NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR - One by one, twin brothers Don and Tom Salmon's collection of 140 classic American cars flew off the auction block Saturday afternoon faster than bidders could drive them out of the brothers' North Little Rock car barn.
"You get things done quick," said one collector. "You don't have to wait."
But speed isn't everything at the Salmon Brothers auction. A 1908 Maxwell was the oldest car sold at the auction. The driver physically has to turn a crank to get it going. Originally $850, Saturday, it sold for $19,000.
"You'll see people come in, and they'll look at a car, look at a car, look at a car and then they'll just freeze and it brings back a memory," said Tom's son, Jim Salmon. "Maybe it was the car their parents had when they grew up, maybe it's the car where they had their first date."
"I came all the way from Joplin, Missouri to buy a car and I found the one I wanted," said collector Dennis Cory.
Cory bought his 1969 Oldsmobile for slightly less emotional reasons.
"I like the color," he said.
Collectors traveled from throughout the country to place bids on the beauties. From the oldest, to the most valuable. A 1934 Cadillac Fleetwood sold for $200,000 - the highest bid at the entire auction.
That's just one of the reasons Jim salmon wasn't allowed to drive his dad's cars while growing up.
"Every now and then when they're out of town, we might sneak them around a couple of times, something like that," said Salmon. "I hope they don't find out about that now!"
Late Saturday afternoon, the last car sold. And that only means one thing for the 72-year-old collectors.
"I'd say within two to three years they'll have another collection," said Salmon.
The brothers plan to use all of the money made during Saturday's auction to start collecting all over again.
