by Lindsay Scott

Going once! Going twice! Sold! Sold! Sold! These are the words that every classic car owner wants to hear when their car crosses the auction block. Two weekends a year, Hollywood Wheels Auctions & Shows puts on a classic car auction in beautiful West Palm Beach, Florida. Their shows go off without a hitch, and they have some of the most beautiful and rare cars you will ever find. When you walk through the showroom doors at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, all you can see is cars. The one thing that makes this auction company unique is that it is family owned and operated.

A lot of time and effort goes into putting on a car auction. Hollywood Wheels Auctions & Shows’ home base is located here in Largo, FL. The car consignments start coming in 6 months prior to the actual auction date. The office staff starts processing paperwork, entering the cars into their computer system, putting them on the website, and making the folders for the auction. The employees collaborate with each other and their designer to come up with magazine covers, ads, signs, and posters. Business really starts to pick up once the ads go to print and people all around the country start to see them.

About a week before the auction takes place, the staff of Hollywood Wheels packs up their office here in Largo, and move to The Palm Beach County Convention Center for 10 days. When the staff gets to the convention center, setup for the auction begins. What starts off as a big empty room turns into an office with 10 desks, computers, a fax machine, and just about any other office supply you can think of. Out back the large empty showroom gets transformed once the stage and auction block get set up, and also when the cars start to come into the building and are put into their correct spot and staged. The last thing to go up is the American Flag. Once the flag is up they are just days away from show time.

When Thursday rolls around, the final touches are complete and the kickoff party begins at 3pm sharp. The party is open and free to the public. The showroom is opened up and people can come and look around at all of the unique, rare, and beautiful cars. No two cars in the building are the same, and each one holds its own story.  The kickoff party wraps up around 6pm, and the staff leaves early to get a good dinner and a good night’s sleep. Friday and Saturday are the big days for everyone involved. Doors open at 10 AM, and the National Anthem is sung at 11 AM sharp, kicking off the day and the auction weekend. The days are long for the staff, but the excitement of the crowd, and the overall energy of the auction keeps them going through their day. Each car gets 3 minutes on the block. In this period of time, the award-winning auctioneers do their very best to sell each and every car that crosses the block. The best part of this auction is that it is all ran by a family. Everyone had their own job, and by working together they put on amazing event.

The Auction runs twice a year, one weekend in March and one weekend in December. Tickets are $20 per day, and kids 5 and under are free.  Doors typically open at 10 AM, the auction starts around 11 AM, and it ends between 6-7 PM.  For any additional information visit their website www.hollywoodcarauctions.com or call 1-800-237-8954.