Barn Find Ferrari and Pantera Among Huge Car Collection up for Auction

BOLD RIDE

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Posted by Zach Doell

 

Imagine your childhood home… then imagine your house, garage, and yard full of classic cars. Such is the life of the diehard car collector, and it was a reality for one Indiana man last year. Upon learning that his father had passed away, Dave Koepke returned to his childhood home with a heavy heart and got the surprise of his life. 

 

The property was so packed full of classic Fords and Tri-Five Chevys that he could only get halfway up the driveway. Dave’s father, Bob Koepke, had been an avid hot rodder and car collector his entire life, and it appears in his later years the fascination never dwindled.
 Bob’s entire collection will cross the block on Saturday at VanDerBrink Auctions in Titusville, Florida, and among the lots are two barn find exotics – a 1978 Ferrari 308 GTB and a 1973 De Tomaso Pantera. Everyone likes a good barn find.

It’s safe to say Koepke had quite the taste in cars. After retiring as an accountant for NASA, Bob turned his entire focus to the cars. He regularly went on trips with Dave in his ’57 Chevy and would come back with another ’57 or other classic car in tow. The obsession began at age 12, when Bob bought his first car – a Model A – from his brother for $25. He hot-rodded it, and it went on to take him through college and beyond. It remained on the property up until his passing, though understandably Dave won’t be letting that one go anytime soon.

The Ferrari 308 and the Pantera will however be finding new homes by tomorrow evening. The ’73 Pantera appears to be mostly all there, showing only 3,800 miles on the clock and dressed in British Racing Green. Less is made known about the ’78 Ferrari 308 GTB, but it’s said to be a driver.

There’s also a Porsche 356 Coupe on hand, as well as countless classic Fords and Tri-Five Chevrolets, and many performance Corvette parts. It might not equal the legendary French barn find auction that totaled $28 million, but it’s surely a vast collection of American icons.

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