Car, train collection of late Montgomery businessman up for auction
“When I say this is an unusual collection, it’s one of the rarest collections I’ve ever seen,” Chip Pearce of Alabaster-based Pearce Auction Company told Action 8 News.
A lifetime of transportation treasures owned by the late Montgomery businessman Royce Kershaw, Jr.., and his father can be found inside the warehose.
Pearce gave us a look at some well-known classic cars, like a 1955 Ford Thunderbird, bought brand new by the family.
“This T-Bird was the first to hit the streets in Alabama, and one of the first in the Southeast.”
Other cars you may have never seen before, like a 1971 Pantera.
“A Pantera was a collaboration between an Italian sports car company and Ford Motor Company. They were built in Italy, but they had a good old American Ford engine and transmission.”
The Kershaws’ car was one of the first 75 and has just 12,000 miles on the odometer.
The vehicles get even more rare, like a 1962 RV that features an aircraft aluminum body on top of a Dodge chassis.
“Their intent was to eventually mass produce them and that never happened, so this is the only one ever built.”
A 1968 van-like vehicle would have been perfect for the hip executive.
“It’s got a black and white TV, a telephone and a cooler. It’s built like a limousine.”
Want something more traditional? There’s a 1959 Cadillac Fleetwood used by five Alabama governors, including both George and Lurleen Wallace, with less than 40,000 miles.
“I found a New York Post magazine from 1964 in the trunk, and it was addressed to Governor George Wallace, Alabama State House.”
There are also trucks, trains and plenty of other memorabilia up for bids — it’s Montgomery family history that will be shared with the world.
Pearce — who loves cars himself — says he hopes the limousine used by the governors will stay in Alabama. He says it should be in a museum somewhere in the state.
The first auction ends Wednesday, February 21. Another auction runs until March.
