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Classic Auto Mall - #085 - Stewart Howden with Steve Saffier

Classic Auto Mall - #085 - Stewart Howden with Steve Saffier

Classic Auto Mall SHOW Jan 15, 2026 55 min
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About this episode

Stewart Howden and Steve Saffier dive into the bustling world of classic car consignments at Classic Auto Mall, discussing recent record-breaking days with 13 new cars arriving unexpectedly. They explore the nuances of selling classic cars through auctions versus consignment, emphasizing the importance of pricing and market trends. The episode also touches on unique inventory highlights, including a rare 1930 Franklin and a 1956 Austin Healey, while sharing anecdotes about car culture and personal experiences. Listeners will appreciate the blend of humor and insight into the classic car market.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Concept

no reserve auction

"I guess the quickest way is just to go to auction without reserve. Yeah, you can do that without reserve. And it's a risk."

In a no reserve auction, the item is sold to whoever bids the most, even if that amount is lower than what the seller hoped for. It's a way to ensure the item sells, but it can be risky for the seller.

Company

Barrett Jackson

"for every car that you see sell at Barrett Jackson, no reserve."

Barrett Jackson is a famous auction house where people buy and sell classic cars. They hold big events where many unique cars are sold to the highest bidder.

Car

Chevrolet Corvette

"... a home run and they get $700,000 for a Resto Mod Corvette. There's also the guy who goes, man, I sure thou..."

The Chevrolet Corvette is a fast and stylish sports car that many people love. It's famous for being powerful and fun to drive, and some versions can be very valuable, especially if they've been customized.

Concept

restomod

"And it's a home run and they get $700,000 for a Resto Mod Corvette. There's also the guy who goes, man, I sure thought my car would have done better."

A restomod is an old car that has been fixed up and updated with new parts to make it better to drive. It keeps the classic look but has modern features.

Concept

Formula One

"...especially, is just, when they just capture every set, or watch the Formula One cars going around a corner and they slow it down to, you know, one-one-hundredths of whatever."

Formula One is a type of car racing where specially designed cars race on tracks. It's famous for its speed and the skill of the drivers.

Term

tires

"...Oh, and the tires. Yep, yep. The tires, when they just stand up."

Tires are the round rubber parts on cars that touch the road. They help the car grip the road and are important for driving safely and quickly.

Term

numbers matching

"Numbers matching 350 cubic inch, 200 horsepower V8."

'Numbers matching' means that the main parts of the car, like the engine, are the same ones that came with it when it was first made. This is important for collectors who want original cars.

Term

NCRS Top Flight

"NCRS Top Flight 96.1 point winner out of a hundred."

NCRS Top Flight is a special award for Corvettes that are really well restored and kept original. A score of 96.1 means it's in excellent condition.

Term

cubic inch

"Numbers matching 350 cubic inch, 200 horsepower V8."

Cubic inch is a way to measure how big an engine is. A 350 cubic inch engine is a strong engine often found in powerful cars.

Car

Austin Healey 104 BN2 Roadster

"...a 1956 Austin Healey 104 BN2 Roadster, Reno Red Over Black, one of 4600 built, 2600 cc four cylinder, it's got the manuals and the British Heritage Certificate..."

The Austin Healey 104 BN2 Roadster is a classic car from 1956. It's a small, sporty vehicle with a four-cylinder engine, and only 4600 of them were made, making it quite special.

Term

heritage certificate

"So you might see a car that's black and you get its heritage certificate, whether it be British Heritage or Jaguar or whatever else. And you might see that it came originally in green."

A heritage certificate is a paper that proves what a classic car was like when it was first made, including its original color. It can help show that the car is genuine and can affect how much it's worth.

Packard
Car

Packard

"You know, what we see like it's funny, these the high high dollar stuff, the Duesenbergs and the 32 Packards and V12s and all this stuff, sometimes they'll have a color change and it seems to have no bearing at all on the value and what it's worth and change anything."

Packard was a company that made high-end cars in the past. Their cars are now considered classic and can be very valuable to collectors.

Car

Duesenberg

"You know, what we see like it's funny, these the high high dollar stuff, the Duesenbergs and the 32 Packards and V12s and all this stuff, sometimes they'll have a color change and it seems to have no bearing at all on the value and what it's worth and change anything."

Duesenberg was a brand that made very fancy and powerful cars a long time ago. Their cars are now considered very valuable and collectible.

Car

Austin Healey

"So the Austin Healey is a great car, four speed manual with an overdrive, which is important because four speeds with three pedals is just not enough."

The Austin Healey is a well-known sports car from Britain. It usually has a manual transmission with four gears, which means you have to change gears yourself while driving.

Term

automatic transmission

"I think my Mercedes has 11 speeds. It's an automatic."

An automatic transmission is a system in cars that changes gears automatically, so the driver doesn't have to do it manually. It's easier to drive, especially in traffic.

Term

five speed manual

"...And then at five speed and boy, the five speed manual was like, oh, it just let it was there's so many cars that could benefit from a fifth gear, especially late sixties, early seventies..."

A five-speed manual is a type of car transmission that lets you choose from five different speeds. This helps the car perform better and can save fuel compared to older transmissions that only had three or four speeds.

Term

muscle cars

"muscle cars. They just get into that fourth gear and they need another gear."

Muscle cars are fast cars with big engines, usually American-made, that are built for speed and power. They became popular in the 1960s and 70s for their ability to go really fast in a straight line.

Term

five speeds

"And so then when we got five speeds and then six speeds and now seven speeds..."

Five speeds means the car has five different gears to choose from when driving. This helps the car perform better and save fuel depending on how fast you're going.

Term

six speeds

"...and then six speeds and now seven speeds..."

Six speeds means the car has six different gears to use when driving. This can help the car go faster and use less fuel depending on how fast you're driving.

Term

seven speeds

"...and now seven speeds and is there an eight speed manual now that we know?"

Seven speeds means the car has seven different gears to choose from when driving. This helps the car perform better and can save fuel depending on your speed.

Car

Franklin 145 series

"Also, we got in a 1930 Franklin 145 series, Victoria, Broome, Sudan. What a name."

The Franklin 145 series is a car model made by Franklin in 1930. It was known for being different because it had an air-cooled engine instead of the more common water-cooled engines.

Term

Lockheed hydraulic drum brakes

"A Lockheed hydraulic drum brakes, which I don't know what that means."

Lockheed hydraulic drum brakes are a type of brake system that uses fluid to help stop the car. They were considered advanced for cars made in the early 20th century.

Car

Franklin

"We have a Franklin in our barn find collection."

Franklin was a car brand that made unique cars with special engines that didn't need water to cool down. They aren't made anymore, so you don't see them often.

Concept

barn find

"That's going to leave here and go away to barn find collection heaven down in Oaks, PA. We've already taken 52 of the barn finds out of here."

A barn find is a car that someone finds in a barn or garage after it has been sitting there for a long time. These cars can be special because they might be rare or have interesting histories, but they usually need a lot of work to get them running again.

Car

Model A Ford

"...take a Model A Ford from 1930 and it's hard to restore it without spending more money than it's worth."

The Model A Ford is a car made by Ford between 1927 and 1931. It was one of the first cars that many people could afford and is now considered a classic.

Car

Ford Model A Ford

"...o sell because they're older cars and you take a Model A Ford from 1930 and it's hard to restore it without sp..."

The Ford Model T is one of the first cars that regular people could buy, and it changed how cars were made. It's very old, so fixing one can be tricky, but it's a big part of car history.

Car

BMW Z3

"Z3, a 2003. It's in that dark blueish grayish with a tan interior."

The BMW Z3 is a small sports car that you can drive with the top down. It was made in the late 1990s and early 2000s and is loved for being fun to drive.

Car

Chevrolet Camaro

"Also in was a 69 Camaro Yenco tribute, hugger orange over black, well done tribute."

The Chevrolet Camaro is a popular sports car that has been around since the late 1960s. The 1969 version is known for its powerful engines and stylish looks.

Term

crate motor

"However, it's got a ZZ502 crate motor in it."

A crate motor is a complete engine that you can buy and put into a car. It's like getting a ready-made engine instead of building one from scratch.

Concept

Shelby

"...It's like Shelby."

Shelby is a name associated with a famous car designer named Carroll Shelby, who made fast versions of Ford cars.

Term

427

"...let him put 427s in them. And so they were the top dog of the drag strip."

The 427 is a type of engine size that means it has 427 cubic inches of space inside. This size is known for being very powerful, especially in muscle cars.

Car

Nash Lafayette

"So also in 1936 Nash Lafayette business coupe, Burgundy black over black, built by the six..."

The Nash Lafayette is a car made by Nash in 1936. It's a type of coupe that was built for business use, meaning it had a larger interior for carrying things.

Car

BMW Z4

"...hat's funny. Why don't you try to get out of the Z4? Yeah."

The BMW Z4 is a fancy car that you can drive with the top down, making it feel like a sports car. It's designed to be fun to drive and looks really nice, which is why people talk about it.

Car

Mini Cooper

"I just have the Mini Cooper today. Oh, the Cooper."

The Mini Cooper is a small car that is fun to drive and has a unique look. It's well-known and loved by many people.

Car

BMW Z8 Bmw

"...ore, it's just one you've always wanted, like the Z8 BMW. So that's one that is on my list."
Car

Alpina Z8

"...ore, it's just one you've always wanted, like the Z8 BMW. So that's one that is on my list."

The Alpina Z8 is a special, upgraded version of a BMW sports car that looks really cool and goes really fast. It's not very common, which makes it a car that many people dream of owning.

Car

Mercedes-Benz 420 SEL

"...of antifreeze bottles. And then we passed on the 420 SEL Mercedes to them that didn't have a, the right re..."

The Mercedes-Benz 420 SEL is a really nice, high-end car that was made to be super comfortable and full of cool features. It's a car that people who like luxury often talk about.

Car

Buick Le Sabre

"...t flipping the air cleaner on a 455. My mother's Buick Le Sabre, we flip over and then that was, that was the sou..."

The Buick LeSabre is a big, comfortable car that many families used to drive. It's known for being reliable and easy to ride in, which is why it comes up in conversations about older cars.

Car

Honda That Honda

"...up there, dad would say, somehow we keep missing that Honda place and I know you want to stop there, but some..."

The Honda That's is a small car that was made mainly for Japan. It's designed to be easy to drive and park, making it a practical choice for city driving.

12 cars featured

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