A 1956 Rolls-Royce featured in the 1981 comedy "Arthur" starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli is among the vintage cars up for grabs this weekend at the 10th annual Collector Cars of Fort Lauderdale auction.
Its expected sale price? A mere $100,000 to $125,000, according to organizers.
Nearly 600 vehicles including American classics, late-model exotics, European sports cars and vintage motorcycles will be sold to the highest bidder during the Auctions America by RM event that runs Friday through Sunday at the Broward County Convention Center.
"This is by far our biggest year ever," with more vehicles being offered, said Donnie Gould, president of Auctions America, which has offices in Oakland Park and Auburn, Ind.
Two other cars with celebrity cachet are a 1933 Cadillac that appeared in the film "Seabiscuit" and a 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 owned by Formula One World Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner Jacques Villeneuve.
Last year, the Fort Lauderdale auction generated $18 million in sales, and it's expected to top $20 million this year, Gould said.
About 50 percent of the cars for sale are on consignment from out-of-state sellers, some as far away as Seattle, Wash., Canada and Puerto Rico.
"It's a great place to put your money right now," Gould said of the car collectors market. "It's a very safe investment."
This year, several private collections are being sold, including The Tony Parella Corvette Collection of 25 of classic American sports cars ranging from a 1953 roadster to a 1998 convertible.
Gould said South Florida was a perfect fit for the auction because of the number of collectors who live here.
Coral Springs resident and University of Miami professor Dr. Edward Dauer will be there. He started buying antique cars in 1973.
Dauer has more than 20 vehicles, mostly from the 1950s and 1960s, that are housed in a private museum in Sunrise. The oldest is a 1906 Cadillac delivery truck.
"It's one of my many hobbies," Dauer said Wednesday of the collection.
Some of the vehicles he's amassed are models he'd seen and liked while growing up, while others reflect an era when America was the recognized leader in auto craftsmanship and design, Dauer said.
"I've got my eyes on a couple of cars" this weekend, Dauer said.
Jupiter collector Jack Miller, owner of the Miller's Ale House chain, won't make it to the auction this year due to illness.
Miller has 65 Mustangs from 1966 to 2012 models in his private museum collection. Having come from a poor background, Miller said he enjoys buying things he likes. "Now that I have money, I can have whatever I want." Prospective buyers can preview the automobiles for free from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at the convention center. Bidding starts at 10 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. on Sunday.
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