Classics for sale on Nebraska Farms   Story and photos by Jim Volgarino   Pierce, Nebraska was the scene last month of an incredible auction consisting of probably the largest collection of original survivor cars that have been all in one place in the past 50 years. This was the Lambrecht Auto Auction.   Tiny Pierce had never seen anything quite like the spectacle that drew 20,000+ buyers and gawkers to the 80 acre plot where the 500 vehicles were sold off to the highest bidders. But that wasn't the only action happening!  Traveling from nearby Norfolk, Nebraska to Pierce was a show all of its own. Hundreds more vehicles, some easily as rare and collectible as those that fell under the auctioneer's gavel. From fully restored muscle to street rods, the entire 14 mile distance between the two towns was lined with enough iron to make any true car lover just quiver with joy. Here are just a few...   To see the rest, check out this Road To Lambrecht photo gallery.       Check out the Lambrecht Auction Page to see every...

Lambrecht's Chevy Auction Wows'm all in Nebraska "Every state, including Alaska and 20 countries represented"   Story and photos by Jim Volgarino   It may have been the most common sentence stated during the entire Lambrecht Chevrolet auction.   “This is just crazy!”   Following a first day session where the group of MSO vehicles brought prices that were making people gulp pretty hard, there was still an expectation that the remaining inventory, much of it rated #5 which meant it was close to being just good for parts, might still get some solid prices. That remainder didn’t disappoint.   The auction company has a complete listing of the final sales prices on all the units, but some of the best examples may have been these:   1967 GMC pickup, no box, ¾ ton, decent sheet metal, engine frozen, interior trashed--$4500   1949 Chevy 3600 pickup, the heavy duty version with long box, etc., windows broken, interior eaten by mice--$5500   1960 Chevy Apache pickup, ½ ton, nothing special--$6300   1958 Ford Ranch Wagon, rated #5, yes, there were Fords available--$9000   1980 Chevy Monza, 9.4 miles, but who...

Lambrecht's Chevy Auction ready to start in Nebraska   Story and photos by Jim Volgarino The locals in Pierce, NE are simply amazed. For years the land just outside town near the golf course had held a collection of junk, hidden in the trees and underbrush until one day some heavy equipment arrived to begin clearing the area and carefully lifting rusted relics of vehicles from the grip of the undergrowth.   But today the tiny town of 1700 was swarmed by the masses of car enthusiasts, some estimating the crowds at easily 20,000, with traffic backed up for miles and news media recording the entire scene. It was indeed a Woodstock of sorts, but for car people, and the town folk embraced it. Let's call it, "Carstock".   “I’ve lived here all my life,” said a Pierce father who was corralling two young sons who kept saying, “Dad, why are all these people here?” “I’ve never, ever seen anything like this.”   Looking out over the crowd this first day of the much anticipated auction, you can just barely make out the shapes of the 500+ vehicles that are...

Lambrecht's Chevy Auction ready to start in Nebraska Story and photos by Jim Volgarino   As expected, the Lambrecht Chevy auction started off BIG! The countryside of rural Nebraska has never seen anything like the onslaught of car people intent on doing just one thing, get the first up close and personal view (and touch) of this legendary barn find of all barn finds.     The venue, set on 80 acres cleared expressly to stage this event, has it all. History Channel has set up a complete set and satellite uplinks to televise a “live” show called “Wheels of Fortune” with Brian Unger who is hosting the show along with Tanner Faust and Rutledge Wood from Top Gear. The production company attempted to cordon off large parts of the site for production setup with little success. The crowds simply would not have it so they had to work around the converging horde.     Vehicles were backed up on highways leading into tiny Pierce, Nebraska where there was a huge selection of classic iron displayed along the roads. You had to wonder where all these vehicles suddenly came from....

Promotional Corvette Pedal Car at Lambrecht Story by Jim Volgarino Info and some images by John Arnold Models, Inc.   In the mid-1950s, General Motors, along with all the major car companies of the time, was enthralled with promotion. Coming off a decade of world war, the company was letting out all the stops to drive people to showrooms with glitzy ads, colorful promotions and incentives meant to get dealers nationwide excited to put one more GM product on the road.   Nothing represented the promotion mania better than Chevrolet’s Corvette!   Introduced in 1953, the Corvette featured styling cues no one had ever experienced from a US automotive manufacturer. The Corvette was born for promotion and GM wanted every ounce of promotion capital from its little plastic sports car.   But promotion wasn’t just for the adult car jockey who was itching to glide down the boulevard in a low slung roadster. The kiddies were part of the action too.   UPDATE, 9/30/13: Since writing this article about the Kiddie Corvette, we've been contacted by John Arnold, John's company,  John Arnold Models, Inc. does full restorations and offers replacements parts...

1963 Chevy Impala - "Doesn't Run" (You figure it out!)   You saw the only 5 miles 1958 Chevy Apache Pickup, and now the 1978 Corvette Pace car with 4 miles. This 1963 Impala's a beater with 11 miles on it! Look how straight it is!   The Lambrecht Chevy Auto Dealership you learned about here never sold any used cars and kept any cars that weren't sold the year they were new! That's why this great car, a super desirable car even with a 327 and auto trans, is in the Lambrecht Auction.   The interior is just as cherry since the plastic was kept on.     This is another hot item in the auction with bids are up to $26,000!!   Want to own it? Get more details and you've got until 9/27 to buy it here: 1963 Chevy Impala - 2dr 327 V8, auto for sale   Being Sold AS IS and NO RESERVE. For more info and other auctions www.vanderbrinkauctions.com or 605-201-7005.   If you're an Impala fan, we don't have any 63's, but what about this bad-in-black 61 Chevy...

1978 Corvette - Black, Silver with Red Trim: And it's still got the plastic on the seats!   You saw the only 5 miles 1958 Chevy Apache Pickup, how about this 1978 Corvette? "Push off the truck and in and out of the show room" is all the miles she has! Get this... The top bid getter, so far, at the Lambrecht Chevy Auto Auction is this 1978 Corvette Pace Car. Now, is this one of the most popular Corvettes? No... Comes with big block? 4 Speed? No and no, but... what does it have going for it? Un-real! Never offered for sale plastic on the seats and steering wheel still never seen the road! original decals, in the box with the center caps and emblems Original Invoice and MSO still holding onto the window!   As you can see from the pictures, she could use a detailing!   Bids are up to $35,500 so far, but might go for more. Corvette collectors, you gotta go for this one!   Find out more about the auction and the woman running it here: Lambrecht Chevy Auto Auction here.     Want...

Only 1-5 Miles - "Never Sold" Chevy's in a Field in Nebraska Story and photos by Jim Volgarino In March 2013 one of the most unusual auctions of survivor cars was announced to the car collector community and it almost immediately became a worldwide phenomenon. In tiny Pierce, Nebraska exists a cache of 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s era Chevrolets (and assorted other models), many of which were never sold by the dealer. On September 27 the public will be allowed, for the very first time, to view and touch these 500+ vehicles. It has come about through the efforts of several people, but primarily Yvette VanDerBrink, an unlikely mom, rural Minnesota native and car enthusiast, who has managed to put together one of the most unusual auctions we car people might ever experience...   Auction Cars Featured So Far: 1958 Chevy Apache Pickup - Only 5 Miles  1978 Corvette Pace Car - Only 4 miles 1963 Chevy Impala 2Dr - only 11 miles      Yvette VanDerBrink is bone tired.   Or at least she should be bone tired as she stands on the edge of an 80-acre plot of land...

1958 Chevy Apache - 5 miles, never sold... Imagine this... The truck has just over 5 miles on the ODO! For some reason, the truck was never, ever sold. I think what that means, it was never even offered for sale thanks to a fluke that is the Lambrecht Chevy Auto Auction.   Get some details on what's happening at the Lambrecht Chevy Auto Auction here.   The details are, it's a 1958 Chevrolet Apache 31 Series 1/2 ton Pickup. As listed in the auction, the truck is NEW! OK, well, hard to say new, but it was purchased Ray Lambrecht for Lambrecht Chevrolet Company, but never sold. It's been run in the last year, so how bad can it be... the only thing really wrong with this orginal straight six, four speed on the floor truck is the bed wood needs replaced and the there's some rust here and there.   I guess sitting outside, unprotected in Nebraska will do that after 55 years! Talk about a SURVIVOR!   Want to own it? Get more details and you've got until 9/27 to buy it here: 1958 Chevy Apache  ...