Belvidere's landmark Wolf Chevrolet sign sold at auction for $116,500 - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

 

By Ben Stanley
Rockford Register Star

 

Posted Jul. 17, 2015 at 8:13 PM
Updated at 8:41 PM

The Wolf Chevrolet sign before it was removed from 1800 N. State St. The sign was split into three separate pieces and sold at auction on Friday, July 17. FILE PHOTO

By Ben Stanley
Rockford Register Star

Posted Jul. 17, 2015 at 8:13 PM
Updated at 8:41 PM

 

WALWORTH, Wis. — Lot F-54, a 10-foot-tall wolf howling skyward, appeared on TV screens Friday facing an audience of bidders at the Mecum Auctions headquarters.

An auctioneer with a rapid-fire presentation introduced the giant canine as the "premier item of the day" and rhythmically repeated bids in a room filled with neon road art. There were old signs from historic car dealerships, restored midcentury gas pumps, ancient cash registers and gas station advertisements.

The proud wolf ruled, selling for $63,000 to an unidentified buyer.

It was the first of three pieces of the iconic Wolf Chevrolet sign bought by unidentified buyers. Its 28-foot-wide, 9-foot-tall bowtie "Chevrolet" section sold for $50,000. The faded red 16-foot-wide "Wolf" piece sold for $3,500.

For decades, the sign was a symbol of a small town's long-standing connection to the U.S. auto industry.

"I used that (while) giving directions to Belvidere for most of my child life and adult life," said John Wolf, whose family has sold cars in Belvidere since the 1920s. "I do miss it ... life is full of changes and that was one of them."

The sign was at 1800 N. State St., the home of Wolf Automotive. The shop opened in 1924, closed in 2013 and was sold in 2014 to be renovated into Manley Motor Sales’ new location.

The landmark Wolf Chevrolet sign was installed in the early 1960s and was changed to Wolf Automotive in 2010 when Chrysler and General Motors landed in bankruptcy and cut hundreds of dealerships from their networks.

Rick Schultz of Belvidere said he and his wife, Kelly Kennedy, "hated to see the dealership close" and were "heartbroken" when they saw the sign listed as an auction item on the Mecum website. "We just loved seeing that sign. It was just a neat sign.

"We’re both really into animals and especially the wolf. It just really caught our attention. We hated to see it go."

Schultz said they would have bid on the sign if they had space to keep it.

"The thing is so big," he said. "Actually, we contacted the Boone County Historical Museum and we were hoping that they would be interested in trying to get it for their display area — just the basic wolf itself, or maybe the Chevy sign."

The museum did not pursue the sign at auction. The Wolf family offered the sign to the museum years ago before selling it off to a third party, but the museum board declined because of the sign's size.

Wolf said he's sad to see the sign go, but he's glad the old Wolf lot is being redeveloped.

“We would’ve loved to keep the sign, but it was so massive we really didn’t have a place to put it. The Manley utilization of that property, I think, is outstanding for the community. I’m really heartened by the investments in our community.

"There are a lot of people still doing a lot of wonderful things. You live here, you work here, you’re charitable here. ... I hate to see the open properties and empty storefronts. I hope we can all have something to do with filling them and making Belvidere and Boone County a better place to live."

Belvidere's landmark Wolf Chevrolet sign sold at auction for $116,500 - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL