Military Vehicle Market
Opportunities abound for savvy collectors, reports Nigel Hay
Although the market is still very much afloat, many sellers are reducing their initial asking prices before reporting sales. Fully restored wartime Jeeps are still making good money, but we are not seeing many for sale over £30,000. An exceptionally nice Ford GP with an asking price of £55,000 sold, and returned to Holland with the buyer, from where it was originally imported a few years ago. A batch of 12 Hotchkiss Jeeps that had a hard life in the Central African Republic, came up for auction in France with guide prices of €1,500 to €2,000.
The Normandy two-day sale (June 3-4) promised quality restored vehicles, including a Ford GPA, Harley WLA, Kettenkrad, Ward La France M1A1 wrecker, three wartime Jeeps, Tatra 57 Kubelwagen and an M16 Halftrack. Prices may be marginally higher than the guide prices as auction fever takes grip. It is a clever move to hold the sale at the Military Classic Vehicles base near Omaha Beach, with a huge captive audience expected from all over Europe for June 6. We are seeing plenty of World War Two vehicles, including DUKWs and Ford GPAs, described as needing finishing or refurbishmen…
