Extensive Ford collection heads to auction this weekend

This 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 is one of 137 cars that'll roll across the auction block this weekend. 

RM Auctions to offer 137 cars from Sam Pack collection

Texas Ford dealer and noted car collector Sam Pack is paring down his impressive collection, and this weekend 132 of his cars -- just over a quarter of his entire collection -- will go across the block in Dallas. The number of cars in this single-collection sale, which will be conducted by RM Auctions, is greater than the number of lots offered in some Monterey week auctions and the selection is just as spectacular.
Pack's collection is largely composed of Ford Motor Company cars, including a few notable Lincoln and Mercury models. In assembling his collection, Pack acquired a number of prototypes and concepts, along with some high-value custom cars and restomods, so the lots on offer won't be confined just to production cars. Let's take a look at what else is in the collection.

This 1963 Bullet Bird is fresh off a restoration. 

The Sam Pack auction includes Ford Thunderbirds of almost all vintages (the 1980s version will not be making an appearance) inlcuding this silver 1963 Sports Roadster. One of just 455 examples of the Sports Roadster produced in 1963, this example features an upgraded tri-power intake system and a three-speed automatic transmission. A complete mechanical and cosmetic restoration is said to have wrapped in this year on this Thunderbird, powered by the popular 330-horsepower Z-Code 390 V8, which also included a powertrain rebuild. RM Auctions estimates this "Bullet Bird" to bring between $70,000 and $90,000 on auction day.

The car collector world doesn't get to see concepts come up for auction very often, as manufacturers have long had a practice of destroying them, and because surviving examples tend to settle down ...

This 1950 Ford V-8 Custom DeLuxe station wagon was owned by a 1930's movie star. 

Woody wagons are all the rage these days and the Sam Pack sale will offer a sharp-looking 1950 Ford V-8 Custom DeLuxe station wagon. Powered by a 100-hp flathead V8 engine, this is a Country Squire-spec car that features details like a wood tailgate, mahogany side panels, and three-section sliding rear windows. Resprayed in original Hawthorne Green, this Ford Custom DeLuxe has charming details like a high-mounted door-post spotlight. The first owner is said to have been the actor Jon "Hurricane" Hall, hence the lettering on the driver's side door, who became famous for his 1937 Hollywood film "The Hurricane." The car spent time in the Art Astor collection prior to being acquired by Sam Pack, with RM Auctions pegging this example between $75,000 and $100,000. The restoration is not without some imperfections, with some overspray noted on the underbody, and the originally-specified removable third seat is absent in this example.

This 1936 Ford V8 DeLuxe Roadster features a number of period accessories.

 

Depression-era Fords in excellent condition can be tough to find these days, as everyday cars tended to get chewed up and disposed of; this 1936 Ford V8 DeLuxe Roadster appears in-period with several popular accessories from the time. Designed by Holden "Bob" Koto, the 1936 Fords featured a restyled grille and a number of other exterior updates that make it popular among collectors. This particular example has also benefitted from a number of custom upgrades including Eddie Meyer aluminum heads, a high-rise manifold with dual Strombergs, and a Mallory ignition. On the outside, it has also been fitted with fender skirts, and optional flipper wheel covers. The paint is said to be in very good condition, and the interior reportedly has relatively light weathering. RM estimates this example to bring between $60,000 and $80,000, which is realistic for the sharper examples of this model.

Texas Ford dealer and car collector Sam Pack is paring down his fleet, and in a few weeks fans of the Blue Oval will have a chance to bid on over 100 cars that'll be crossing the block at RM's ...

This 1959 Plymouth Fury Coupe has a claimed 406 miles on the clock. 

 

Not a FoMoCo car, but one that'll receive plenty of attention as it rolls across the auction block is this 1959 Plymouth Fury Coupe with just 406 miles on the odometer. The car was purchased new by one Steven R. Little, who immediately after buying it drove it to his garage and locked the door. The car sat unused for almost four decades, with Little finally selling it in 1995. The Fury Coupe has since been repainted -- something that reportedly had to be done because of the storage environment -- and the chrome and a number of other details have been redone as well to get it into what's claimed to be showroom quality. RM estimates this Fury Coupe to bring between $40,000 and $50,000 on auction day, which is about par for well-restored examples that one can actually drive without worrying about silly things like mileage.

It's rare to see a classic-car collection with several concepts and prototypes go up for auction, but in a few weeks, fans of FoMoCo cars will have opportunity to at least witness, if not place ...

This 2006 Shelby Mustang GT-H Coupe has just a little over 10,000 on the clock. 

The Sam Pack collection sale will offer a number of relatively recent cars in addition to classics -- witness this 2006 Shelby Mustang GT-H Coupe with an indicated 10,400 miles on the clock. The car that continued the Shelby-Hertz Rent-a-Racer tradition, the Shelby Mustang GT-H Coupe features a 325-hp V8 engine mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. The Hertz cars continued with the design themes of their forebears, including the black and gold color scheme. Just 500 of these were made "back in the day," and this example is said to have been bought by Pack in April of 2007, when it was still relatively fresh. RM auctions estimates this example to bring between $35,000 and $40,000, which sounds like a lot for a Mustang from a decade ago, though we have a feeling its mileage places it in very exclusive company when it comes to Hertz Mustangs of this vintage.

This 1959 Buick Invicta Hardtop Coupe Custom was created by Richard Zocchi.

The Sam Pack collection sale will feature a number of customs, and one of the more subtle examples is this 1959 Buick Invicta Hardtop Coupe Custom created by Richard Zocchi, appropriately named "Peaches & Cream." Powered by a 325-hp Nailhead V8 engine mated to an automatic transmission, this Invicta was customized in the 1970s by Zocchi and painted by renowned master painter Art Himsl. Zocchi chopped the roofline by 2.5 inches, radically reshaping the greenhouse while seeking to maintain its original lines, also restyling the front fascia and the fender lines of the car. The result is a more streamlined Invicta that nonetheless does not stray from the car's original design. This car is the recipient of the Goodguys’ Custom d’Elegance Award, and RM believes that it should bring between $40,000 and $60,000 on auction day.