Auction Express
WAUTOMA, Wis. _ Wayne Yoder held his Fall 2020 car auction at his headquarters in Wautoma, Wis., on Sept. 20. The sale offered automobilia items and vehicles. There were 72 cars and trucks crossing the block and 60 of them were sold for an 83.33 percent sell-through ratio.
Yoder’s sales system is buyer-friendly. Before the auction, its website shows many photos of each entry including exterior views, interior views, engine shots and often photos of the underside of the vehicle with it on a lift. Since Yoder is a licensed car dealer, each car carries a Wisconsin Buyer’s Guide disclosure form taped to the window.
These forms are designed for modern cars, so if a collector vehicle doesn’t have a catalytic converter, the “illegal exhaust” box might be checked. Even though using this form doesn’t always work for an older car, it is sure helpful for bidders at these sales. You always have a pretty good idea about the condition of a vehicle you would like to own.
At this particular sale, the highest price paid was $31,500 for a fiberglass ’32 Ford street rod. In normal times, Wayne Yoder does spring and fall auctions and normally there are a couple of six-figure hopefuls crossing the block. This sale was well attended, but the pandemic probably discouraged some sellers from making consignments.
1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray
Convertible with hardtop. Old Cars Report Price Guide Condition #5, sold for $24,100. – This ’Vette was promoted as a headline attraction to draw people to the auction. It had 72,058 miles showing on its odometer. The 327-cid V-8 car was two-tone Dust-and-Black and had a four-speed to stir the gears. It had been sitting in a barn for 40 years and was brought to the auction on a trailer, which was sold separately. The “window sticker” had 18 bad boxes checked. The drivetrain was changed from OEM specs, so forget “numbers-matching Corvette.” Still, Corvettes are relatively easy (though costly) to take apart and restore, so this one should be a great deal for a handy buyer who can do it himself.
1997 Pontiac Firebird
T-top coupe. This was a 50-footer; up close there were signs of 127,770 miles of hard
