When cars went unsold or were traded-in at the Lambrecht Chevrolet Company in Pierce, Nebraska, they were parked and forgotten. The dealership was run by Ray Lambrecht and wife Mildred from 1946 to 1996. Two decades after the dealership had closed, the family opened the doors and auctioned nearly 500 historic vehicles in various conditions in 2013, dubbed “survivor cars.”
About 50 of these cars were new, low miles, and some even had the factory plastic on the seats. Some had been stored indoors, having never been titled and still on their original Manufacturer’s State of Origin. Other trade-in cars had braved Nebraska weather, parked and forgotten on the family farm.
Consigned to Vanderbrink Auctions, the collection drew attention from collectors around the world. The process began by excavating cars from the family farm. Trees had grown around some of the vehicles, and Vanderbrink Auctions and the Lambrecht family spent several months preparing the cars for auction.
It was truly a “field of dreams” for car collectors. The event took place on September 28 and 29, 2013, where an estimated 15,000 excited spectators descended upon the small town to see the storied collection. Thousands more flocked to the internet to watch the action unfold, with nore than 3,300 online bids placed with Proxibid for the vehicles.
Auction highlights included:
- 1958 Chevrolet Cameo pickup, 1.3 miles, sold for $140,000 to an onsite buyer from New Hampshire
- 1964 Chevrolet Impala, 11 miles, sold to an online buyer from Ohio for $97,500
- 1958 Chevrolet Apache 31 Series Truck, 5 miles, sold to an online buyer from Toyko for $80,000
- 1978 Corvette Indy pace car, 4 miles, sold to an online buyer from Nebraska for $80,000
- 1964 Chevrolet Impala 2-door Hard Top, 4 miles, sold for $75,000 to an onsite buyer
The cars were bought and taken as far as Australia, but the owners and Lambrecht enthusiasts connect online. Check out the Lambrecht Chrevrolet Auction Vehicles Facebook page to see updates from the restoration of the cars.
Relive the once-in-a-lifetime auction here: