Steve Shay
GEE MOTORS AUCTION. Auctioneers James Murphy and Ron Hannon are stationed on red podium which assistants pull from one auction "lot" to the next. Holding "NOW BEING SOLD" sign, left, is auction worker, Scott Cummings. The highest bidder, Ed Coaker, of Briar, paid $8,000 for the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado, which he says is for his grandson. A fleet vehicle, the "Gee" logo and address appear on the truck.
Nothing says, "the show is over" like an auction in a cavernous garage.
Gee Automotive's auction began last week at their Chrysler Dealership, 4735 Fauntleroy Way S.W. It shifted to their Chevrolet used car lot next door. By the afternoon of day two, the auction concluded in its seventh building, the GMC-Pontiac-Buick Dealership and garage, 4545 Fauntleroy Way S.W.
Gee closed its doors Oct. 12, blaming poor sales on former owner, Huling, and its negative publicity that Gee claimed carried over into its operation.
Auction company James G. Murphy Inc. did Gee's bidding, with 1,128 items, or multiple lots of items, spending a minute or two on each. A small, huddled mass of about 50 car dealers, mechanics, and tinkerers, shuffled from one "lot" grouping to the next. They bid on air conditioner coil injection kits, evaporative emissions systems testers, swivel office chairs, pneumatic car lifts, and just eight vehicles, if you include the "Factory Cat Electric Lot Broom," a sort of Zamboni that sweeps parking lots.
The pick-up trucks and vans auctioned were Gee's fleet its employees used for parts and other company business.
Ed Coaker, of Briar, bid $8,000 and drove off with the first truck auctioned, a shiny blue 2003 Chevrolet Silverado V-8 extended cab pick-up truck with the "Gee" emblem and address prominently painted in gold on the side. The thrilled bidder said he purchased the truck for his grandson.
While most attending the sale dressed the part, gray overalls waiting to accept a splash of grease, one bidder stood out in suit and tie. He was Brad Brotherton, president of Brotherton GMC, in Renton. He said he was not interested in the fleet of trucks and vans.
"We've expanded our dealership with more technicians," he said. "I'm looking for specialty tools as back-ups so we can operate with more efficiency."
The auction concluded in the GMC showroom, with the sale of furniture, including two fabric side chairs, a couch, and a cabinet. And with that, Gee Motors bid farewell to West Seattle.
Steve Shay may be reached at 932.0300 or steves@robinsonnews.com
