Hey Buddy... Want to buy a tank?
Peter van Dyk
Used Vehicle for Sale, Runs Well, Cannon Needs TLC
· Larger
By
ZUSHA ELINSON
Oct. 1, 2014 10:30 p.m. ET
World War II-era tanks were some of the 100 military vehicles on sale at a recent auction in Portola Valley, California.
PORTOLA VALLEY, Calif.—It was an 18-ton piece of British artillery that caught Herman Goelitz Rowland Sr. 's eye at an auction this summer.
Mr. Rowland, 73 years old, chairman of the Jelly Belly Candy Co. in nearby Fairfield, Calif., hoisted himself atop the Abbot 105mm Self-Propelled Gun, which resembles a tank. But before buying, he had one important question.
"Does this thing fire jelly beans?" Mr. Rowland asked. He was only half-joking: He already owns a cannon he has rigged to fire candy munitions.
Mr. Rowland was one of about 300 military buffs, tank enthusiasts, veterans and wealthy overgrown boys who came to bid on tanks, armored cars and artillery at the ranch estate of the late Jacques Littlefield, a Bay Area philanthropist who amassed a private collection. Most of the 122 vehicles up for grabs—including a Cold War-era Scud missile and the Abbot—had been disarmed.
Panzer IV
Mr. Rowland nabbed the Abbot—which according to the auction catalog, "runs and drives very well" but could use some "cosmetic restoration"—for just under $90,000. He spent another $150,000 on six other pieces. He plans to take customers out for rides on his property near the Jelly Belly plant.
But not everyone's tank-buying experience was so sweet.
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is waging a battle to get a World War II-era German Panzer that was offered at the sale.
Vulcan Warbirds Inc., a company that buys historic military vehicles for Mr. Allen's Flying Heritage Collection museum in Washington state, filed suit in September against the foundation that owned the pieces auctioned and the auction company.
The lawsuit alleges that Deborah Gunn, a Vulcan Warbirds representative, made a deal to buy the Panzer IV tank for $2.5 million—and then wired the money to the auction company.
The Collings Foundation, which offered the vehicles at the auction, refused to surrender the tank—which the lawsuit alleges was tantamount to a breach of the "Tank Purchase Agreement."
Rob Collings, CEO of the Collings Foundation, said the foundation never agreed to sell the Panzer. He said that after bidders failed to meet the reserve price, the foundation decided to keep the highly prized piece for its own planned museum in Massachusetts. The foundation plans to use proceeds from the auction toward building its museum.
"I think there is some sort of miscommunication between the auction company and Vulcan," Mr. Collings said. He doesn't fear that Vulcan Warbirds will take the 28-ton tank by force: "That would be grand theft tank."
A spokeswoman for Vulcan Warbirds said in an emailed statement that the tank was purchased to be put on display at Mr. Allen's museum but that the auction company had "failed to honor our agreement."
A spokeswoman for Auctions America said the company has found itself "caught between two of the hobby's most important collectors," adding: "We are diligently working with both parties to reach an amicable resolution."
To be sure, Mr. Allen didn't go home empty-handed, documents filed with the lawsuit show. Calling in its bids over the phone, Vulcan Warbirds snagged the Scud missile for $345,000.
The bidding for the missile had begun at $200,000, a real steal, the auctioneer told the crowd because it was a "once in-a-lifetime opportunity" to "own your own Scud."
Acquiring Scud missiles had been no easy task for Mr. Littlefield, who amassed the collection. He ran into trouble with the federal government when he sought to import a second missile in the late 1990s; customs officials said it wasn't properly demilitarized. Mr. Littlefield told the Associated Press at the time that he was just a "tank nerd" and had no interest in importing a live missile.
It is legal for private citizens to own old military vehicles, experts say. Most are disarmed, but if a tank has a working gun that is classified as a "destructive device," the buyer must pass muster with the federal government, a process involving fingerprinting, signoff from local law enforcement and a $200 fee, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. At the auction, a dozen such devices were sold.
Another caveat: "All lots sold for off-highway use," read one sign at the auction.
Even so, more than one auction attendee reveled in telling a tale about the time they got pulled over driving a tank. Others called themselves "shooters": guys who enjoy driving tanks out to desolate places to take target practice—in states where that is allowed. They take care, they noted, not to shoot near any people or cows.
Rick Ropkey, president of the Ropkey Armor Museum in Crawfordsville, Ind., played down the danger of these historical weapons. Of the Scud, he said: It represents "absolutely no threat other than someone might walk into it and bump their head."
Mr. Ropkey said that tank enthusiasts are sociable people who are interested in history. "This isn't fringe lunacy," he said.
An association for these enthusiasts counts 7,500 members world-wide, including 5,200 in the U.S., said Tracey Metcalf, administrator at the Military Vehicle Preservation Association. Ms. Metcalf likened the mostly male membership to car buffs but called them "low gear heads" (the vehicles are generally slow).
For some, buying tanks is a business proposition. Father and son Richard and Tony Borglum traveled from Kasota, Minn., where they run Drive A Tank—an outfit that gives visitors the chance to drive and crush cars with a tank.
The pair had been coveting a 38-ton M50 Israeli Sherman tank, even though the elder Mr. Borglum was worried about the size of the hatch. It was designed for the smaller, svelte soldier of yesteryear.
"Customers who have the money to pay for this kind of thing look a lot like me," said Mr. Borglum, 58, pointing at his midsection.
When the tank—described as being in "beautiful condition"—came up, the Borglums got into a bidding battle with Florida real-estate developer Damon Becnel. Back and forth they went until the Borglums declined to answer Mr. Becnel's $255,000 bid ($293,000 after commission).
Mr. Becnel, a 42-year-old wearing sunglasses and a sleeveless T-shirt, was jubilant at his victory.
"I just had to do it—YOLO!" he said, employing the acronym for "You only live once."
Mr. Becnel said he planned to drive the tank around his property on Florida's Emerald Coast. Would he be testing out its huge gun, too? "No comment," Mr. Becnel answered, a grin crossing his face.
Write to Zusha Elinson at zusha....@wsj.com
Thomas Huang
lol, lets pool together and buy a panzer!!!! XD
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Rigel Andreoli
Peter van Dyk
Bet the shipping is a bitch...
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Thomas Huang
Enough to buy another tank