Jimmy Buffett's Ford Falcon sells for $258,500 at auction
GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — Someone is taking a piece of Margaritaville home with them!
A 1963 Ford Falcon Convertible that was owned by the late Jimmy Buffett was the biggest prize among the nearly 800 cars available at the annual GAA Classic Car Auction over on in Greensboro, North Carolina, over the weekend.
Johnny Ransom, who brings cars in from all over the country, first laid eyes on it while visiting a client in Florida.
"I didn't even know he had it," Ransom told Nexstar's WGHP before the auction. "He went over there, pulled it back and showed me... Then he showed me the title, whose name it was in. Oh wow, my teeth just about fell out! This is great!"
On the title: James William Buffett of Key West, Florida — better known to friends, family, and a legion of fans as Jimmy Buffett, the beach music icon who died in September 2023. Parrotheads can imagine that maybe he dreamed up some of his song lyrics cruising down Highway 1 in this classic.
"They really connect with him. They follow him around... Didn't matter if you lived in Greensboro and he was in Charlotte, you were going to Charlotte to see him," Ransom said. "I mean, they were just very loyal to him."
The Falcon is unique, too. It's got a roll bar, more common in a sports car, added by Buffett so the car could hold his surfboard.
Now, after a winning bid of $258,500 price, someone is walking away with the ultimate Parrothead prize. As a bonus, it comes with one of Buffett's surfboards and a signed guitar.
"We've sold some million-dollar cars, and that's been great. But for me to be able to sell a Jimmy Buffett car, still titled in Jimmy Buffett's name, his guitar and surfboard goes along with it all in one package deal with the authenticity saying this is his signature on the guitar... It's great. It's a great day."