Kruse International - Huntsville, AL

On February 6th I received a phone call from the marketing department at Kruse International (the world’s leader in the collector car industry) they asked if I could come out to an upcoming event to sign autographs, meet and greet and attendees and announce some of the cars up for auction. I was delighted to receive the call and of course, I said yes.

Apparently, this was going be a very special auction for Kruse International, as it was the first time they were holding an auction in Huntsville, Alabama. On a personal level, this would end up being a very special auction for me, because I found out I was only the second woman ever hired to call a Kruse International auction.

March 15th I arrived in Huntsville for an inaugural event - Kruse International’s Huntsville Collector Car Auction, held at the Von Braun Center.

The auction pulled in over 200 vintage, classic and muscle cars that were up for sale. Among those cars was a rare opportunity to own a piece of history; the Queen of England’s personal parade car, a 1960 Armstrong Sidley. This unique car is one of only 12 ever built and one of two still known to exist. It was first registered in April 1960. This car was also used by British Embassy Government and Princess Margaret while at the Buckingham Palace. It sold for $70,000.

The people in Huntsville were so hospitable and kept asking me if it was my first visit to Alabama and how I liked it. The local people seemed to be genuinely concerned with how visitors felt while visiting their city. I was happy to express that I liked both the city and the people.

On Saturday night, following a very successful auction, the famous Dean Kruse from Auburn Indiana took the entire crew out to a very nice dinner at Ruth Chris Steak House. We enjoyed good food, great stories and many, many laughs.

A few other highlights from the trip…

On the way back to the hotel I was asked if I wanted to drive a 1941 Studebaker Coupe around the downtown area. I took the wheel while Fred Gittins and Christin Loomis from Kruse went along with me.

The power of this car was unbelievable, it was addicting and I wanted more!

On the way to airport I drove a 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle - shinny white with two red racing stripes down the center. It ran out of fuel right as I was approaching the interstate. I barely made it over to the side of the road and into a parking lot near by, where we pushed it safely into a parking spot. We got a ride back to the Von Braun Center and grabbed a 1956 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud four door saloon. Yes, I was driven to the airport in major vintage style!

Thank you Kruse International and the Huntsville crew for a great time!