Your chance to bid on automotive history
Show’s range of eye candy includes a 1919 Ford Model TT and a 2008 Bentley Arnage
From the practical to the posh, the Toronto Spring Classic Car Auction is the place to buy, sell or just salivate over a stable of vintage vehicles.
The auction has for more than 25 years now been the place in the GTA to bid on or just check out a raft of rides that include luxury, antique, muscle, exotic, truck, hot rod and other vehicle types and automotive memorabilia from ages past to more recent years.
“It’s a show as much as an auction,” says Terry Lobzun of Collector Car Productions. “The spring show is always popular because everyone’s shaking off the cabin fever from the long winter. And it’s the kickoff to the classic car season.”
As many as 400 cars, trucks and motorcycles, ranging in value from $10,000 to six figures, will fall under the hammer at the International Centre by Pearson airport during the May1-3 event. It includes a raft of hot rods and roadsters from the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s, postwar coupes and sedans, and sports cars, pickups, SUVs and other autos from the ’60s to the new millennium — in both souped-up and stock condition.
Among the high-end vehicles on the block is a silver 2008 Bentley Arnage Concours Edition sedan owned by comic Canadian handyman Red Green, a.k.a. Toronto-born writer and comedian Steve Smith. One of just 40 made, Smith’s Bentley has been meticulously serviced and cared for, and has pulled less than 15,000 fair-weather miles. It comes with such exclusive options as a wicker picnic basket, containing Bentley monogrammed china, crystal and silverware, heated front seats with built-in massage, a handy tool kit with proper white gloves, and a retractable flying B hood ornament.
Other vehicles range in vintage from a 1919 Ford Model TT, the first generation of pickup trucks produced by the automaker, to a 2013 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 convertible, one of only 105 built. Among the wares on offer: A striking burgundy on grey fourdoor 1939 Cadillac LaSalle. It embraces the art deco look of the ’30s with massive front fenders, chrome grille and side vents, flying Goddess hood ornament and an array of bulbous headlamps, fog lights, driver’s side mounted spotlight and exterior sun visor.
In its day, the 1947 Plymouth P15 S convertible was a popular postwar family car. This nicely restored light blue model, with white top and whitewall tires, just begs to be cruising on a sunny summer day.
The Ford Ranchero was a pickup-styled car built on a station wagon platform from 1957 to 1979 and this ’58, of just 1,147 made, is a fine example why they were widely used as commercial vehicles. The two-toned blue and white utility coupe is equipped with a 292 V8, dual exhaust and a three-speed standard column shift — three on the tree — with overdrive.
A finely restored example of Corvette’s first generation (C1) of the car heralded as America’s sports car for its continued production run since 1953 (except for 1983 when only 43 were made but withheld from the market), this silver with white top and side panel 1961 Chevrolet Corvette convertible is powered by a modern LS7. It’s regarded as the most powerful small-block engine ever made. The car boasts more than $225,000 on restoration.
For muscle car fans, the 1970 Dodge Challenger is a classic — it’s the model year chosen for the styling of the Challenger’s return in 2008. This purple coupe has the Shaker hood scoop, a 604 ci Keith Black Hemi and Tremec five-speed manual transmission, with a Moser rear end and 18-inch Eagle billet wheel.
A true sports supercar, the 1986 Ferrari Testarossa coupe is considered an automotive icon of the ’80s, with its 5-litre,12-cylinder engine capable of a top speed of 180 mph. Its rare factory black exterior and tan leather interior make this a solid automotive investment. Original tool kit and manuals included.
When it hit the market, the 1996 Mercedes-Benz SL600 was the pinnacle of the SL series, powered by a 6.0 litre V12 and loaded with luxury features. It’s easier to find used SL320s and 500s out there; this model is a rare breed indeed.
This midnight blue 2002 Aston Martin DB7 convertible has a handbuilt 420 horsepower V12 engine with a 6-speed Tremec transmission — one of 30 built for the Canadian market. A mere 35,000 original kilometres were all logged on fair-weather cruises and it comes with extensive service documentation from Aston Martin of Toronto. Looks brand spanking new.
The Toronto Classic Car Auction, which runs twice a year in spring and fall, is the longest-running auction of its kind in Canada.
More detailed information at collectorcarproductions.com.