This 300-Car Auction Is a Treasure Trove of American Classics Waiting to Be Saved

Somewhere in an otherwise empty field in Epping, North Dakota lie hundreds of vintage, rusty American cars that seemingly haven’t been touched in decades. Almost every era of classic automotive Americana is represented by this massive collection, from pre-war cars to the big-finned displays of 1950s excess, and even ’70s muscle cars. Not every car is derelict, and most of them are Mopar, but all of them are for sale, as part of the Sagaser collection heading to VanDerBrink Auctions on June 7.

Paul Sagaser was a geologist for an oil company. While he lived in Epping, he traveled all over North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming for work, and during his travels, he’d find beat-up old American cars to bring home. Over the years, he amassed this enormous collection of project cars that he clearly never got around to. Sadly, Sagaser died in a motorcycle accident in 2018, and now his family is putting his collection up for auction.

Some of the cars look like they’re in great shape, like the beige Dodge Dart or the black Dodge convertible, ready to drive off the lot and be enjoyed. Others look to be in decent condition but could use some sprucing up, like the red Plymouth Barracuda. Most of the cars are completely rust-covered, though, and many are missing body parts. However, you can choose from pretty much any kind of American rust bucket that you’d like: Muscle cars, sedans, wagons, and pickup trucks are all available. If you’re willing to invest enough time, money, or both, the project car opportunities are nearly endless.

Unfortunately, VanDerBrink doesn’t have a full list of the cars that will be available when the auction goes live. But there are enough photos to get an idea of what you’ll be able to bid on, so you can prepare yourself accordingly. And even though you can’t determine the condition of the cars just yet, it’s safe to say you’re going to need a trailer to bring most of them home.

Even more interesting is that you can almost pick your dream American classic, a la carte, from this auction. There are plenty of bodies to choose from, but also engines and various other parts. So you might be able to pick your car, your engine, and your transmission, and have it all delivered, waiting to be mated together for the ultimate classic car project. Now, where did I put my wallet?

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