Classic cars drive fans down memory lane

KENSINGTON, N.H. -- The garish neon sign from the original Thunderbird Motel on storied Route 66 sold for $24,000. The 1932 Ford V-8 roadster, in near-mint condition, fetched $121,000. And then there was the 1940 Lincoln Zephyr, believed to have been owned by Babe Ruth, that went for a cool $407,000.

They were all items at an auction of classic automobiles and rare Americana that brought some 1,500 car buffs and collectors to this secluded New Hampshire farm over the weekend. On sale was part of one of the world's great collections of vintage Flathead Fords and perhaps the largest privately held collection of old-time advertising signs.

But also on display was a collision of quintessential American traits -- an abiding love of automobiles, deep nostalgia for a bygone era, and the timeless quest for status and money.

Some wore blazers and sailing caps and bid aggressively for blue-chip investments. Others wore flannel shirts and John Deere hats and could only pay tribute to these icons of yesteryear.

The auction items are part of the Dingman Ford collection, named for Michael Dingman , who was the director of the Ford Motor Co. for 21 years. Over the past four years, Dingman, who declined a request for an interview, has collected some 55 antique coupes, sedans, roadsters, and open-cab pickups, and restored them to near-mint condition, auction organizers said.

Some models from the 1930s and '40s were among the few left in the world; some were among the few ever made. Many had almost no miles on the odometer.

The collection included some 2,500 splashy tin, porcelain, and neon signs that lined the walls of a large maintenance barn, creating a dazzling display that organizers dubbed ``Vegas in a box." The signs hawked all manner of products -- Orange Crush soda and Philco radios, motor oil and motels, ice cream and cigarettes.

``You won't find a collection like this anywhere," said Steve Wright of RM Auctions, which organized the sale.

The 55 cars sold for a total of $6.3 million, with most selling between $100,000 and $150,000, organizers said. Those prices reflect the surging interest in vintage cars and Americana miscellany, and the vast disposable income of baby boomers , collectors and organizers said.

Peter Prescott , 66, of Manchester, Maine, bought a rare Ford roadster for $121,000. He was pleased to land it, but a few years ago it would have cost him half that, he said. Auction analyst Joe Severns said baby boomers were cashing in their nest eggs and looking for hobbies that doubled as good investments.

``Nostalgia is a driving force, but make no mistake, these people have money and know how to make money," he said.

But most collectors insisted the appeal was more aesthetic than financial. Nathan Tuttle , a 29-year-old antiques dealer from Gardiner, Maine, likened a vintage Ford to a sensuous sculpture.

``Look at the '34 Ford Phaeton. The sleek lines, sweeping fenders, suicide doors," he gushed. ``It's motion without moving."

For Ed Holliday , a 62-year-old visiting from California, old cars are a vehicle to an idealized time when what you drove defined who you were.

``It reminds you of a past that never existed, but that you choose to remember anyway," he said with a laugh.

Stanley Grant , for example, looked at a 1939 Mercury convertible coupe, in all its sleek and luminous grandeur, with a wistful gaze and half-smile. He was 9, he said, when his father rolled down the street in this very model, windows down and radio blaring. Seeing the car again, he said, took him back. ``A lot of good times, a lot of long summer days," said Grant, a 78-year-old retired car dealer from Manchester. ``That car rode like a dream, and it turned a lot of heads."

Peter Schworm can be reached at schworm@globe.com.