar museum...

Here are the results of the record breaking liquidation auction:

http://www.sportscarmarket.com/columns-blogs/news/5430-minicars-attract-mega-interest-at-rms-record-setting-bruce-weiner-microcar-museum-sale