The Roy Langlitz Hoard of Big Block Chevrolet Cars and Parts will be Auctioned Sept. 16th-17th, Online and Live in Idaho
An incredible hoard of big block Chevrolet cars and parts – mostly muscle car-era Chevelles, Camaros, Corvettes and El Caminos from the collection of Roy Langlitz (aka “Rob Carter”) – will come up for bid Saturday and Sunday, September 16th and 17th, on-site, at Mr. Langlitz’s sprawling property in Rathdrum, just outside of Spokane, Wash.
A preview of the auction, showing many of the cars and parts that will come up for bid, may be viewed on YouTube, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVGEKXRazdI&t=22s.
“Anyone who knows me knows I love Chevelles, and this auction’s got plenty of them,” said Yvette VanDerBrink, whose Minnesota-based firm VanDerBrink Auctions is conducting the two-day event. “Between 125 and 150 Chevrolets will cross the auction block on Day 1, a great blend of project cars, almost finished project cars, restored cars and pickups, none of which run.”
Ms. VanDerBrink said some of the Corvettes in the sale are judged and rated (“absolutely exceptional examples”), adding, “With regard to parts, everything you’d need or want to build a Chevelle or Camaro or El Camino is here. As for engines, we’ve got Ls5s, Ls6s, 396s, 409s, 454s, 348s and more – mostly 396s, 454s and 409s. In all, there are about 125 big block motors.”
The inventory of complete cars includes 1970 Camaros, 1970 Chevelles (one of them a 454 c.i. convertible that was featured in Car Craft magazine), a 427 c.i. Corvette Sting Ray survivor car (never been repainted), and even a few non-Chevys, such as the Pontiac GTO and the 1970 Ford Mach I 428 c.i. Cobra Jet (not a Shelby). The Mach I is the only car in the auction that does run.
Online bidding on Day 1 will be through Proxibid.com.
The cars and some parts will be sold live and online on Day 1, Friday, September 16th, but the thousands of big block parts that come up for bid on September 17th will have no online bidding. “You must be there in person to bid on those parts, no exceptions,” VanDerBrink said. “Some parts go with specific cars and they will be put with their cars come auction day. Most everything is identified. Pretty much all the parts are for big block Chevys, except for a few Pontiac parts.”
The list of parts due to be sold is exhaustive and impressive. It includes new door panels and seats, steering wheels (some of them wood grain), fender caps, dashboards, grills, 4-speed and automatic consoles, 409 parts, big block Tri-Powers, fuel injection units for Corvettes, heads, transmissions, hoods, air cleaners, fans, radiators, intakes, power steering pumps and A/C units.
In her online video (which can be viewed at www.VanDerBrinkAuctions.com), VanDerBrink took viewers on a guided tour of what she called the ‘Tunnel of Love’ – an area of one on-site building that features big block heads for 409, 396, 348, Ls5 and Ls6 engines, plus some real nice interiors, many of which belong to specific cars. “It’s a wonderland for big block lovers.”
VanDerBrink said if the name Roy Langlitz (or Rob Carter) rings a bell, it might be because he was featured in a cover story from the July 2008 issue of Hot Rod magazine. In it, his collection was named as one of the “Greatest Hidden Treasures” of the automotive world. Now, those very treasures that were written about 15 years ago can be purchased by other big block Chevy lovers.
Roy Langlitz (1933-2023) was the second born of five children. Upon graduation from high school, he joined the U.S. Navy, where he served aboard the USS John R. Pierce during the Korean War. After his discharge he took a job with Heller Helicopter in a career that lasted long enough to save the money needed to start the first of several business ventures, all in California.
These included gas stations, towing services, a motel and a sporting goods store. One of his last ventures was a construction firm. His partner in the business ultimately moved to Idaho, and he convinced Roy to do same as well. After building homes in northern Idaho for a few years, Roy partnered with a longtime friend, Gary Woodson, to start a highly successful truck stop business.
That success allowed him to buy some acreage and begin what turned into a decades-long grand adventure of finding, buying, fixing up and (on rare occasion) selling classic American cars. He loved attending and hosting car shows and sharing his passion for all things Chevrolet. It was a hobby that allowed Roy to stay constantly busy and gave him the freedom to choose how and where to spend his time. It also led to the amazing auction planned for September 16th and 17th.
An open-house preview and party will be held the day before the auction, September 15th, from 10-6 Pacific time, at Mr. Langlitz’s property in Rathdrum, Idaho. Start times both auction days are 9:30 am. For more info about the sale of the Roy Langlitz (aka “Rob Carter”) collection, of mostly muscle car-era Chevrolet big block cars and parts, visit www.VanderBrinkAuctions.com. Be sure to see the YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVGEKXRazdI&t=22s.
