Vannoy Construction CEO’s Private Car Collection and Road Art Brings $15 Million at On-Site Auction
An amazing museum collection of classic cars and countless vintage collectibles that took Eddie Vannoy, CEO of Vannoy Construction, more than a quarter century to assemble was offered at a live, on-site auction last month at The Vannoy Estate in Jefferson, North Carolina – located about two hours from Charlotte. Nearly 100 classic and collector cars and a total of more than 3,000 Road Art items from the museum crossed the auction block – and hammered “Sold” – during the five-day live auction event, which was held June 26-30.
The auction of The Eddie Vannoy Collection resulted in a strong overall sales total of $15 million, a number that significantly exceeded the pre-auction expectations of event host, Mecum Auctions.
For more than 30 years, Vannoy strategically hand-selected high-quality cars, Road Art and relics to build his extraordinary collection, and it took on a life of its own. The vast selection of pristine collector cars included a wide variety of American muscle, including two of the classic Aero Warriors, both with 440/375 HP V-8 engines: a 4-speed 1970 Plymouth Superbird (Lot V25) with just 21,838 original miles and a 1969 Dodge Daytona (Lot V24) in a bold red over black with contrasting white wing.
Another attractive muscle car pairing from Vannoy’s collection was a set of 1970 Buick GSXs: one 4-speed in yellow with a black interior (Lot V4) and the other wearing Apollo White (Lot V5) and boasting factory air conditioning. For fans of America’s Sports Car, Vannoy’s collection further included a handful of Corvettes, including a pair of the desirable 1967s. One was a tri-power 427/400 HP V-8-equipped 4-speed with factory air conditioning and dressed in classic Ermine White with a black stinger and black interior (Lot V17), and the other was a highly customized Resto Mod (Lot V26) built by American Speed Shop and featuring a 525 HP LS3 V-8 engine and Tremec 5-speed manual transmission nestled in a specially fabricated tube steel chassis.
The collection’s memorabilia ranged from soda pop signs, ‘50s diner goods and an entire arcade worth of pinball machines and more, to gas pump islands, pedal cars, bicycles and both neon and porcelain signs – delivering viewers right back into the heart of Midcentury America with its overwhelming nostalgic appeal.
On-Site Auction of Private Museum Collection in North Carolina a Pronounced Success
Topping all sales was Vannoy’s automatic 1969 Dodge Daytona (Lot V24) with its 440 Magnum V-8 engine, which achieved a $231,000 sale. Reaching an amazing $209,000 and landing in the second seat in top sales was Vannoy’s 1941 Kenworth Fire Truck (Lot V44); one of just five produced, it was originally built by the United Airplane Manufacturing Co. on a 1940 Kenworth Chassis and today is the only known example remaining. Strong individual sale prices continued with a 1970 Plymouth Superbird (Lot V25) bringing $203,500, a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Resto Mod (Lot V26) selling for $200,750 and a 1941 Dodge Power Wagon (Lot V78) bringing a total of $176,000, to name just a few.
Vannoy’s massive selection of Road Art was as well received as his cars, and prices reflected the bidding crowd’s enthusiasm with healthy numbers across the board. Top sales honors among Road Art offerings were claimed almost exclusively by Vannoy’s extensive selection of vintage gas pumps and pump islands. His 1920s Canadian Twin Visible Gas Pump (Lot K206) sold for an impressive $59,000, and his Sinclair Service Station Display (Lot K341) brought $47,200. Other top Road Art sales included a Sohio Gas Neon Rotating Sign Display (Lot K252) that sold for $48,380 and a Ford Double-Sided Porcelain Neon and A1 Pylon (Lot K394) that achieved a $42,480 sale.
The complete top 10 collector-car sales from the Eddie Vannoy museum collection auction:
- 1969 Dodge Daytona (Lot V24) at $231,000
- 1941 Kenworth Fire Truck (Lot V44) at $209,000
- 1970 Plymouth Superbird (Lot V25) at $203,500
- 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Resto Mod (Lot V26) at $200,750
- 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (Lot V6) at $187,000
- 1971 Plymouth Cuda Resto Mod (Lot V32) at $187,000
- 1941 Dodge Power Wagon (Lot V78) at $176,000
- 1958 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible (Lot V28) at $143,000
- 1970 Buick GSX (Lot V4) at $140,800
- 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe (Lot V17) at $140,250
The complete top 10 Road Art sales from the Eddie Vannoy museum collection auction:
- Canadian Twin Visible Gas Pump (Lot K206) at $59,000
- Sohio Gas Neon Rotating Sign Display (Lot K252) at $48,380
- Sinclair Service Station Display (Lot K341) at $47,200
- Ford Double-Sided Porcelain Neon and A1 Pylon (Lot K394) at $42,480
- Antique Winchester Model 1873 Deluxe Rifle (Lot G41) at $41,300
- Texaco Service Station Gas Pump Island (Lot K294) at $40,120
- Sinclair Service Station Gas Pump Island (Lot K208) at $37,760
- Gulf Oil Service Station Gas Pump Island (Lot K190) at $36,580
- National A38 Flying A Service Station Gas Pump Island (Lot K260) at $35,400
- 1920s Wayne Roman Column Visible Gas Pump (Lot K340) at $35,400
For more information about Vannoy Construction, visit https://www.jrvannoy.com/the-vannoy-story/. Learn more about Mecum Auctions at https://www.mecum.com/about-us/.
