Rare 1936 Fords attract bidders to Sandusky

SANDUSKY, Ohio — A rare collection of 1936 Fords that drew the focus of auto enthusiasts from across the country has sold for more than half a million dollars.

The cars had belonged to the late Emery Ward Jr., who started his collection with a 1936 Ford roadster that was just like his first car.

Over the ensuing three decades, Ward scoured the country looking for every model that Ford made in 1936. He nearly made it. By his count, he owned all but one. Ward died in 2007. His sons said none of the cars had been driven since.

“It was hard to see it all go, but we knew it had to,” said Emery Ward III, one of four brothers who put the cars up for sale.

The highest price paid on Saturday was $68,500 for a restored woodbodied station wagon, commonly called a woodie. The only car that failed to reach the reserve price was a tan 1936 Ford phaeton, one of the rarer body styles from that year. Bidding on the open-air car ended at $47,500, a few thousand dollars less than reserve.

“We couldn’t have asked for anything better,” Ward said yesterday.

Bidders from as far away as Washington state attended the auction at the Erie County Fairgrounds in Sandusky.

Ward said about 800 people attended. “A lot of them were here because they’d never see anything like this,” he said. “I’d never seen anything like this.”

In addition to the 22 1936 Fords, the Ward Collection included car parts, engines, gas pumps and several other vehicles, including a 1958 Edsel Pacer convertible.

The four brothers also sold a few cars of their own, bringing the total number to 32 vehicles. Some of the other noteworthy cars included a 1940 Lincoln Zephyr, a 1958 Mercury Monterey convertible and a 1966 Chevrolet Corvette.

Together, the 32 vehicles brought nearly $776,000.

Several cars are staying in northern Ohio, including four that went to Sandusky buyers.

Dean Wikel, the owner of Erie Blacktop and Pegasus Race Trailers in Sandusky, bought three of the 1936s. He and his wife also bought a four-door convertible and a five-window coupe.

THE BLADE LORI KING From left, brothers Emery Ward III, John Ward and Jeff Ward prepare to sell their father’s 1936 Fords. Another brother, Jerry Ward, is not pictured.