Vintage cars with movie or celebrity history often sell for over-the-top prices, far more than they would without the connection to fame. Not so much this Chevy wagon, which was once owned by the offbeat film and TV director David Lynch, best known for his movies Blue Velvet, Eraserhead, Mulholland Drive and The Elephant Man, and the surreal TV series Twin Peaks.
The Pick of the Day is a 1956 Chevrolet 210 station wagon formerly owned by Lynch and which has screen time in one of his lesser films, The Straight Story, according to the Macedonia, Ohio, dealer advertising the car on ClassicCars.com.
While Lynch is a well-regarded director among film buffs, he’s not as well-known to the general public as, say, Martin Scorsese or George Lucas. So the wagon does not get much of a celebrity bump in value, listed by the seller with an asking price of $24,900.
“The interesting film history is a nice bonus that probably doesn’t add value but does make this car a lot of fun to show and discuss at cruise nights,” the seller says in the ad.
In the lengthy and very-thorough description, the seller describes the car as “mostly original with freshened interior and great-running Blue Flame Six,” referring to the inline-six-cylinder engine. The car is no showpiece, the seller adds, but an “honest old wagon, ready to enjoy.”
“These are its original colors, of course, and the India Ivory over Onyx Black combination will always look good, no matter how long you keep this heirloom wagon,” the description says. “It’s got its share of bumps and bruises that tell the tale of time, but nothing that requires immediate attention save for perhaps a tailgate hinge that’s been tweaked and doesn’t quite close flush anymore.”
The car has had regular maintenance and runs well, the ad continues, with its “buttery-smooth” engine that has been recently tuned up, and three-speed column shift. The car is said to have just under 89,000 miles on its odometer.
The Chevy does have an attractive look in the pictures, with a very clean interior, and it could be used as is or spiffed up with a restoration. Vintage station wagons have been hot sellers of late, and this one might have some upside down the road.
Although the David Lynch-effect on its value is unlikely to be anything more than an interesting back story.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day