A '72 Buick for $48,000?

Yup, as I write this, bidders are battling it out for a 1972 Buick, and it's not a Gran Sport or even a LeSabre convertible -- it's a station wagon like ma used to drive!

The auction link came to me via friend Eric Killorin (it's item No. 200165774497). It took me a moment to figure out why this car is commanding so many dollars - it only has 266 miles on it! With that few spins of the odometer, it's a brand-new, NOS 1972 Buick.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love "long roofs," and even Buicks. Heck, I've had a few Skylarks from the late 1960s and really appreciate Buick performance. But $48K is a lot of dough for a knicknack. This car is so nice, there's no way you'd want to see the odometer take one more spin. It's just too good to add miles to, and when do you see a 266-mile Buick?

Is the car worth $48K? I would never have say yes before this auction. But when are you going to see another one? And even if it doesn't fall into a collector's hands, at $48K, someone's getting a brand new car for the price of a well-equipped SUV.

What do you think of this kind of money for a 1972 Buick station wagon? Should the price guides reflect this value?

And if you like that Buick's mileage, check out this 128-mile 1972 Oldsmobile Toronado!
http://www.auctionzip.com/cgi-bin/auctionview.cgi?lid=347759