Tar Heel Traveler: The last of Mark Jacobson's remarkable classic car collection heads to auction
THE SPEED OF THE INTERNET WILL
COST $60 A MONTH.
THE PROJECT EXPECTED TO TAKE
TWO YEARS TO COMPLETE AND WILL
CREATE ABOUT 50 JOBS.
>>> WE HAVE NO DOUBT SEEN HIS
TELEVISION COMMERCIALS OVER THE
YEARS.
HE WAS A VERY WELL-KNOWN
TRIANGLE PERSONALITY WHOSE GIFT
WAS SELLING CARS.
>> TONIGHT, WE FIND OUR TARHEEL
TRAVELER IN DURHAM.
SCOTT MASON TELLS THE STORY OF
MARC JACOBSON AND HIS CLASSIC
CAR COLLECTION THAT HE LEFT
BEHIND.
>> Reporter: HE WAS A MAN WHO
LOVED CARS, ESPECIALLY THE OLD
CLASSICS HE GREW UP WITH.
HIS FAVORITE WORD MIGHT HAVE
BEEN YES BUT NOW IT IS GOODBYE.
IT IS A CLASSIC, ON ITS WAY
DOWN AND TAKE A GOOD LOOK, A
GOOD LONG LAST LOOK.
>> IT IS A SAD DAY FOR SURE.
>> IT WAS A SAD DAY WHEN HE
DIED IN AUGUST 2020, MARC
JACOBSON, THE NAME AND FACE OF
THIS TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN
DURHAM.
>> MARC JACOBSON TOYOTA, FOR
ALL THE RIGHT REASONS.
>> FUN GUY TO BE WITH.
>> Reporter: HE HAD A WHOLE
FLOOR OF CLASSIC CARS.
HE COLLECTED THEM AND HIRED A
TEAM TO METICULOUSLY RESTORE
THEM.
BEFORE AND AFTER.
BEFORE AND AFTER.
BEFORE --
>> LITERALLY, YOU GET IN
RAINING ON YOUR HEAD ALL OF
THIS DEBRIS, I HAD TO STRIP OUT
THE ENTIRE HEADLINER, IT HAS
NEW VINYL AND LOOKS BRAND-NEW.
>> Reporter: '50 OLDSMOBILE,
PAW 56 NASH AMBASSADOR, AFTER
57 STUDEBAKER, '58 FORD.
>> THE CARRIER WAGON WITH THE
GOLD TRIM.
>> Reporter: THE CREW DOCUMENTED
MARC JACOBSON'S DREAM MACHINES.
TODAY, THE DREAM MACHINES ARE
GONE.
THE FLOOR IS EMPTY THE
DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN SOLD AND
THE CARS HEADED TO AUCTION.
THE LAST ONE READY FOR THE
TRUCK.
>> I HOPE WHEREVER THEY END UP
GOING NEXT THEY WILL BE CARED
FOR JUST AS MUCH.
AS MUCH AS MARK CHERISHED THEM.
>> ORIGINALLY HE WAS FROM NEW
YORK, HE WAS A NEWLYWED AND HE
AND HIS WIFE RENTED A TINY
APARTMENT.
>> A MAN'S HOME IS HIS CASTLE
AND WHAT I SAY GOES.
>> HE KNEW WHAT HE WANTED TO DO
AND WHICH I SOMETHING.
>> Reporter: HE TRIED SELLING
CARS.
>> HE WENT TO FLORIDA.
>> Reporter: AND THEN CAME TO
DURHAM.
>> MARK WAS LARGER THAN LIFE
PERSONALITY.
>> YOU WANT COMPLETE CUSTOMER
SATISFACTION?
>> HE HAD A GOOD SENSE OF
HUMOR.
>> EVERY DAY I TRY TO DO ONE
RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS.
>> WE KNEW HE WAS SICK BUT DID
NOT TALK ABOUT IT.
>> Reporter: HE DIED OF
UNDISCLOSED ILLNESS AT AGE 73.
NOW HIS CLASSIC CARS ARE GONE
TOO.
THE '55 CHEVY BEL AIR, '56
MERCURY, '56 CADILLAC DEVILLE,
'59 AT SEOUL, 1960 AUSTIN
HEALEY.
28 CARS ALL GONE TO A FLORIDA
AUCTION HOUSE.
>> PRETTY MUCH ONE OF THE
BIGGEST AUCTIONS IN THE WORLD.
>> Reporter: THE FINAL CAR, THE
'58 OLDS ROLLS ON TO THE TRUCK.
>> THEY ARE ALL AVAILABLE AND
WILL GO.
>> Reporter: YES, THEY WILL GO,
SADLY, YES.
>> SUCH BEAUTIFUL CARS.
THEY ARE BEING AUCTIONED THIS
SATURDAY NEAR ORLANDO, FLORIDA
AND WILL LIKELY TRACK BUYERS
FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE.
THE DEALERSHIP IN DURHAM IS