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Several Iconic Drag Cars Going Over The Auction Block

BaldyLochs said:
I’m wondering if they weren’t offered to Don right off the bat and he declined. You’d think Don would be the first call people make in these situations.
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I could be dead wrong here but from what I've heard..... if a car goes to the Garlits museum it's because someone DONATED the car. Don doesn't BUY cars to put in the museum. So, if you have a car that's worth a bunch of money, do you give it to Don, or sell it at auction? Again, just what I've heard. I have no inside knowledge.
 
. said:
I could be dead wrong here but from what I've heard..... if a car goes to the Garlits museum it's because someone DONATED the car. Don doesn't BUY cars to put in the museum. So, if you have a car that's worth a bunch of money, do you give it to Don, or sell it at auction? Again, just what I've heard. I have no inside knowledge.
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I know he was trying to buy one car. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum had the Candies & Hughes Richard Tharp driven Top Fuel Dragster up for auction several years ago. Don had placed a bid on it, when he found out the Candies family also placed a bid, he left a message on the auction site he would quit bidding as long as the Candies family won the bid, Class act.

The only reason I found out about this, as the company I work for, bid and won an 83 Eagle Indy Car from the same auction.
 
. said:
I could be dead wrong here but from what I've heard..... if a car goes to the Garlits museum it's because someone DONATED the car. Don doesn't BUY cars to put in the museum. So, if you have a car that's worth a bunch of money, do you give it to Don, or sell it at auction? Again, just what I've heard. I have no inside knowledge.
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Cars are also "loaned" to the museum. On some of the displays it will state the car is on loan by so and so. If you go there and see a particular car, it may not be there the next time you go.
 
. said:
I could be dead wrong here but from what I've heard..... if a car goes to the Garlits museum it's because someone DONATED the car. Don doesn't BUY cars to put in the museum. So, if you have a car that's worth a bunch of money, do you give it to Don, or sell it at auction? Again, just what I've heard. I have no inside knowledge.
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Garlits definitely buys cars for his museum. I'm sure from time to time some may also be donated, and has been said already, some are also on loan.
 
The last time I was at the NHRA Museum (I think it was a private party after the public services for Tom McEwen) they had one of Ivo's later RED on displayed there. It was my pleasure to have a few moments to speak with him one-on-one. He and my dad have been good freinds since the 50's.

BTW, here is a car that I'm going to take particular interest in; the first Shelby GT350 known as 5R002. VHS had a hand in it back then and a small part in the restoration back in 2013. It went over the block last summer at $3.85 million, but for whatever reason the buyer is selling it again. (Some players play in a different league than the rest of us.)

1965 Shelby GT350R Prototype For Sale At Auction - Mecum Auctions

View the 1965 Shelby GT350R Prototype for sale at Kissimmee 2022 in Kissimmee, FL as S160.
www.mecum.com www.mecum.com
 
4onthefl4 said:
Cars are also "loaned" to the museum. On some of the displays it will state the car is on loan by so and so. If you go there and see a particular car, it may not be there the next time you go.
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I have been there, but only one time. After giving it some more thought..... My original comment was based on someone I knew that had a car that Garlits wanted. (or, instead of "wanted" I should maybe say "would accept". Garlits wasn't necessarily LOOKING for this particular car) The person I knew with the car had discussions with Don and at that time he wasn't willing to buy THAT car...... and I'm sure by the time I was told the story it turned into... "Don doesn't buy cars". You know how stories get changed.....

And now that you mention it, I should be driving right through Gainesville/Ocala in a few months. I need to make sure I add a stop at the museum to my list. Last time I was there was October 2010.
 
. said:
I have been there, but only one time. After giving it some more thought..... My original comment was based on someone I knew that had a car that Garlits wanted. (or, instead of "wanted" I should maybe say "would accept". Garlits wasn't necessarily LOOKING for this particular car) The person I knew with the car had discussions with Don and at that time he wasn't willing to buy THAT car...... and I'm sure by the time I was told the story it turned into... "Don doesn't buy cars". You know how stories get changed.....

And now that you mention it, I should be driving right through Gainesville/Ocala in a few months. I need to make sure I add a stop at the museum to my list. Last time I was there was October 2010.
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I visited the museum on a slow day sometime in the mid 1980s, and Pat checked me out for the items I'd bought from the souvenir shop. I mentioned to her that a friend still owned a 100% complete Don Hardy funny car that had he had raced as Dickie Harrell. He and Harrell had been associated for a long time and these were the days where there were so many bookings available that a famous driver couldn't accept them all. So the Dickie Harrell some people saw race was actually my friend.

She sort of perked up her ears and took me back into the shop where Don was working. I explained what the car was (second Camaro Hardy ever built, raced with Chevy engine, paint by Oop) and its history. He asked a few questions and then said he'd love to have it for the museum and would accept its donation.

So just another data point. At least at that time, he didn't seem interested in paying even a small amount for historic cars. I'm not downgrading the man in any way and understand that back then he may not have had the funds to actually buy cars.
 
nick name said:
I visited the museum on a slow day sometime in the mid 1980s, and Pat checked me out for the items I'd bought from the souvenir shop. I mentioned to her that a friend still owned a 100% complete Don Hardy funny car that had he had raced as Dickie Harrell. He and Harrell had been associated for a long time and these were the days where there were so many bookings available that a famous driver couldn't accept them all. So the Dickie Harrell some people saw race was actually my friend.

She sort of perked up her ears and took me back into the shop where Don was working. I explained what the car was (second Camaro Hardy ever built, raced with Chevy engine, paint by Oop) and its history. He asked a few questions and then said he'd love to have it for the museum and would accept its donation.

So just another data point. At least at that time, he didn't seem interested in paying even a small amount for historic cars. I'm not downgrading the man in any way and understand that back then he may not have had the funds to actually buy cars.
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Doesn't matter whether the cars were donated, loaned or bought, at least they're still there for us to enjoy thanks to Big Daddy.
 
. said:
I could be dead wrong here but from what I've heard..... if a car goes to the Garlits museum it's because someone DONATED the car. Don doesn't BUY cars to put in the museum. So, if you have a car that's worth a bunch of money, do you give it to Don, or sell it at auction? Again, just what I've heard. I have no inside knowledge.
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In 1992 I offered Don my 1986 Buick GN and he said no. I was willing to give it to his museum and drop it off on my way to a new home in Tampa.
 
J. S. said:
The 1974 front-driver Ivo car with the wheel pants is a repro. That car was destroyed in the spectacular wreck at Pomona. Little if anything left of the car.

I'm pretty sure the '76 Dodge Charger has the original body but the rest is a repro.

The classic 1970 chute-pack car I think is an original, restored car with its' Don Long chassis but I can't say for sure. After restoration, it was repaired after Ivo - driving this car - rear-ended Garlits during the pre-Cackelfest parade during the NHRR when it was held at Columbus in June of 2007 if my dates are correct.

Nothing wrong with a replica car, but to the serious collector they are not considered to have as much value.

I think the owners may have acquired all these cars in recent years from the various people who built or restored them. Ivo (like almost all drag racers of that era) never kept any of his old cars. He needed the money from a sale to help finance the building of a new car.
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The replacement car was the same orange paint scheme. I remember seeing him run the replacement car for the 1st time at Irwindale Raceway. It may have been at the 5 second club race that Irwindale had.
 
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