Tony Parella Corvette Collection at Auction America's Fort Lauderdale Sale

Company press release.

CELEBRATED CORVETTE COLLECTION FROM TONY PARELLA TO HEADLINE AUCTIONS AMERICA'S COLLECTOR CARS OF FORT LAUDERDALE AUCTION

• Tony Parella Collection is one of six private collections to be sold at auction in Fort Lauderdale, March 16-18

• The Parella Collection features 26 Corvettes, including a Corvette for every year from 1953 – 1969

• Collector Cars of Fort Lauderdale celebrates its 10th year as South Florida's premier collector car auction

More than 500 classics, exotics, hot rods, and muscle cars will roll into town for Auctions America by RM's Collector Cars of Fort Lauderdale auction, March 16-18, at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Offerings include a collection of 26 well- restored Corvettes from the esteemed Tony Parella Collection. The Corvettes represent every model year from 1953 through '69 plus rare examples from the 1970s, '80s and '90s that will all be offered during the three-day auction.

'Tony's cars hold a lot of historical significance,' said Donnie Gould, president of Auctions America by RM. 'His Corvettes we are offering are a part of a select group of collections that will cross our auction block, making the Fort Lauderdale event one not to be missed.'

A telecommunications business executive, Tony Parella has built several companies from the ground up. He is credited with pulling Shared Technologies Inc. out of bankruptcy and on to Fortune magazine's '100 Best Companies to Work For' for four consecutive years. When he wasn't helping troubled companies, he focused his attention on his passion, collecting Corvettes and vintage motorcycles.

The highlight of his collection is a 1953 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster (est. $175,000 - $225,000), the 64th Corvette built. After debuting its new sports car at General Motors' traveling Motorama show in January 1953, Chevrolet quickly put the fiberglass-bodied Corvette into production. The first year's tally of 300 identical white roadsters makes any 1953 one of the rarest Corvettes in history.

The 1955 Corvette is special to auto enthusiasts because it came with Chevrolet's first V-8 engine. Parella's 1955 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster (est. $90,000 - $120,000) comes fitted with a proper 265-cid, 195-hp V-8 engine coupled to a Powerglide automatic transmission and is finished in the rare and desirable factory color of Harvest Gold.

'The Parella Corvettes represent some of the best examples of their model years,' noted Gould. 'From the first year the Corvette was introduced to the very last Stingray built in 1976, these Corvettes are highly coveted rides. Serious Corvette enthusiasts will not want to miss our March auction. It's anybody's guess when a collection of this significance will cross the block again.'

Another Corvette that demands attention is the 1976 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe (est. $50,000 - $70,000), which is the final Corvette to leave the assembly line wearing the Stingray name. This example has fewer than 25,000 original miles on the odometer and is highly equipped.

In addition, Parella's Corvette collection includes:

• 1954 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster (est. $80,000 - $100,000)

• 1956 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster (est. $80,000 - $90,000)

• 1957 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster (est. $70,000 - $90,000)

• 1958 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster (est. $70,000 - $80,000)

• 1959 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster (est. $60,000 - $70,000)

• 1960 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster (est. $60,000 - $70,000)

• 1961 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster (est. $30,000 - $40,000)

• 1962 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster (est. $80,000 - $100,000)

• 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe Race Car (est. $60,000 - $80,000)

• 1964 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster (est. $70,000 - $90,000)

• 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster (est. $70,000 - $90,000)

• 1966 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster (est. $70,000 - $80,000)

• 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster (est. $120,000 - $150,000)

• 1968 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster (est. $50,000 - $70,000)

• 1969 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe (est. $30,000 - $40,000)

• 1972 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe (est. $30,000 - $40,000)

• 1973 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe (est. $25,000 - $35,000)

• 1978 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe (est. $30,000 - $50,000)

• 1981 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe (est. $20,000 - $30,000)

• 1986 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible (est. $25,000 - $35,000)

• 1995 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible (est. $30,000 - $35,000)

• 1998 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible (est. $25,000 - $35,000)

The Tony Parella Collection is one of six private collections that will be offered during Auctions America by RM's Fort Lauderdale auction. Examples from additional private collections include a majestic 1933 Chrysler CL Phaeton (est. $350,000 - $400,000). This pre-war full CCCA Classic with known provenance is one of 36 Phaetons built from Chrysler's top-of-the-line CL series and will be offered at no reserve. Another magnificent vehicle presented from a private collection is a 1940 Lincoln Zephyr Convertible (est. $50,000 - $70,000). Introduced for 1936, the Lincoln Zephyr was intended to be a lower-price luxury car to bring more people into the Lincoln fold.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Collector Cars of Fort Lauderdale auction. To witness the sale of these and other one-of-a-kind collectibles, visitors can purchase an event pass beginning on Thursday for $50 or a single-day pass for $20. Children under 12 years of age receive free admission when accompanied by a ticket-holding adult. Due to the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center's location and new Federal security requirements, everyone will be required to show government-issued picture identification, such as a passport or driver's license.

Internet, absentee and telephone bidding options are available for those unable to attend and real-time coverage is available online at www.auctionsamerica.com. Full event details and a list of auction offerings are available online or by calling toll free 877-906-2437 (or +1 260-927-9797 outside North America).

posted on conceptcarz.com