Over the weekend, we caught wind of a very unique auction for a rusty and drivetrain-less 1963 Pontiac LeMans Tempest. From a modest starting bid of $500, a book-worthy story has sprouted in Harrison, Michigan.
The seller, 123ecklin, was aware that his car appeared to have some sort of racing history, thanks to its plexiglass windows, a racetrack dashboard plaque, and a non-standard suspension. But as the auction unfolded, it was revealed that his car is almost certainly one of just six 1963 Pontiac LeMans Tempest Super Duty Coupes built (there were an equal number of wagons), making it one of the rarest and most desirable muscle cars extant.
As the story goes, this car is believed to have been driven by racer Stan Antlocer, and it was one of the fastest drag racers of its era.
The most fascinating part of the whole story is arguably perusing of the addendums to the auction listing, which chronicle the “Eureka!” moment where the seller realized he owned not just another rusty muscle car, but a valuable piece of history.
At auction close, the Tempest had cleared a whopping $226,522, and Jay Leno was rumored to be taking part in the bidding. Somebody phone Tom Cotter already.
+ eBay Motors: 1963 Pontiac Le Mans TEMPEST (via Motive)
