Late actor Paul Walker’s vehicles garner $2.33 million at Arizona auction
Published : Monday, 20 January, 2020 at 12:00 AM Count : 599
Twenty-one
vehicles owned by the late actor Paul Walker, who starred in the
popular "Fast and Furious" movie franchise, sold for a combined $2.33
million during spirited bidding at an annual car auction in Arizona,
officials said. The collection assembled by Walker posted strong
results at the week-long Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, with an
Alpine White 1995 BMW M3 Lightweight fetching the top single price of
$385,000 in the final day of sales on Saturday. It was one of five such
BMW lightweights, of which 126 were produced, sold at the auction. Walker,
an avid car enthusiast, was a passenger in a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT
driven by Roger Rodas when the vehicle careened into trees and a utility
pole in Santa Clarita, northwest of Los Angeles, killing both men in
November 2013. Walker was 40. Excessive speed was cited as the cause. "People
were clearly paying a premium for his cars," said Jonathan Klinger, a
spokesman for Michigan-based classic car insurer Hagerty. "With these
prices, the late actor appears to be poised to become the next Paul
Newman of celebrity car collectors." Klinger said star power does not
always generate high bids, but Walker's combination of celebrity and
passion for cars made the vehicles must-haves for some collectors.
Eighteen
vehicles and three motorcycles owned by Walker that spanned five
decades crossed the block before the hammer came down for the final
time. Among the crowd favorites were a custom 2009 Nissan 370Z, which
made an appearance in the "Fast Five" movie. The low-mileage vehicle
sold on Thursday for $105,600, the most expensive price paid for a 370Z
at auction. A never-raced 2013 Ford Boss 302S race car given to
Walker as a gift by another car buff and put into storage sold for
$95,700 on Saturday, auction officials said. The vehicles were put up for bids with no minimum asking price and sales figures include a buyer's commission. Proceeds
from the sale will go to a trust for Walker's daughter, Meadow. She
manages the late actor's foundation. -Reuters