In the spending orgy that Pebble Beach week has seemingly
become, I witnessed something special last night that will probably get lost in
all the talk of $38-million Ferrari GTOs.
There was a 1957 Buick Caballero Estate Wagon on offer at
Gooding that carried a pre-auction estimate of $100,000-$125,000. For those of
you not familiar with the '57 Caballero Estate, it's a pillarless hardtop
station wagon—a rare car that stood atop the 1957 Buick lineup. Being a wagon
fan, it was on my list to follow after checking it out at Thursday's preview.
As the car rolled up to the block, David Gooding introduced
Jay Leno, whose Big Dog Garage restored the car at no cost to benefit The George W. Bush Military Service Initiative, which
honors post 9-11 veterans and works to help them transition back to civilian
life.
The Buick, signed by President Bush, sold for a staggering
$300,000
Then something magical happened.
The new owner walked up to the stage—a highly unusual
occurrence at an auction—and donated the car back to David Gooding. The
auditorium erupted in a two-minute standing ovation.
With Leno still up there, the car was auctioned off a
second time and sold to the original runner-up bidder for $280,000.
Another standing ovation followed.
So this classic Buick becomes what is probably the
highest-selling postwar American station wagon of all time, at $580,000, and
illustrates, to me at least, one of the most important and significant sales of
Monterey week. Moreover, it became the feel-good story of the event.
Here's the car's description from the Gooding 2014 Pebble
Beach catalog:
Positioned at the top of the Buick line and sold only in the
1957 and 1958 model years, the Caballero was inspired by Buick’s 1956 Centurion
Dream Car. With its B-pillarless design and sweeping door line, Buick’s
flagship wagon was a true design leader. Though successful, high production
costs led to the cancellation of the Caballero model before 1959.
This striking Buick Caballero Estate Wagon has been
generously donated to the George W. Bush Foundation by Portland’s
Sondland-Durant Foundation. Sold new in 1957 by William Murphy Buick in Culver
City, California, this Caballero remained in the possession of its original
owner until 2012. The classic Buick is said to drive effortlessly, shows very
well, and has been hand-signed by President George W. Bush, “43.” The George W.
Bush Institute, founded by former President George W. Bush and Mrs. Bush in
2009, is a public policy center in Dallas with the mission of advancing freedom
by expanding opportunities for individuals at home and across the globe. The
George W. Bush Institute’s Military Service Initiative honors the service and
sacrifice of post-9-11 veterans and their families.
Through research, resources, programs, and presidential
recognition – the unique ability of the former Commander in Chief to convene,
spotlight, and inspire – the Military Service Initiative unites the efforts of
communities, nonprofits, businesses, academia, and individuals to find and
advance solutions to empower veterans to continue to serve as national assets
after they remove the uniform.
source: http://www.roadandtrack.com/go/car-culture/jay-leno-george-w-bush-and-the-57-buick-that-trumped-the-million-dollar-ferraris-at-pebble-beach
by Richard Truesdell
htttp://www.fzrestoration.com
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