AUBURN — An auction of World War II military vehicles and artifacts Saturday raised just under $3 million for the Dean V. Kruse Foundation.
Auctions America by RM conducted the sale in the foundation’s National Military History Center south of Auburn. Bidders from around the nation and world bought 82 vintage war vehicles — about half of the museum’s collection — and 100 sets of uniforms and equipment.
An unofficial report showed approximately $2.98 million in “hammer price” sales would go to the museum. The auction company adds a 15 percent bidder’s premium to each sale, which would bring the total sale close to $3.5 million.
“I thought it went very well, so we’ll wait to see what the final totals are,” said Tammy Hantz, executive director for the history center. “Our hopes for today were sell, sell, sell.”
The foundation needed to raise $2.9 million to pay a mortgage-foreclosure judgment to Farmers State Bank.
The mortgage covered the foundation’s expenses in building a neighboring museum that was supposed to be used by automotive racing legend Andy Granatelli. When Granatelli did not occupy the building, the foundation was stuck with a mortgage it could not pay.
The empty building sold for $995,000 on Labor Day, but its buyer from South Dakota has since backed out. The success of Saturday’s auction could cover the mortgage judgment by itself, however.
“The sale went exceptionally well,” exceeding expectations, said Donnie Gould, president of Auctions America by RM. Bidding on the 182 items took about five hours.
The sale attracted international attention, and Eric Kauffman of Strasbourg, France, bought the two most expensive vehicles — both Germany military halftracks.
Kauffman paid $200,000 plus premium for a Daimler-Benz 12-ton “Prime Mover” and $160,000 plus premium for a Hanomag armored vehicle. In all, Kauffman purchased 10 vehicles.
Kauffman said he owns 150 military vehicles in a private museum near the German border that he intends to open to the public.
German military vehicles are difficult to find, “So we are happy to buy this vehicle,” Kauffman said about the Daimler-Benz halftrack. He focused on buying French and German vehicles Saturday.
“I am interested in history, and a mechanic, too. We restore and make new pieces for the vehicles,” he said.
Kauffman added that he is happy with the prices of the vehicles he bought Saturday.
“Numerous lots exceeded expectations — some by multiples” of their predicted prices, said Amy Christie, a spokesperson for Auctions America by RM.
Hantz estimated 450 people attended the auction, and many more people, reportedly from several nations, placed bids and bought vehicles by telephone.
“There was a lot of very spirited bidding between bidders in the room, on the phone and on the Internet,” Christie said. “The motorcycles also sold very well.”
A 1942 Harley Davidson motorcyle built for the U.S. Army sold for $40,000 plus premium, bringing the highest price for a motorcycle.
“Normally, military motorcycles don’t ring the bell like that, but there was a lot of enthusiasm here for those military motorcycles, and I was surprised,” Gould said.
The first 90 minutes of the auction focused on military artifacts, with a pair of German collar insignia selling for $800 and four German military caps bringing $700.