Enthusiast Collector Car Auction set for May 23-25

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For more than half-a-century, a family-run prairie-based collector car auction has been held on the same weekend in May. It started in Okotoks, Alberta under the guidance of Grant and Sue Hill. Sixteen years ago, nephew Jeff Hill took over the reins. He’s proud of the past accomplishments, but he’s also pleased with the direction the event has taken.

Now known as Enthusiast Collector Car Auction, or ECCA, the sale runs in a hybrid format. Vehicles offered for sale can be viewed in person, while the actual bidding takes place online-only. The move away from live bidding, Hill admits, was a risk. “But the hybrid format is working for our sellers, and it’s working for our buyers who are now bidding from far away locations,” he says.

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In addition to the spring sale, Hill has added fall events, and last year, he held one for the first time in the new 7 Chiefs Sportsplex and Chief Starlight Centre at Tsuut’ina Nation. “It’s a wonderful location, and so easy to get to,” Hill explains. Located just southwest of Calgary at the junction of Stoney Trail and Anderson Road, “The facility is beautiful with wonderful lighting and it’s very up to date and very cool.”

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For 2025, the annual spring auction will be at the 7 Chiefs Sportsplex and is scheduled for May 23 to 25. A bidder’s card is $20. Admission to view the vehicles has been cut in half, and is now $10 for general admission, $5 for youths 13 to 17 and free for those under 12. A show-and-shine is planned for the Saturday, May 24. The 7 Chiefs parking lot is expansive, and there’s plenty of room to show off cool rides. To exhibit a vehicle, Hill is requesting donations of unused clothing items to be distributed to the needy.

“There’s something for everyone in every price range,” Hill says of the vehicles he’s been lining up for this spring’s auction, “and consignments are coming in fast.” He notes there are plenty of vintage European automobiles and exotics on offer plus many American classics. “Japanese cars are emerging collector vehicles,” Hill says, and adds, “We have two 1992 Subaru SVXs consigned, and those are rare cars in Canada.”

Designed in Italy by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the two-door, four passenger grand touring SVX was powered by a 3.3-litre flat-six engine and featured all-wheel drive. It was shown first in 1989 at the Tokyo auto show and came to market in 1992. The SVX carried a price premium and wasn’t a commercial sales success. Subaru pulled the plug on the car in 1996. For two to show up at the same auction from separate consignors, one with just over 60,000 km and the other with some 190,000 km on the odometer, is an uncommon occurrence.

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There’s a 1981 Datsun 280ZX Turbo, which the consignor bought off Calgary’s Brasso Nissan lot early in 1982 with just 4,000km on the odometer. It’s been maintained by Brasso since its purchase and appears to be in remarkable original condition. On the vintage European front, there is a 1974 BMW 2002. While 30 years its junior, a 2004 BMW M3 Cabriolet in Phoenix Yellow has also been consigned. For something a bit more exotic, a 1979 Ferrari 308 GTB closed-roof Berlinetta will be at the 7 Chiefs Spotsplex. First introduced in 1976, the Berlinetta was followed in 1977 by the Targa-topped 308 GTS – a car made famous by Tom Selleck and the hit Eighties TV show Magnum, P.I.

And for classic American, it doesn’t get much better than a 1963 Corvette with the iconic split rear window. The 1963 ‘Vette consigned to the auction was purchased by the current owner in the fall of 2024. Prior to that, it had been in the same hands for over 45 years. To bring the car up to date, over the winter the car received much attention with a “correct replacement 327 engine rebuilt and installed,” the description claims. Brakes, suspension, steering components and exhaust have all been upgraded and invoices for these services are included.

Making this ‘63 Corvette even more desirable are factory options including power windows, power steering and a 4-speed transmission. Hill has previously sold two of the one-year-only 1963 split window Corvettes, one to the U.S. and a driver quality car to Ontario.

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“We’re really pleased to be holding our second event at the 7 Chiefs Sportsplex,” Hill says of his ECCA auction and the new location. “We’re very excited about it.”

Check the auction website at okotokscarauction.com for more information and updated consignments – new additions are being added on an almost daily basis.

Greg Williams is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Have a column tip? Contact him at 403-287-1067 or [email protected]

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