THE AUBURN Fall Collector Car Weekend is a hugely significant event for US classic car fans. It has been a Labor Day destination and tradition for over 40 years, and is an important part of the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival. During the weekend, visitors can visit the Midwest’s largest car corral and swap meets, and buy a car from the astonishingly large lot list currently being put together by Worldwide Auctions.

In terms of sheer size, the head-to-head battle between Worldwide and Auctions America by RM looks fascinating. Worldwide’s four-day event has 1000 cars up for grabs, while Auctions America plans to sell 1200. Will the estimated 25,000 fans be able to deal
with it all? We’ll see.

It’s Worldwide’s fourth auction at Auburn, and the company is bullish about its prospects. Collection sales are popular at the moment, and here’s a great one for fans of pre-war British sports cars. The 18-strong DeSimone Collection is being offered without any reserve prices, and includes a 1947 MG TC, pictured below alongside the 1925 Bentley 3 Litre Touring, with original Gurney Nutting open coachwork.

More traditional Auburn consignments include a CCCA-registered 1930 Cadillac V16 Convertible Coupe, offered in concours condition with impeccable documentation, and a 1955 Hudson Italia GT, said to be one of the finest left.

Post-war selections include ‘The First Funny Car’, a 1964 Dodge Charger S F/X, the only known remaining example of three factory lightweight cars developed in 1964-’65. This is the car piloted by factory drivers Jimmy Nix and Jim Johnson that toured drag strips drumming up sales for Chrysler. Expect big money here. And for something really different, how about the 1965 Grateful Dead tour bus? It comes with plenty of mementoes of artists and tours in the psychedelic era.

Rod Egan of Worldwide Auctions said: ‘This is our hometown, and we look forward to welcoming enthusiasts to an unforgettable experience.’

See www.wwgauctions.com.