Dream Cars And Clunkers Among Those On Police Auction Lot Netting Deals For Buyers
DETROIT (WWJ) - Nearly two-dozen vehicles seized from drag-racing and other crimes were on the auction block in southwest Detroit during the Wayne County Sheriff's auction.
But as WWJ's Kathryn Larson reports, while some bidders didn't find their "dream" muscle car ... others found a fixer upper!
Inside the Boulevard and Trumbull Towing garage, Andi Manni from Okemos shook his head; "There were no drag racers, there was one Mustang, and one Corvette, and I don't think they were used for drag racing."
Manni said he was a bit disappointed as he was looking for a new 'toy' and he didn't see anything he'd describe as a muscle car.
Betiger Olie works at a car repair shop in Detroit and found five cars of interest at the auction that he was able to pick up for a few thousand dollars.
"I came here to find cheap car(s), we fix them up and then we try to sell them ... making a little bit of money," he said.
At the podium for his 32nd year as auctioneer, Douglas Dalton, says the auction business is second nature for him now.
"There's certainly a mix here," said Dalton."Obviously, some of our older vehicles that are in need of TLC, some of these vehicles are ready to go - it just kind of depends on where they came from and how they were confiscated."
While some cars went for a few thousand dollars, the big seller at the auction was a 2006 Corvette, which sold for $21,000.
About 150 people came to the auction including Renita Smith ready to buy.
"They started off higher than ... I didn't know this ... it was higher than I wanted to pay," said Smith.
Smith missed that Impala and a Ford Taurus she wanted to bid on but said she'd be back next week for the U.S. Marshals Service Auction
She said she was surprised that how inexpensive some of the cars sold at - some close the starting bid of $300.
