Vintage Americana rules the roost in Portland, Oregon

 

  Mitch Silver selling a 1960 Nash Metropolitan convertible in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

 If you wanted to buy a Nash Metropolitan the place to be on the last Saturday in March was the Portland Exposition Center in Oregon. There were three of those Anglo-American compacts offered for sale amidst a field of a bit more than 100 vehicles that included automobiles from almost every decade of the 20^th Century.

The Metros included a convertible and two coupes. The drop-top was a 1960 edition, while the two coupes were from 1961. As you'd expect, the convertible drew the most spirited bidding, helped by the fact that it was a solid condition one car; which had reportedly won a concours in Astoria, Oregon. It ended up selling to someone bidding via telephone.

The little coupes weren't quite so fortunate. Lot number 40, painted white with yellow insert, bid to just $5,000; and lot number 63, painted blue with a white insert, bid to $8,100 and also remained unsold.

 

The 1961 Nash Metropolitan coupe, lot #40, that bid to $5,000, didn't sell. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

 An interesting selection of vintage Japanese vehicles were offered; but the interested buyers either weren't there or weren't willing to meet the reserves.

 

The modified 1971 Honda N600, offered at auction in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

A 1971 Honda N600 sedan, made into a pickup, drew a lot of interest; probably because many people had never seen a N600, in any configuration. The N600, powered by a two-cylinder engine, was the predecessor to the Civic. The one offered here bid to $6,100. It might have done better if whomever converted it into a pickup had left it stock.

 
The 1966 Toyota Stout that was used in the movie "Charlie Wilson's War." (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

A 1966 Toyota Stout, sport-utility vehicle, which has appeared in the movie, “Charlie Wilson's War,” was offered, complete with documentation verifying its movie heritage. It bid to $7,800 but didn't sell.

A 1973 Datsun 240Z was offered, later in the afternoon, and bid to $17,500; but didn't sell. (Photo of 240Z by Terry Parkhurst)

   

Engine bay of the 1973 Datsun 240Z offered at auction in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

The advantage of staging an auction at Portland's exposition center is the fact it's equidistant to most places in the northwest; so sellers came from most of the five states that compromise the Pacific Northwest.

Jerry Vogel drove all the way down from Bellingham, Washington – about an 800 mile round trip – to offer a 1941 Plymouth two-door sedan; one which he'd owned for the past two years. (He brought the Plymouth down on a trailer.)

 
The 1941 Plymouth DeLuxe that sold for a bid of $13,100. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

 Vogel said that he'd got enamored of the car after “renting it for a buddy's wedding.” He liked it so much that he ended up buying it, since there was a connection to his in-laws: his mother-in-law was born in 1941.

 

Jerry and Jessie Vogel in the 1941 Plymouth Deluxe brought to the auction from Bellingham, Washington. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

You could tell that Vogel had a lot of affection for the car, as he drove onto the docket with his son, Jessie, in the passenger seat. Its black paint shone like a Corfam © shoe (“spit shine all the time”) at a Navy inspection line; so too did its chrome. Despite that, and the fact that as Vogel put it, “It's worth $25,000”, the bid that bought it a new owner was just $13,100.

 
The 1923 Studebaker touring car, brought to the auction from Grants Pass, Oregon. It sold for a bid of $15,500. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

 The oldest car at this auction was a 1923 Studebaker touring car, complete with wooden, artillery-style spoke wheels. It was brought up from Grants Pass, Oregon by Wayne Strobel; who'd bought it from the family which had owned it for 30 years. It had been stored, setting on blocks, for 10 of those years, by the widow of the man who drove it.

Strobel said that, “I just fell in love with the car; and I've owned 300 cars. We put air into the tires – they held air – and had to replace the fuel pump and battery; but that was it. To get it into my trailer, I had to take the top off, since the top was so tall.”

The venerable Studebaker sold for a bid of $15,500.

But it wasn't only American automobiles that sold. A 1969 Jaguar XKE coupe was announced as "sold," for a bid of $18,000. 

 
1969 Jaguar XKE coupe sold at auction in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

All sales at this auction were subject to an 8 percent buyer's fee. - Terry Parkhurst

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Leisa Dreps]

A 1969 Jaguar XKE, now my eyes are watering with delight. It's so stunning, that even Enzo Ferrari called it, "the most beautiful car ever made." Getting it for $18,000 is a smart buy.

[Blake Reina]

That Toyota Stout is one sexy pickup truck. I love the green color and the shiny chrome on the bumpers. And it was used in the movie "Charlie Wilson's War", making it more valuable. For $7,800 dollars, it's a steal! I was surprised that no one bought it. Maybe it's waiting for me, hahaha.