ANTIQUE CAR AUCTION COMING HERE IN JULY

Sherm Smith acquired a love for old cars as youngster.

"My first car was a 1948 Ford police car," said Smith, who now owns and operates Smith's Auction Company, a division of Smith's Classic Cars, at Dexter. "Naturally, the first thing I wanted to do was see how fast it would go."

Since then, sandwiched between a career in journalism, Smith has acquired and sold many antique/collectible/classic vehicles.

He was in Cape Girardeau Wednesday to announce an antique car auction to be held July 15-16 at the Show Me Center on the Southeast Missouri State University campus.

Smith worked at a number of newspaper jobs during his 30-year career, including editor and publisher. He joined Rust Communications President Gary Rust in the newspaper business in 1977 and sold his interest in 1991.

Smith, who has dabbled in the antique car business a number of years, held his first big antique car auction a year ago at Dexter.

"We had about 160 cars and more than 3,000 people attended the auction," said Smith. "We sold 41 percent of the cars which were consigned."

That percentage falls within the 30 to 50 percent range of many major antique car sales companies.

"We're looking to Cape Girardeau as a permanent site for an annual auction," said Smith, who added that he hopes to make the Cape Girardeau event one of the biggest car auctions in the Midwest.

"We're certainly pleased that Mr. Smith is bringing his antique car auction to Cape Girardeau," said Mary Miller, director of the Cape Girardeau Convention & Visitors Bureau. Miller arranged the press conference for Smith Wednesday.

Gene Radcliffe, an antique car auctioneer who recently won the 1995 Auctioneers World Championship, will serve as auctioneer.

"Radcliffe is known throughout the country for his classic car auctioneering," said Smith.

He predicts the auction will offer 300 cars. "We're taking consignments now, but we already have a number of vehicles, ranging from the 1920s through the 1980s," he said.

Three vehicles were on exhibit at the Show Me Center Wednesday -- a 1966 Mustang convertible, a 1956 two-passenger Thunderbird, and a 1936 Chevy sedan.

The three vehicles will be in the auction, and Smith knows of a 1929 four-door Ford to be consigned.

An antique car auction usually attracts a large turnout of spectators, noted Smith.

"We could have a crowd of 3,500 to 5,000 people for this two-day event. We've checked carefully and don't see any other big antique car sale on that weekend."

The admission fee is $5 for adults and $3 for children. A fee is normal for large antique car auctions.

Three `celebrity' cars (not for sale) will on display at the auction, said Smith. They include two former Elvis Presley cars -- a two-door hardtop Lincoln called the "Hound Dog," and a 1979 Lincoln owned by the rock 'n' roll singer and driven by Linda Thompson.

"The current owner of the Hound Dog car has been offered $1 million for it," Smith said.

A third celebrity vehicle is a car that was owned by Buford Pusser, the Tennessee sheriff who was immortalized in the movie "Walking Tall."

This may be the biggest classic car auction ever held in this area, Smith said. "We've found that most big antique car shows are held in larger metropolitan areas."

The largest previous auction of antique cars in Southeast Missouri occurred in 1983 with the disposal of a collection owned by the late Charles N. Harris. This event attracted more than 5,000 paying spectators in Cape Girardeau.

The Dean Kruse Antique Auto Auction Co. conducted the Cape Girardeau sale, which consisted of 153 cars ranging from a 1901 Oldsmobile to a high-priced 1937 Bentley Drophead, which crossed the block on a $41,000 bid.

The auction here in July will feature all types of vehicles, noted Smith.

"We'll have some rare cars, lots of antique and collectible vehicles, muscle cars, and some street cars."

Smith, who buys and sells old cars, also provides a "search" service.

"Right now, I'm looking for a certain kind of limousine, and a special convertible," said Smith, who attends two or three antique car auctions each month.

Additional information concerning the auction is available by calling Smith at (314) 624-0010.