The Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona is legendary for selling some of the world's finest automobiles. To see vintage and classic cars and custom autos roll across their stage in person is a dream many auto enthusiasts have. If you can't go in person to see the auto auction, watching on television is the second best option. Fans of automobile history watch avidly, perched on their couch at home in the living room or from their Lazy-Boy recliner chairs in dens seasonally. The latest hot story to come from the SPEED channel is not about an exotic car like a Lamborghini, Maserati, or Ferrari. It's not about an ultra-luxury exotic auto like a Bentley, Aston Martin, or Rolls Royce. The latest car to bring big money unexpectedly at the world's premier auction was actually a custom VW Microbus, proving one thing -- size, value, and beauty are all measured differently.
The bidding for this bus began, and the owner David Nevarez took the stage. Worried that the auction had no minimum bid and that his wife had called his pet project junk for years, the story of how much he sold his micro machine for is the stuff of dreams.
"The whole house was just freaking out, screaming, 'Higher! Higher!' " he said, when asked about the crowd vibe while the bidding was going.
At the auction site, the price reached $150,000, and 10 bidders remained. When it closed at $198,000, Nevarez jumped from his seat, screaming with joy. Ultimately, the man who bought the VW Microbus was a retired man who spent his free time locating and collecting vintage cars. After the bidding was through, he paid a total of $217,800 for the bus, including a 10 percent house fee.
So what was so special about the custom vehicle that it brought an exotic car price after starting a bidding war?
The 1963 Volkswagen microbus from Victorville was a gift from a friend of the owner, who bought it off a buddy for $1200 (roughly) after the thing caught on fire. The 23 window bus was a mess, seriously. Seven years and $40,000 worth of ear bending later from his wife, Navarez completed the restoration. It's pedigree also includes winning the "Best Bus" award at the VW classic event.
A plus was that the VW microbus was called a Samba -- making it unique and highly collectible in the auto industry. His buddy who gave him the bus was watching the auction from home live and said he expected the cool machine to make top dollar about $160,000 but the price for the mint condition vehicle with almost mirror reflective paint just kept soaring.
The moral of the bus story at Barrett-Jackson is if you have a project car (or truck or bus) sitting at home on blocks and your wife hates you spending time wrenching, don't lose heart. Men who stick with project cars persistently can restore vehicles to a level of beauty and make the individual units become a part of history. It just takes a mix of elbow grease, being in the right place at the right time, and knowing that there is a collector out there who will pay almost any price to own something interesting.
Looking at the sale from the buyers side, for $200,000 in todays exotic car market, you could also own a Lamborghini Diablo (circa 2001), an F430 Ferrari (circa 2008), or save a few extra dollars and buy a new Maserati Grantourismo for $160 grand. However, you can't put a price on how many people this man will meet when he rolls into any auto show with the VW Microbus or that special feeling he has knowing he has a one of a kind automobile that can't be seen on any other street.
Check out pics of the 1963 VW Microbus Samba Edition here.
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