Your Chance to Own the Deadhead Chevy
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Every car has stories to tell, if people will only make the effort to listen. But I'll bet this shopworn '56 Chevy has more to say than most, as it for many years served as a road trip taxi for a guy named Garcia, and his band, The Grateful Dead.
You'll have the chance to own it, as it is soon to cross an auction block in -- appropriately enough -- San Francisco. Bonhams is selling it, along with 172 other lots of GD memorabilia, at its second Grateful Dead sale, entitled "More Skeletons from the Closet." There's a plethora of posters, ticket stubs, gold records, bits of clothing, and musical instruments for Deadheads to bid on, but this is the only automobile on offer. The sale takes place October 5; see below for a direct link to the car on Bonhams' Web site.
It wasn't actually owned by one of the band members, but by one of GD's long-time roadies. "This 1956 Chevy Bel Air was given to me by a long-time crew member for The Grateful Dead (who owned the car for a number of years)..." says the consignor. "The crew member who gave this car to me said that he drove Jerry Garcia and other band members around in it for decades and that they all had some great adventures in her." I'll bet. It seems appropriate that they'd have a ride like this; The Dead don't seem like the cush, million-dollar tour bus types.
The car itself is utterly unremarkable. The four-door post body style is among the least collectible of all Tri-Chevies. It's riddled with rust and probably needs some work. It does have a V-8 engine and appears to be a real Bel Air, so that's something. It was reportedly painted this white/purple combo at a well-known custom shop in San Rafael, and wears a Steal Your Face logo (look it up) on the inside rear deck. But all of this matters little. Its value -- intrinsic and otherwise -- rests in the life it has led, the miles it has covered.
How many concerts has this old Chevy attended? How many gigs did it chauffeur Garcia and the guys to and from? How many parties was it parked outside of (or took place in the back seat)? How many groupie girls rode in this thing? Who slept in it? Did it witness any arrests or busts? Were any of the band's songs written or thought of while riding in it? What kind of stuff might have been hidden in the door panels or under the rugs?
Bonhams has posted a pre-sale price estimate of $8000-$10,000. Given the heightened interest in rock-n-roll memorabilia, this could be a bargain, or all the money in the world. But there's one thing for certain: there's only one like it. Although the Dead tune 100,000 Tons of Steel was referring to a train, a few lines from the song might apply to the '56 as well:
The brakes don't work and this grade's too steep, her engine's sure to blow...
I can only hope my luck is ridin' in the back.
Interested? Contact Margaret Barrett at margaret.barrett@bonhams.com, or 323/436-5467. "More Skeletons from the Closet," Bonhams sale number 16607, Lot Number 173, October 5, 2008. 220 San Bruno Avenue, San Francisco. Bonhams.com
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