A shiny red 1966 Ford Mustang was sold for $42,000 at an auction in Nebraska that included more than 100 antique cars, trucks, tractors, motorcycles and other items.
The auction Saturday in Aurora offered bidders treasures collected by Harvey Bish. The Mustang with a retractable hard top is a prototype that Bish purchased in 1996 from Ben Smith, a former Ford Motor Company engineer who designed the car.
Both Bish and Smith attended the auction. Hundreds sang to Smith to celebrate his 93rd birthday.
Before the start of the auction, which included more than 700 registered bidders in person or online, Bish was spotted driving around in a 1908 Waltham Runabout vehicle. The oldest car in his collection was later sold for more than $2,000.
Alyse Krejdl, of Eagle, is Bish's granddaughter. She said she has fond memories of the 1966 Mustang.
"It has to be my favorite out of them," she told the newspaper. "That is the one that Grandpa would always let me drive around town and take to prom. He's a great guy."
The auction produced other sales. A 1967 Ford Mustang with a power retractable hard top went for $13,500. Todd Grantski bought a 1971 Ford Mustang for more than $11,000.
"I can remember playing in them," he said. "I have always been intrigued by Mustangs."
Yvette VanDerBrink of VanDerBrink Auctions in Minnesota handled the auction. She said there's an appeal to these type of events.
"They come to buy memories," she said of the large crowd. "For people who collect cars, it is all about nostalgia."
This article originally apppeared on the Journal Star.
