Located in Auburn, Indiana, Kruse International is the world’s largest collector car auction firm with 35 years of experience, selling more vintage and collector cars than all other auction firms combined.  Additionally, Kruse is a continued leader in real estate auctions, as well as vintage aircraft and museum closeouts.

For over a quarter of a century the name Kruse has been synonymous with classic cars.  Kruse International holds over 30 auctions each year in various parts of the United States including, Auburn, Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Scottsdale, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and San Antonio just to name a few.  

At Kruse International events, the company displays and sells sports cars, classic cars, celebrity cars, and exotic cars.  In addition, these gatherings are the sites of car parades, car exhibits, automotive art, collectibles and collector car shows and auctions. 

Annually, more than 1,500,000 people attended Kruse International classic car events.  These visitors consist of five major groups: the investor, the collector, the enthusiast, the dealer, and the hobbyist.  The people who are looking for that special car to tinker with are regular attendees.  Collectors who focus on specialized buying, and investors who target vehicles they can sell as a profit complete the classic car crowd. 

Prominent collectors like Tom Monaghan, Jerry Moore, General William Lyon, Jay Leno, Reggie Jackson, Kenneth Behring, Bill Marriott, Ralph Engelstad and Otis Chandler have become loyal customers over the years.

In addition to the collector car consignment auction concept, Dean Kruse has been and is the driving force behind an easily accessible marketplace where buyers and sellers can meet.  He is also able to maintain industry leadership by conducting more sales and offering more cars than all other competitors combined.

Encouraged by the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, the firm held the first collector car consignment auction during the already established Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival in 1971.  The first Auburn sale attracted fewer than 100 auction vehicles and an overwhelming crowd of 17,000 people.  The event was held in an empty lot where the existing West Edge Mall is located.

Dean Kruse

 
ACD Festival Parade

William Harrah

“Half the spectators paid $1 for admission into the auction and the other half jumped the rope and got in free,” Dean Kruse recalls. Noting the explosion of enthusiasm from the Auburn crowd, Dean and Russell quickly capitalized on the collector car auction market and established the first Scottsdale, Arizona auction in January 1972.  Collector Tom Barrett was the local sponsor for the Scottsdale event.  Kruse celebrated its 30th anniversary of the highly recognized Scottsdale sale in January 2001.

Setting new records, Kruse pioneered the collector car auction industry and developed today’s auction method of marketing into an investment tool for collectors.  Kruse has garnered interest from buyers around the world and attracted collectors in search of good investments.

A few Kruse records include $42 million for the three-sale sellout of William F. Harrah’s collection; $15 million for the Ed Weaver Estate which saw 25 Duesenbergs cross the block at No Reserve in August of 1995; $1.4 million for the highest priced Duesenberg, Greta Garbo’s 1933 J Victoria (originally sold at Auburn ‘72 for $90,000 and later at Auburn  ‘90 for $2,800,000); $11 million for the highest car bid, a 1931 Bugatti Royale with Kellner coachwork; $3 million for the sale of noted hobbyist Homer Fittereling’s 40-year collection; a $12 million auction of the Sam Vaughan Estate Collection; and the $27 million record consignment auction at the 25th anniversary Auburn Auction in 1995 which saw 11 out of 17 Duesenbergs sell.  This mark was topped at Auburn ‘96 as multiple private collections including R.I. Warshawsky’s changed hands.  In 1997 Kruse sold the world’s largest Ford Collection - The Ed Towe Museums.

The future of the collector car hobby is very bright and so is the future of Kruse.  The industry is witnessing thousands of new enthusiasts each year and a myriad of new markets worldwide.  With a strategic position with the continued successful growth of existing and new auction events, Kruse International remains the World’s Largest Collector Car Sales Organization.