Buy a Classic–Help a College

Far too many car collections are kept from the light of day. Undoubtedly there are many warehouses around the world that house incredible collections of cars that sadly will rarely be shared with the public. Alberta rancher, J. C. “Jack” Anderson wanted to share his cars in a way that could help others so he donated some of his cars to Olds College in Alberta; one hundred and six cars, to be exact.

The scale and breadth of the collection takes a while to sink in. From svelte Jaguars to lumbering Cadillacs, the collection covers a wide range of automotive tastes. There is one Japanese car and only few German cars but the collection is largely made up of British and American classics.

The collection features many classic Jaguars, but a standout was definitely the achingly beautiful British racing green 1956 XK-140.

The Jag was in great condition and looked lovely on painted (not chromed!) wire wheels. No doubt this one will find a home at the auction this June.

Perhaps the most exciting thing about this auction is that all these cars will have new homes afterwards. That’s because every single one of the 106 cars will be auctioned off with no reserve between June 21 and 23. (Click here for full list of cars going up for auction. Click here for more information on the collection.)

Though many of the cars in the collection were in excellent condition, others needed a fair bit of work before they could be sold. Every car being sold must be able to start, run and stop, hence the SRS tags on a few of the cars. Some cars have proven more difficult to resuscitate than others, and one Jaguar E-Type has been particularly stubborn.

Due to the size of the collection and the level of work needed to prime these cars for sale, the volunteer workforce is impressive in their dedication and their numbers. The disused Ford dealership that currently houses the collection is alive with activity every Saturday and has been for nearly a year to make this auction a reality.

One particular 1966 Mustang looked ready to cruise with a healthy 289 V8 and GM-esque aqua-blue paint. Far too often these early Mustangs are spoilered and scooped into GT350 “clones” so it’s nice to see one of these remain stock down to the hubcaps.

It would be an arduous endeavor to try and profile each interesting car in the collection, but I hope I have at least shed light on the existence of the collection and the upcoming auction. Let us know in the comments which car you would most like to take home from the collection!

Photography by Clayton Seams