Owls Head museum to host 29th auto auction

OWLS HEAD – From an 1899 Marlboro Steamer, believed to be the first commercially manufactured car brought to Maine, to a 1981 Delorean, the same make that propelled Michael J. Fox “back to the future,” the 29th annual Owls Head Transportation Museum’s New England Auto Auction has it all.

And then some.

On Thursday, sellers drove and trailered their vehicles onto the aircraft tarmac adjacent to the museum in anticipation of selling them Saturday.

Some 210 vehicles will go on the block, said Charles Chiarchiaro, museum director.

And not just anything.

The museum rejects vehicles that don’t fall into any of three categories: classic, special interest and antique. Also rejected are would-be sellers who think their paint-peeling, oil-leaking ’74 Dodge Dart is worth $25,000.

But the auction will not be a parade of snobby Rolls Royces and Mercedes.

There was a rusty old 1928 Graham Bros. truck used to haul wool from Belfast to Portland – a two-day trip, back in the day. A few yards away a 1940 Ford V8 Business Coup gleamed in the sun next to a 1965 Ford Mustang.

For the more practical minded, a mint-condition white 1968 Chevrolet C-10 pickup looked ready to go to work, as did the 1946 Chevy Suburban. Speed demons would salivate over the 1967 Chevy Camaro SS or the 1964 Chevy Corvette.

And for those who like to ride in comfort and style, there’s a 1998 Jaguar XK8, a 1988 Lincoln Continental limousine, and, yes, a 1994 Rolls Royce Silver Spur III.

The museum gets 10 percent of the sale price, and over the years, $1.4 million has been raised. This year, as always, many enthusiasts donate their collectible vehicle to the museum so it can keep the entire sale price. The museum specializes in pre-World War II vehicles, and aircraft, so it’s not giving away the collection.

But that’s just part of the story, Chiarchiaro said. The auction was launched all those years ago to generate interest in the museum and to have some fun, he said, and it succeeds in landing a few dozen new members each year.

Along the way, it’s become the premiere event of its kind in New England, drawing sellers and about 500 buyers from the Northeast and beyond, and as many as 3,000 spectators who enjoy sitting and watching the four-wheeled beauties roll on by. Chiarchiaro even throws in a little history as he fires up the buyers.

Vehicles will sell from $1,500 to $100,000 this weekend, he forecast.

Ralph Holyoke of Saint John, New Brunswick, brought a 1932 Alvis, a small sports car, to the auction for a widow who wanted to sell the antique.

“This is the auction to bring it to,” he said, polishing up the interior, which included a wood frame that joined the body to the chassis.

The Alvis is one of just 11 manufactured, Holyoke said. The car is a good example from the early days of the era when the wealthy became interested in driving for pleasure and stopped sitting in the back letting “their man” drive, he said.

Neal Peabody of Lincolnville, one of about 80 museum volunteers, is a retired Chevrolet employee who has enjoyed helping out at the museum. On Thursday, he was busy giving a white 1968 Chevy C-10 pickup the once over, then drove an emerald green 1968 Mustang to the makeshift office in an airplane hangar where it was given a number for the auction.

Mary Baron of Orland brought her red 1965 Mustang to the auction. The car has been “sitting in the garage” since her husband’s death a year ago, and she believes it’s time to let someone else enjoy it.

After dropping the car off, Baron and Reggie Glidden of Orrington took time to take in a curvy 1940s Ford coupe.

Chiarchiaro remembers teenage boys lifting their fathers’ hands to bid on a “project car” in the early years of the auction. Now, those teens are men who are buying status cars.

But there are still “project” cars to be had at the auction, he said. Many will sell in the under $15,000 range, he said. And those not interested in bidding still “get to see people’s dreams come true,” an experience worth the admission price.

If you go:

The Owls Head Transportation Museum is located just south of Rockland off Route 73. Bidders pay $50, and spectators pay $9 (children under 12 are charged $6). The auction preview is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. The auction begins at 9:30 a.m. Saturday and concludes at about 6 p.m.