Pete G. Vicari, president of Vicari Auction in Harvey, La., bought his first classic, a 1940 Ford Coupe, for $20; he was 14. He followed that with other car collectibles, in particular, Corvettes. One took him to college.
He restored the Ford and sold it. Later, Peter J. Vicari Sr., his father, wanted his son to drive to college in a “sensible” 1970 four-door Olds 88 coupe. But Pete Jr., 17, thought the Oldsmobile old-fashioned: “I couldn't see myself going to college in anything less than a Corvette.” The now-defunct GM division, in fact, struggled to capture the young market until its demise in 2004; during the muscle car era, for example, one slogan was “This is not your father's Oldsmobile.”
Vicari traded the big sedan for a 1966 Sting…
