Concorde Auction In Toulouse
09-29-2007, 08:02 PM
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Concorde Auction In Toulouse
Oh, how I would love to bid on an airspeed indicator and the toilet seat!
From Associated Press:
PARIS -- OK, so it won't fit on the mantelpiece, but imagine how it will impress your friends.
A 1.2-ton landing gear from the Concorde and a Mach-monitoring speedometer are perhaps the standout pieces on sale at a four-day auction in France of hundreds of spare parts from the now-defunct supersonic jet.
The auction got off to a bumpy start Friday, as organizers quickly pulled five smoke detectors out of the sale amid concerns about radiation risk.
Aerospace buffs were unfazed.
The first item to go among the 835 lots was a Concorde filling valve, which sold for $638, more than double the pre-auction estimate.
Cockpit gauges, including air speed indicators and horizontal situation indicators, are being sold along with lower-tech items such as a cabin oven, plate-and-silverware sets, and even a Concorde toilet seat.
"This sale is aimed at two types of buyers: collectors who are crazy about the Concorde, but also nostalgic people looking for a last souvenir of the supersonic jet," said auctioneer Marc Labarbe.
The pieces "aren't just mechanical parts, they also have an aesthetic dimension -- all while bearing one of the best trademarks: Concorde," he added.
Labarbe said the five smoke detectors were withdrawn from the auction because they were "contentious" -- suggesting there could be liability issues involved -- though he did not elaborate.
The auction in the southwestern city of Toulouse, home to plane maker Airbus and its predecessor company behind the Concorde, has been organized by a group of former engineers and executives. Proceeds will go toward a planned airplane museum and park in Toulouse.
From Associated Press:
PARIS -- OK, so it won't fit on the mantelpiece, but imagine how it will impress your friends.
A 1.2-ton landing gear from the Concorde and a Mach-monitoring speedometer are perhaps the standout pieces on sale at a four-day auction in France of hundreds of spare parts from the now-defunct supersonic jet.
The auction got off to a bumpy start Friday, as organizers quickly pulled five smoke detectors out of the sale amid concerns about radiation risk.
Aerospace buffs were unfazed.
The first item to go among the 835 lots was a Concorde filling valve, which sold for $638, more than double the pre-auction estimate.
Cockpit gauges, including air speed indicators and horizontal situation indicators, are being sold along with lower-tech items such as a cabin oven, plate-and-silverware sets, and even a Concorde toilet seat.
"This sale is aimed at two types of buyers: collectors who are crazy about the Concorde, but also nostalgic people looking for a last souvenir of the supersonic jet," said auctioneer Marc Labarbe.
The pieces "aren't just mechanical parts, they also have an aesthetic dimension -- all while bearing one of the best trademarks: Concorde," he added.
Labarbe said the five smoke detectors were withdrawn from the auction because they were "contentious" -- suggesting there could be liability issues involved -- though he did not elaborate.
The auction in the southwestern city of Toulouse, home to plane maker Airbus and its predecessor company behind the Concorde, has been organized by a group of former engineers and executives. Proceeds will go toward a planned airplane museum and park in Toulouse.
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