Love Of Cars Comes Before High Gas Prices

In spite of sky-high gas prices, nothing can come between Americans and their love for cars and nowhere is that more apparent than at the Leake Auto Auction in Tulsa.

The News On 6's Steve Berg reports consumers aren't putting on the brakes. The affair is in full bloom, and not even $4 a gallon gas can spoil it.

Leake Car Auction organizer Audrey Sevenoaks sums it up this simply.

"You're not going to find any hybrids or electric cars here," said Sevenoaks.

If gas guzzlers are bad, then Fred Bosworth doesn't want to be good.

"I love looking at all the cars.  That's what we're here for is to look at the cars and bid on a few," said Bosworth.

"You come in and there's so many things you'd like to buy, and you have to set back and watch your budget to make sure you don't overspend because there's so many things you like here," said car collector Charles Lumpkin.

Lumpkin is both buying and selling, but it's impossible for him to pick a favorite.

"Who's to say? They have so many nice cars here, we're looking at several," said Lumpkin.

Sevenoaks says this year in particular, they have plenty of Camaros.

"And most of them are from like 1969, and he also brought six Corvettes, so that's going to be a lot of fun to come out and look," said Sevenoaks. "If you like the mid-60's Camaros, you have to come down and see this."

There is there are lots more to choose from.

"You get everything from little clunkers to $100,000 cars, Camaros, Corvettes, Porsches," said Sevenoaks.

Lumpkin says he goes to auctions all over the country.

"This one as far as an eclectic, different variety of cars, would be in the top five," said Lumpkin.

"We have people fly in from California, Washington, Oregon, New York.  People coming in from Chicago and Florida," said Sevenoaks.

So leave your hybrid and your $4 gas worries behind.

"Most of these cars are going to a collection, and they'll drive them once or twice a year when it's pretty, so it's not going to affect it much," said Lumpkin.

They're just getting started. The auction continues Saturday and Sunday.