Milt Robson started off life selling chickens from the back of a truck. But last Saturday (November 13) he completed a very different kind of sale: 63 of the world's greatest muscle cars.
Robson's renowned collection, built with care over 25 years, went under the hammer last week and drew feverish bids from across the globe, making him a cool $9.2m in the process.
The sale, held by RM Auctions, took place in Robson's custom-built 26,000sq ft garage (containing a life-size recreation of a vintage Mobil gas station and a fully-stocked 50s barbershop!) and featured some of the finest muscle cars to ever grace the market.
The top lot was a coveted 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge Ram Air IV Convertible (as featured here), but the auction saw a number of other outstanding sales including the only 1960 Chrysler 300F Four-Speed Convertible in existence. Part of Chrysler's revered 1955-65 "letter car" series, its uniqueness guaranteed it a record price of $437,250.
 This 1960 Chrysler 4-speed convertible is the only one in existence, and sold for $437,250 |
Also sold were a rare 1957 Chevrolet Corvette Factory Airbox Convertible (one of just 43 in existence) which reached $374,000, and an outstanding 1970 Shelby GT500 Four-Speed Convertible which smashed its pre-sale estimate to eventually bring $368,500.
Other stand-out lots included a top-of-the-line 1957 Desoto Adventurer Convertible, selling for $341,000, and a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Fuel-Injected Convertible which sold for $209,000.
The current confidence in the market can be seen in the triumph of sales like this. With a number of World Records broken in succession in 2010, car collectors have had a great year.
This stability has seen classic cars become a real viable alternative to traditional investments. Recent figures from the National Automobile Dealers Association have shown that collector cars worth over $125,000 appreciated at an average of 47% over four years.
Whilst the economic climate remains uncertain, the last year has proven that an investment with four wheels can take you places that stocks and shares may not be able to reach. And they can help you get there in style too...
- Learn how you can get pleasure and profit from investing in classic cars
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