Jim Lewis was in the car business for over 60 years until having a stroke in July 2021. Starting March 1st, bidding will begin on the first of two online auctions where over 130 Classic & Muscle Cars will be sold at NO RESERVE. Final bids will begin counting down online on March 31st.
Growing up 11 of 12 brothers and sisters, Jim hated getting rid of anything and that was especially true when it came to classic cars. If a car wasn’t going to be restored immediately, he would move it to his property. That is why there is an accumulation of over 100 cars to sell in this auction.
While in high school, Jim got an early start in the car business by working at his brother Fred’s body shop, Lewis Body & Glass. From 1960 to 1962, he worked as a salesman and bookkeeper at the new AMC (Rambler) dealership. At the age of 23 years old, after serving 6 months active duty in the National Guard, Jim opened his own used car dealership.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Jim was one of very few dealers in Oklahoma that sold high performance muscle and collector cars. Since the year 2000, his customer base expanded from Oklahoma and Kansas to internationally. Such countries include England, France, Spain, Poland, Germany, Holland, Norway, New Zealand, and Australia.
He is known for always having several MoPars at a time such as the 1970’s Charger, Challenger, or ‘Cuda. He loved Mustangs, which accounted for nearly half the cars he ever sold. Recently the Ford Bronco was a particular favorite. Chevrolet’s such as the Camaro, Chevelle, and Corvettes were a staple of his business.
Jim grew up in Enid and spent his younger days riding horses. His favorite horse was named Texas Red, which he rode in the Cherokee Strip Round-Up Club. From 1953 to 1956, he won dozens of ribbons for barrel racing and being a jockey. This need for adrenaline and speed laid the foundation for his pursuit of fast cars. In the early days, Jim would spend his weekends drag racing with friends just outside the Enid city limits. Having collected dozens of drag racing winner trophies, going fast and being around fast cars was in his blood. When competing, he drove various 1955-1957 Chevy or early 1960’s Corvettes. As soon as he married and began a family, his focus shifted more on building his business.
His passion was not so much selling cars, but what he absolutely loved was the chase and the hunt! Finding a barn find or something that no one knew about gave him more pleasure than just about anything. He lived and breathed automobiles. From the time he woke up in the morning to the time he went to bed, cars were always on his mind as he scoured the paper and internet for the next deal. Friends would often comment that they couldn’t talk to him for 2 minutes before he would tell you a story about buying or selling a car. He used his stories as allegories of life and was happy to repeat stories over and over again.
To begin bidding, go to Wiggins Auctioneers: https://wigginsauctioneers.hibid.com
For more information, visit: https://markeeautosales.com
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