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SOLD!

Team_Sprite

Jedi Trainee
Offline
What a remarkable experience! Lisa (my saintly wife) bailey, Gaurja, Leiya and I arrived in Phoenix Wednesday evening, and were in the auction room early the following morning. We brought tools to finish up a few little things, wax (the car was still just as it left the paint booth) and the windows I had finished up the night before we left. It turns out we really couldn’t do anything but clean and fluff. We discovered that the wiper gears were not in sink (one wiped the windshield, one the hood) and a few other small oddities, but the incredible attention that the car got made anything but wiping down and cleaning impossible. Upon arrival, we actually walked past our car without seeing it; it was so small in those surroundings. It sat between an enormous black 1939 Packard V12 and a black 1937 Cadillac Fleetwood Limo. We rolled it forward and set up a table with a laptop running a continuous slideshow (with Fiddlesticks music) people loved the story, and there were always people around the car. As you all know, it seems everyone has a bugeye story, it was wonderful.
The girls were interviewed by a radio station, filmed before the car came up, filmed (reaction shots) during the sale of the lot, and interviewed after by ESPN and the speed channel, as well as several very nice magazine writers. The nicest compliment of all however came during the preview party when two delightful people from the Pebble Beach Concours dropped in and (without knowing anything about the story) told us that our bugeye was in their “top five favorite cars in the auction.” With the all the fine cars (Duesenberg, Ferraris, Rolls, Delahaye and Bugattis) this was indeed a compliment. The actual sale was a real high, the two auctioneers spent an almost uncomfortable amount of time on the bugeye, at one point, when he didn’t think it had reached enough said: “Ladies and gentlemen, please (as in oooh, pla-eazzz)” and good naturedly harangued and cajoled the audience for a full five minutes. RM really did right by the ladies, even selling the car without taking a commission from us! People kept asking the girls if they were sad, they all replied, independently, that they were only concerned that the car went to a good home. They met the new owners and they were really wonderful people.
We were thrilled with the price; in fact, we were later told that it was a record price for a bugeye at auction. All the compliments and encouragement made the whole experience, all in all, a ten. They are truly remarkable kids. I will put up photos tomorrow, also, we have it all on video and I will post a link as soon as I can figure out how to put it up. Till tomorrow.

Brian
 

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Congratulation's to you and the team. You've all done a wonderful thing.
 
Congratulations to the entire team, Brian. This has been one of the most positive experiences I've witnessed in all my years messing about with LBCs.
Best of luck on your next project.
Jeff
 
What a wonderful read, what a wonderful ending to a beautiful story.
 
What can I add but ditto to all of the above!! Accentuate the positive!!
 
Congratulations to you and your team. You have every reason to be very proud.

You and your team took on a huge project, and it must be satisfying to have reached a successful conclusion. So many of these projects get put aside or never finished, even with the best intentions. You not only finished, but finished in real style.

The girls will have an amazing story to tell for the rest of their lives.
 
Brian,
I have shared this story with my students several times this year, since finding your project. Please let the girls know that they are the inspiration for several 13 year girls to do whatever they are interested in and not letting the facts that they are "girls" get in the way! I have enjoyed watching the "boys" find out that girls can and do participate in traditional "Guy" activities and the dicussions of what a person can do (some of the guys still won't believe some guys like to sew and cook and some girls like to work on cars and hunt...)Your Team SPrite has benn the inspirataion for several lively and interesting conversations in my classroom. Thanks you! and congratulations....Your project is my dream!
 
21K
 
Brian,

Everyone who I have told your story to loves it.

Great work by all. I am proud of the team and envious of your accomplishments.

Patrick
 
For those of you adjusting your insurance, it was just pointed out to me that the buyer paid $23,100 for our car. RM took no commission from us. Also...we just put up a page of (rather poor) auction photos on the site. Click on the RM Auction button lower left. The video file is enormous, I'm still trying to figure out a way to post it.

Brian & the girls
https://www.teamsprite.com
 
Pics are super duper, and yep you all cleaned up well.

What an awsum experience.
 
Been thinking about the Video, can you just put it someplace that it can be downloaded.
 
Depending on the length (you are limited to 10 min), youtube is a great place to showcase videos! The pictures were VERY nice and I agree with Jack, you "cleaned up well"!! You all look very happy!
 
OK, I think we have film! Try out the main page and click on "Auction Video" then click on the keys. Let me know. I so enjoyed your back-and-forth before the auction that I put that up as well, hope that is OK. No names or ID's. If anyone objects please let me know and I'll pull it.

Brian & the girls
https://www.teamsprite.com
 
brian THANKS again. Watching the video was great. I do not think that anyone will mind being quoted. Having got to know this crew here, I think I can safely say they will be flattered to have been quoted and I think we all share a little pride in having participated in whatever small way, if only by following your progress and offering bits of advice!!!
 
That is awsum, especialy the part with it on the turn table. WOW, I don't have words, what a beautiful sight.
 
< especialy the part with it on the turn table. >
The turntable was very cool. They drive the car onto the stage, where the bidding starts, then push it onto the turn-table, and then push it off when the car sells. Wasn't the auctioneer a kick? I wonder if the girls will get that much validation in one evening again.

Brian
https://www.teamsprite.com
 
Super!! brian, will your next project introduce us to a new crew, or will the "veterans" try it again? Or is it too soon to ask?
 
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