A 1956 Chevrolet 150 was auctioned twice in a single event to help raise $1 million for the Honor Flight Network during Barrett-Jackson's inaugural Houston auction.
The 1956 Chevrolet 150 sedan was a former U.S Army staff car at the Sioux Army Depot in Sidney, Nebraska. Since, the Chevy has had three additional owners but it hasn't been driven since 1965.
Chevrolet made the 150 from 1953 to 1957, a run consisting of two generations. The car was a fleet model and at the end of its run was replaced by the Delray.
The original bumpers were replaced with NOS Chevrolet parts but retained its original paint. The Chevrolet 150 is powered by its original 3.5-liter inline six-cylinder engine, which is mated to a three-speed manual transmission.
The Chevy was initially sold for $425,000 last Saturday afternoon, but within minutes the bidder donated the sedan back to be auctioned. In the second round of bidding, the sedan went for $400,000 almost doubling the donation. Before the night closed out, a third bidder added an $175,000 to round out the $1 million donation to the Honor Flight Network.
The Honor Flight Network connects and transports veterans around the U.S. to Washington D.C. so they may visit memorials dedicated to honoring those who have served, and sacrificed, for the country.
The network was founded in 2005 by Jeff Miller and Earl Morse who shared the mission of honoring the nation's veterans by bringing to visit the memorials and monuments dedicated to their service.
The original focus was on World War II veterans, however, the network has expanded to those who served in the Korean War, Vietnam War, intermediary operations, and in special cases of terminal illness or injury — veterans from more recent service eras.
Since its formation, the Honor Flight Network has taken more than 245,000 veterans to the U.S. capital.
Barrett-Jackson often uses its auction events to help raise money for an array of non-profit organizations. In the past 50 years, the auction company has raised $135 million in charitable donations.
Uncommon Knowledge
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