PS Classic Car Auction changes venues

Keith McCormick had to find a new home for his Palm Springs Classic Car Auction this year.

The auction is celebrating its 30th year and it’s been held at the downtown Spa Resort and Casino for the past 12 years. But, because the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians is redeveloping the property, this year’s event will be moving to a larger location: the Palm Springs Convention Center, located at 277 N Avenida Caballeros.

The auction takes place February 26-28.

It’s not easy to find an ideal location for more than 600 collectible cars and trucks, a huge auction tent and parking for thousands of visitors who drive in from around the country for the automotive extravaganza, McCormick said in a news release.

“We actually have space for 640 cars and more room to redesign and improve our auction tent,” said McCormick.

James Canfield, executive director of the Palm Springs Convention Center, said, “We are excited to have Keith as the first event on the new outdoor space at the Convention Center. We paved the lot and added lighting and landscaping.” The lot is about 10 acres in size, with eight acres paved, enough for 650 cars. It will be used for other groups like the cheerleaders and the White Party in the future, Canfield said.

The auction has grown from the first one in 1985 with 211 vehicles and $1.2 million in gross sales to 535 cars and trucks last November with nearly $7 million in sales, officials said in the release. It’s held twice a year in November and February.

“The auction generates huge revenues for the city from the sales tax on the cars,” said Atfab Dada, general manager of the Hilton Hotel and chairman of Palm Springs Resorts. “The hotel is 100 percent sold out during the auction. Many of these visitors have high disposable incomes and they go to the shops and restaurants after the auction,” he said.

McCormick’s showroom at 244 N. Indian Canyon Drive, although surrounded by tribal land, is one of the few properties not owned by the Tribe and will remain in its present location, according to McCormick.

You can find more information about the Palm Springs Classic Car Auction online, or by calling 760 320-3290.