A slice of GM's past hits the auction block

Jan. 18, 2009, marked the end of an auction of 200 cars from General Motors’ Heritage Center collection.

The sale at Barrett-Jackson Auction Co. in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for collectors and enthusiasts.

The Heritage Center, in Sterling Heights, Mich., is home to some of GM’s most noteworthy cars and light trucks.

But as time passed, not all the vehicles in the collection remained vital to the company.

In 2009, GM’s finances weren’t all that hot, either. On June 1 of that year, GM filed for bankruptcy protection under a government-led rescue.

“We’re trying to get the collection to the right size,” Tom Freiman, then-manager of the center, told the Detroit Free Press. “At the end of the day, I think we’re going to end up with a better mix of heritage vehicles.”

The vehicles that went on the block had seen little use at the Heritage Center or were created for special events, such as the Specialty Equipment Market Association show.

GM also sent some cars -- pace cars and a popemobile, to name a few --  to Barrett-Jackson’s auction in Palm Beach, Fla., in April 2009.

At the January auction, a 1996 Buick Blackhawk concept went for $522,500, a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL-1 COPO Coupe sold for $319,000, and a 1959 Chevrolet Corvette convertible fetched $220,000.

The 81,000-square-foot Heritage Center maintains 600 cars and light trucks, with about 200 on display and others lent out for special exhibitions. It is not open to the public but is used for special events.