Mecum Auction of Klairmont Kollections Woodies In Chicago

At its peak, Larry Klairmont’s car collection was made up of 640 classics, ranging from a 1902 Wells Fargo mail carriage to a 1950 Studebaker Champion.

“Larry has got the cars that reflect important parts of American history from 1900 into the 1960s,” says Mecum consignments director John Kraman. “The sheer variety is amazing.”

Among the varieties in his collection? Lots of Woodies you should peep.

Now more than 90 years old, the founder of the Klairmont Kollections Museum — perhaps better known in the Chicagoland area as the founder of Imperial Realty — has gradually been unloading some of the pieces of his automotive arsenal (valued by some to be worth more than $50 million) at events like the Mecum auction that was held in Chicago over the weekend.

While many of Klairmont’’s woodies already hit the block, some of them remain unsold. As Mecum puts it, “The Bid Goes On.” To that end, here are five of our favorites (four of which you can still buy).

1966 (3 images)

1966 Volkswagen Custom Woody
Price: $10,000 (Sold!)
Top Features: Cream paint job with two-tone exterior wood panels. Guaranteed dame bait.

1948 (3 images)

1948 Packard Eight Station Sedan
Starting Price: $35,000 (Includes a ‘48 Teardop Trailer for an extra $1)
Top Features: Limited production model with solid wood inlays and tailgate. Three-speed manual transmission mated to a straight eight-cylinder engine. Also, a decorative hood ornament.

48 Trailer (3 images)

1948 Teardrop Trailer
Starting Price: $1 (Must be purchased in tandem with the above)
Top Features: Comes with dishes, glasses, stove and enough room to sleep two. It costs $1.

1947 (3 images)

1947 Chrysler Town and Country Convertible
Starting Price: $66,000
Top Features: Decked out in green and white and blessed with custom woodwork. Dual rearview mirrors, dual spotlights and a working dashboard clock. Gets a good breeze.

47 Custom (3 images)

1947 Oldsmobile Special Series 66 Club Sedan
Starting Price: $25,000
Top Features: Frame-on restoration in 2008 that also included installation of hydra-matic automatic transmission. Fender skirts, interior wood accents and plenty of tommy gun storage.