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By David Kiley
Introduction
Around 250 vehicles from GM's \"Heritage Collection\" will be auctioned by Barrett-Jackson, with the first lots going on Jan. 13 in Scottsdale, Ariz., and the second hitting the block in April in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Don't think that GM is parting with the family jewels to pay the mortgage. Though insiders can't recall such a big chunk of the collection being sold at once, 25 percent of the total, most of the vehicles are special show cars and one-offs that GM snapped together for the Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Assn. shows over the years, as well as some classic production cars that were duplicates of models GM still has.
Of interest to some bargain-hunting curiosity seekers, too, are some examples of GM design failures. As one GM executive told me off the record, \"These are mostly cars that current management [probably product boss Bob Lutz and design chief Ed Welburn] don't much care for.\"
The real family jewels aren't going anywhere, even if one, like the first off-the-line 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado or 1938 Buick Y-Job, might bring as much cash as 10 or 20 of the cars being sold off.
GM Heritage Collection spokesman Greg Wallace says it's more a \"thinning of the warehouse.\" He says it costs the company roughly $2,000 a year per car to maintain, store and transport each vehicle. And with GM designs getting better and better under Lutz and Welburn, the company wants to make room for some of the new family gems, like the 2008 Chevy Mailbu and 2010 Chevy Camaro.
Click on the arrows above to see a smattering of the some off the cars being sold, with estimated prices and provenance.
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Biz_GMGarageSale[i-1].body = "
Estimate: $40,000 to $65,000
The Century was a favorite of legendary GM design chief Harley Earl. The car was built on the smallest Buick platform available at the time, but powered by the division's largest engine. The combination made the Century the choice of many law-enforcement agencies, which used them for highway patrol. The bold front-end and jet-age tail makes it a prime example of mid-'50s car design.
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Biz_GMGarageSale[i++] = new Array("","1918 Cadillac","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/1918caddy.hmedium.jpg","","Image: 1918 Cadillac", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Courtesy of GM", "247", "423", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
Biz_GMGarageSale[i-1].body = "
Estimate: $45,000 to $60,000
By today's standards, and even the standards of opulence that would soon follow, this 1918 Cadillac seems understated for automotive luxury. That is part of its charm, though. GM is parting ways with it because it acquired a 1915 example that is very similar and of more historic value. The engine is the famous 90-degree L-head V8.
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Biz_GMGarageSale[i++] = new Array("","1986 Presidential Limo","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/preslimo.hmedium.jpg","","Image: 1986 Presidential Limo", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Courtesy of GM", "247", "423", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
Biz_GMGarageSale[i-1].body = "
1986 Presidential Limo
Estimate: $75,000\+
Built off the now discontinued Cadillac Fleetwood, this limousine did not see actual Presidential duty, but was rather a show car used to sell versions to government and corporate buyers. A Reagan-era limo, the car has light-armored glass. But don't expect it to fend off a rocket-propelled grenade as it is missing most of the heavy security features that most customers order. It did see actual duty, though, in the film The American President, starring Michael Douglas and Annette Bening.
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Biz_GMGarageSale[i++] = new Array("","1998 Popemobile","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/popemobile.hmedium.jpg","","Image: 1998 Popemobile", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Courtesy of GM", "247", "423", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
Biz_GMGarageSale[i-1].body = "
Estimate: $75,000 to $150,000
Had this car been used by the late John Paul II, the price might be a couple of hundred thousand dollars. However, who would need the lifeguard chair in the back seat is beyond me. It was built by GM off a Caddy Fleetwood for the Pope's visit. But Vatican security nixed it for not having a protective bulletproof bubble around it. Oops. I guess GM didn't think anyone would have it in for the pontiff. But then again, maybe they didn't read the papers back in 1981 when someone actually did shoot the pope.
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Biz_GMGarageSale[i++] = new Array("","1960 Chevrolet Impala","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/1960impala.hmedium.jpg","","Image: 1960 Chevrolet Impala", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Courtesy of GM", "247", "423", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
Biz_GMGarageSale[i-1].body = "
Estimate: $60,000 to $85,000
This Impala is a find for collectors of this era. Though not the much-sought-after convertible, the hardtop floats on the front and rear windows, both being wrap-arounds. There is no center B-pillar, giving the car an airy, wide-open feeling, if not the best protection in a crash. Lots of chrome, yet this signifies an evolutionary departure from some of the gawdier designs of the 1950s. The 1960 Impala was promoted for \"Space—Spirit—Splendor.\"
For more photos of the cars that will be sold, view the slide show at BusinessWeek.com.
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