Exotic Cars on Auction
Car collectors from around the globe Friday strolled into Palm Springs. A price-tag was placed on priceless automobiles dating back decades.
The first day of the 49th annual McCormick Exotic Car Auction at the Spa Resort Casino was a huge success. It was a busy and exciting day, visitors said. Husbands and wives brought their kids. Car lovers brought their wallets and checkbooks just in case they found the car of their dreams.
The sound of the engine, spotless tires, rims and grills.
Some cars seemingly jumped off the pages of comic books and others had event goers strolling down memory lane.
“My dad used to drive that car,” said Dawn Charrette, visiting with her family from San Diego. “My brother drove that car and it’s a lot of fun.”
The auction itself wad a spectacle. The auctioneer was speaking so fast that Peter Charrette, 12, “Didn’t even know what he was saying,” he said. Some 700 mint condition, antique, classic and exotic cars will be sold through the weekend.
“We’re car guys. Once you are car guys you do it,” said Jim Ridley. “You just love it and you stay with it all the time.”
Ridley has passed that passion down to his kids and his grand kids. He is originally from Alabama. He visits car shows all over the states and says this one is the best. This time he brought his son along with him.
“Yeah, he’s here,” said Ridley. “But I better go find him, because he’s probably trying to buy something right now.”
Nearly a dozen cars at the McCormick’s Exotic Car Auction building were destroyed in December which preceded February’s cat auction. But there was no fire this time around.
“This is where you can see almost every kind of car,” said Tim Mills, a car dealer from Seattle. “It does bring out the families and the crowds here as well.”
“I think it’s a great blast from the past, said 12-year-old Michelle Charrette. “It’s fun. It’s a lot of fun.”
Admission is free for all registered bidders. The gates open at 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. General admission is $10 per day or $15 for the weekend.
