Auction Classic: Ron Hackenberger Auction

Remember that crazy 700+ car hoard coming for auction that we reported on a few months back? Well this past weekend was when it all went down, and I was there for a front row seat.

The auction was held as Summit Motorsports Park, in Norwalk, Ohio, where the cars took up multiple acres of space. Lined up in four long rows, the cars literally stretched as far as the eye could see, as you can see from my hero picture at the top of the article. Many of the cars ended up being in better shape than the initial internet photos from my earlier posts would lead you to believe.

The Hackenberger family (assisted by Van Der Brink Auctions) literally spent years prepping for this day, inventorying vehicles, locating keys, and generating fresh titles for each and every vehicle. Cars started moving from the Hackenberger property to the auction site literally as soon as long Ohio winter broke, and have been moving there for many months prior to this event.

 

The top bid getter of the two-day auction wan’t a car at all, but a motorcycle. Specifically, a 1947 Indian Chief with Indian side car. It was restored in 1998, and unlike many of the other Hackenberger vehicles, was stored indoors. It fetched $36,000.

 

 

The top bid getting car was a rough-looking 1969 Series 2 Jaguar XK-E OTS Roadster, sporting a rare removable hardtop. It sold for $30,000, despite having what is described as an “incomplete motor.” Still, one only needs to see what fully restored examples are going for, and the $30,000 sale price doesn’t seem quite so crazy.

 

The top-selling truck was a very complete and highly restorable 1938 Studebaker Coupe Express, which fetched $30,000.

With over 700 cars, space prohibits covering every one, but lets cover a few CC faves:

This very restorable 1949 Tatra T600 Tatraplan sold for $22,000. Look for an upcoming capsule post with more photos.

 

A very rough, but fairly complete 1954 Kaiser Darrin, which sold for $20,000.

 

Could it be that these old “Packabaker” Packards are finally getting some respect? This supercharged 1958 Hawk sold for $19,000.

 

There were four Corvairs, the biggest draw being this 1963 900 Convertible, which sold for $4,250.

This 21 Window 1956 Mercedes Panoramabus sold for $6,500. Look for a full CC on it coming up in the near future.

 

There was not one, but two 1977 Leatas, a pickup and a sedan. The pickup sold for $2,000, the sedan $1,400.

 

Of course, just like me, he even had a Lincoln Mark III. This rust-free southern car sold for $3,250.

 

Of course, with a car collection this large, Ron picked up his share of automobilia over the years. Take for example this original Studebaker neon sign, which fetched $9,000.

With over 700 vehicles, there was truly something for everyone (full results available here). Suffice it to say, I found enough material for dozens of future articles, so look for more writeups in the future.