HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A Tampa man collected dozens of classic cars that will soon go to new homes via an auction this weekend.
Dozens of classic car enthusiasts got a preview of vehicles on the auction block in Seffner.
“Since I was in college, I wanted to buy an old Corvette and restore it, and now I'm 63 years old and have not done that yet,” said Bruce Kortey.
Kortey has his eye on a 1959 Chevrolet Corvette.
“This is a 59; that’s my birth year, so that would be significant,” Kortey said.
These vintage vehicles were previously owned by Leroy Gonzalez. He was a real estate develo
per with a passion for cars. He owned several auto shops in the Tampa Bay area and was a car show promoter and racetrack proprietor.
“My dad grew up very meager off of Rome Avenue in Tampa, with three sisters and a brother. He always saw really nice cars with the people who had money. I guess he always wanted to own a couple of them and got a little carried away,” said Richard Gonzalez.
Gonzales passed away in January at 84 years old. “He was my best friend, just a great guy,” said Richard.
To his family's surprise, Gonzalez had dozens of classic cars hiding at his ranch. More than two dozen cars are being auctioned. Some are in good working condition and others are going to need some fixing up.
The inventory includes a rare 1963 Corvette split window and a 1932 Ford 3-window Coupe.
The auction is being held on Dec. 3 at 11 a.m. at Gonzalez's ranch located at 612 Chastain Road in Seffner.
