149 classic and luxury cars seized by the FBI from one bankrupt man – including Tesla, Bentley and Burt Reynolds’ Pontiac
Tesla, Bentley, Jaguar and rows of muscle cars including 11 Plymouth Road Runners, 12 Chevrolet Camaros, 9 Dodge Challengers – and a Pontiac owned by Hollywood star Burt Reynolds – among prized motors seized from DC Solar founder Jeff Carpoff following Ponzi scheme investigation
A “stunning” collection of nearly 150 cars seized by the FBI from a single suspect – including Teslas, dozens of classic muscle cars and a motor owned by Burt Reynolds – went under the hammer at an unprecedented public auction, raising more than US$8 million.
All the vehicles were seized as part of an investigation into allegations DC Solar ran a “Ponzi-type” scheme – victims of which allegedly include Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and insurance giant Progressive.
The impounded collection included two Teslas, eleven Plymouth Road Runners, a dozen Chevrolet Camaros, nine Dodge Challengers and a Pontiac owned by the late Hollywood actor Reynolds.
The highest bid was for a 2018 Prevost Featherlite H3-45 motorcoach, which fetched US$1.05 million. The lowest lot was a 2015 Honda CRF250 dirt bike for US$4,000.
The 149 cars were seized from DC Solar founder Jeff Carpoff and his wife Paulette's home and business in California and Las Vegas in December 2018. The company filed for bankruptcy soon after, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
The vehicles were auctioned off by the US Marshals Service (USMS) and Apple Auctioneering Co, a family-owned auction company that “specialises in the liquidation of seized assets for government agencies”, according to its Facebook page.
“It is rare for the US Marshals to hold an auction of such a stunning collection of vehicles,” chief deputy US Marshal Lasha Boyden said in a prepared statement.
The proceeds of the sale, which took place on Saturday, October 26, in Woodland, California, will be deposited into the USMS's seized asset account while awaiting further court orders.
And while the auction totalled US$8.23 million in sales – which calculates to an average of a little over US$55,000 per lot – many bargains were surely had. Take a close look at some of the beauties which were let go, often at well below list price.
The only 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle SS up for auction fetched US$42,500
