The milk truck will take center stage at the Palm Springs Classic Car event
If you go to a collectible car event in Palm Springs, you’ll likely see a classic historical piece rolling through the tent.
Keith McCormick, who has more than 37 years of experience running the Palm Springs auto auction, will have a fully restored 1962 Divco milk truck as well as nearly 500 cars, trucks and motorcycles on offer during McCormick’s upcoming auction Nov. 17-19.
The event is free and open to the public on Friday, with day or weekend tickets available for a fee on Saturday and Sunday.
“I’ve never seen one of these trucks restored this well,” McCormick said. The Divco milk truck evokes memories of the 1960s when John F. Kennedy was president and John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth. The average cost of a gallon of gas was 31 cents and a cup of coffee 10 cents. Milk was 49 cents a gallon and came in glass bottles delivered to homes in trucks like Divco’s.
Divco is short for Detroit Industrial Vehicle Company, which produced the delivery truck from 1937 to 1986 with almost no design changes.
The interior of the Divco resembles a “classic roadside diner,” according to Andrea Hogue, sister of the late Steve Hogue of Palm Springs, who restored the truck over 10 years. It has a music selector on the table top and a rotary dial wall phone next to the milkshake mixer. Two barstools are permanently installed near the sofa for two or three friends.
With a Chevrolet 350 engine and automatic transmission, the truck has been completely restored and customized. It has been featured at numerous car shows in Palm Springs and at the El Paseo cruise night and has received numerous awards.
Other notable entries include a 2004 London Taxi ((lot #440)) and a limited edition 2021 Honda Civic Type R ((#248), one of only 600 built. A 1971 red Mercedes 280SL convertible (#309) One of the last pagoda models built, this 1963 Chevrolet Corvette (#304) features a split rear window.
To view auction and consignment vehicles, or for more information, go to www.classic-carauction.com or stop by our showroom at 244 N. Indian Canyon Drive in Palm Springs.
if you go
What: McCormick Collected Car Auction in Palm Springs
when: Noon to 6 PM on Friday, 8 AM to 7 PM on Saturday, and 8 AM to 5 PM on Sunday
where: Palm Springs Convention Center, 277 N. Avenida Caballeros, Palm Springs
the tickets: Free admission on Friday, one-day pass for $15, and two-day pass for $25 on Saturday and/or Sunday.
More information: Call 760-320-3290 or visit www.classic-carauction.com
