“Everything starts at a dollar, and the last bidder wins,” according to the auctioneer.
Now this is a barn find. Discovering old buildings filled with classic cars isn’t all that unusual in the age of the internet. Finding one that also contains trains and boats, though, certainly is. The Kershaw family in Alabama is selling its warehouse, so all of the vehicles it contains—whether made to travel land or water—are going up for auction.
According to WSFA News, Royce Kershaw Sr. owned a successful railroad business that he passed down to his son, Royce Kershaw Jr., along with a warehouse full of collectible machinery. When Kershaw Jr. died in July 2023, the family decided to finally sell the collection, which holds nearly 50 cars.
The variety of cars in this collection is fascinating and even a bit head-scratching. Most of them are classic American cars, many of which are pre-war. There’s a 1932 Ford three-window coupe, a 1913 Cadillac, a 1948 Lincoln Continental coupe, and a 1955 Thunderbird, to name a few highlights. But between those rare American classics is also a 2005 Honda Element, a 2011 BMW “x35i” SUV (model unclear), a 1977 Mercedes 450 SEL, and some train cars. Many of the vehicles were bought new by the Kershaw family.
My personal favorite car in the collection is the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado, which Kershaw Sr. was the only owner of, and seemingly never touched. How do you not drive a massive American coupe with a 425-cubic-inch V8 and front-wheel drive?
There’s also an entire 1913 log steam train that’s available to bid on. I’m not sure how I’d ship a massive train engine, where I’d store it, how I’d afford it, or what I’d do with it. But it’s cool, and I want it.
According to Chip Pearce, owner of Auction by Pearce which is handling sale of the collection, “everything starts at a dollar, and the last bidder wins.” This is an incredible opportunity for any collector, or aspiring collector, to get their hands on some very cool, unique pieces of automotive and transportation history. I’ll have the 111-year-old locomotive, please.
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