Vintage Car Once Owned By Jimmy Buffett Up For Auction In North Carolina

As far as music memorabilia goes, this is pretty cool. Parrot Heads especially will be flocking to Greensboro, North Carolina this weekend to get a look at and possibly even bid on a few items that once belonged to the late Jimmy Buffett. According to Greensboro Auto Auction, a vintage car from Buffett’s personal collection will be up for sale at the GAA Classic Car Auction this Thursday through Saturday (2/22-2/24).

[UPDATE (2/25/24): WGHP-TV reports that someone bid a whopping $258,500 for the Buffett car. That was the highest price of any of the 800 vehicles sold at the auction.]

The automobile is a blue 1963 Ford Falcon Sprint with blue interior and white convertible top that Buffett bought in 2002. At the time it had only been driven 8,578 miles. The odometer currently shows a little over 11,845 miles. Greensboro Auto Auction director Johnny Ransom told WFMY-TV, "rumor has it that it was kept in Florida and you would see Jimmy riding around Key West in this car."

The auction listing describes some of the features and modifications on the vehicle, including a 4-barrel intake and Holley carburetor that Buffett added. Apparently, he liked to go fast. The vintage car also comes with Jimmy's personal Australian sheepskin seat covers, a roll bar for carrying surf boards, and a sound system worthy of a musical superstar.

Naturally, whoever buys the 1963 Ford Falcon Sprint will get the title, which has Jimmy Buffett's signature on it, as well as other documentation. On top of that, the winning bidder will also take home a signed Fender Stratocaster Squier electric guitar with certificate of authenticity and a surf board. I think the only thing cooler than this would be to get one of Jimmy's boats or planes.

If you're interested in going to the auction this Thursday through Saturday (2/22-2/24), GAA is located at 301 Norwalk Street in Greensboro. Gates open at 8:00 a.m. each day. Daily general admission is $20 per person. A 3-day pass is $50 per person. Happy bidding!

The pirate flags are at half-mast in Margaritaville as Parrot Heads mourn the loss of their captain. Jimmy Buffett has passed away at the age of 76. According to a social media post, the prolific singer-songwriter and lifestyle tycoon died peacefully on the night of September 1, 2023, and was "surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs." TMZ reported that Buffett's death was the result of lymphoma caused by skin cancer. Let's look back on the life of this American icon with another Throwback Threesome.

James William Buffett came into this world on Christmas Day, 1946 in the Gulf Coast town of Pascagoula, Mississippi, where a bridge was named after him in 2015. Growing up in nearby Mobile, Alabama, young Jimmy was enthralled by his grandfather’s tales of the seafaring life. Those nautical themes would later find their way into much of Buffet's work.

Buffett first picked up a guitar in college. After graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi with a journalism degree, he went to Nashville and was hired as a reporter for Billboard magazine. That job gave Jimmy access to the movers and shakers in the music business who would give him his start as a recording artist.

Following the disappointing reception of his debut album in 1970, Buffett made a pivotal trip to Florida where he met up with fellow troubadour Jerry Jeff Walker. According to Rolling Stone, the two friends decided to drive from Miami to Key West. It was there, while watching the sunset, that Jimmy realized he had found a new home and source of inspiration.

With the release of his album A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean in 1973, Jimmy Buffet began crafting an image and entire lifestyle around sun, sand, and saltwater. He became a sort of beach bum poet laureate with such odes to laid back living as "A Pirate Looks at Forty," "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes," and his signature song, "Margaritaville." The latter would also become an umbrella for Buffett’s lifestyle brand that began with restaurants and eventually included a clothing line, resorts, casinos, cruises, and retirement communities. Jimmy Buffett also wrote bestselling books and even ventured onto Broadway.

In addition to his wife, Jane Slagsvol, and three children, Jimmy Buffett left behind a worldwide community of fans. The term "Parrot Heads" was first uttered by Eagles bassist Timothy B. Schmit while he was a member of Buffett's Coral Reefer Band. It was an accurate way to describe the tropical-tinged Deadhead-like loyalty of the audiences at Jimmy's sold-out concerts.

If there's a silver lining to be found in the sad news of Jimmy Buffett's passing, maybe it's that he has finally been reunited with his "lost shaker of salt, salt, salt!"

Released as the second single from the 1974 album Living & Dying in ¾ Time, "Come Monday" was Jimmy Buffett's first Top 40 hit, reaching number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100. According to Songfacts, Buffett wrote the song to his future wife, Jane Slagsvol, while he was on tour. That's her in the video, along with Jimmy's truck and boat. Jane and Jimmy tied the knot in 1977, separated in the early 1980s, reconciled in 1991, and remained married until his death in 2023.

Jimmy Buffett wrote his signature song after having his first margarita cocktail at a Mexican restaurant in Austin, Texas. "Margaritaville" was released as the first single from Buffett's 1977 album, Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes, reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It remains his highest charting solo single. The first video below is live footage from 1978. The second was shot at a 1993 concert in Minneapolis with the Parrot Head party on full display.

As with so many of Jimmy Buffett's songs, Parrot Heads love singing along to this one. "Cheeseburger in Paradise" was the first single from Buffett's 1978 album Son of a Son of a Sailor and reached number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100. According to Songfacts, the catchy tune inspired a restaurant chain, which operated from 2002 to 2020. At its peak, there were more than 30 Cheeseburger in Paradise locations in the U.S. and one in Australia.