Auto auctioneer sold on new showroom

From the Calgary Herald by Greg Williams

Harold Heninger is a little bit surprised by his own success. The Calgary car entrepreneur is hosting his 12th Car Crazy Spring Classic Collector Car Auction, and the auctions keep improving.

"I never thought (my auctions) would get like this, it's incredible," Heninger says. "The cars keep getting better every year, and some people are starting to call me Barrett-Jackson of the North."

Barrett-Jackson collector car auctions, of course, have been made famous on SpeedTV. Auction action is aired live, and armchair enthusiasts can marvel at the prices obtained for some of the classic iron.

This spring, Heninger has made more changes to his selling venue. In 2002, having held annual collector car auctions in venues across the city, Heninger began an association with Frank Sisson and his Silver Dollar Casino. Heninger's first auction at the casino was held under a festival tent, and snow and cold temperatures hampered the sale.

He then moved into the bay of a warehouse immediately south of the casino, and successfully held his 2004 and 2005 auctions in this heated, covered venue.

But for 2006, Heninger has moved again, This time, he's working from the old A.R. Williams Forklift building -- also across from Sisson's casino. This building offers Heninger a 12-bay, 30,000-square-foot facility complete with a 10-car showroom and an upstairs boardroom.

"We can park 125 cars inside for the auction, and the boardroom will be the sales office when we're auctioning cars," Heninger says. He adds that the boardroom is also available to Calgary car clubs to use as a meeting space.

This building is now known as the Car Crazy Showroom, and will be a permanent home for Heninger and his antique car antics.

"It can snow, it can rain -- it simply doesn't matter," Heninger says. "The building is secured and alarmed, as is the paved and fenced four acres of land around the building."

Heninger spent three months renovating the space, installing bright halogen lighting, carpeting the showroom and painting the wall and floors. He moved in late March, and is keen to see the first auction in its new location.

And more than 150 collector cars and trucks are set to roll across the auction block, with some unique vehicles going under the hammer. There will be two micro-cars, vehicles that are now being dubbed the forerunner of the modern Smart car.

A fully restored 1962 Messerschmitt -- a three-wheeled vehicle with a glass bubble-top powered by a 500cc, two-stroke engine -- will be auctioned, as will a 1957 BMW Isetta.

Heninger offers a memorabilia auction on the sale day, with all the proceeds from this sale going to the  Boots for Kids Charity.

As well, all the proceeds from the auction of a 1966 Cadillac convertible will be donated to Boots for Kids.

Viewing runs today at 4303 9th St. S.E. from noon to 10 p.m., with a warm-up party starting at 7 p.m. A selection of three vehicles will be sold at 8 p.m., including a 1936 Auburn replica, a 1911 Ford Model T torpedo black convertible and a 1999 Harley-Davidson.

On Saturday, the doors open at 9 a.m., and the selling begins at 10 a.m.