KEY POINTS:
Blue Chip boss Mark Bryers got the unlucky lot number 13 at auction yesterday when his Mercedes Benz failed to sell.
The 2006 model was among 19 prestige cars under the hammer, and
boasts a "full entertainment system, infrared cameras and screen for night driving".
But a crowd of about 300 bidders and spectators failed to meet the price guide of $180,000 to $200,000. Offers stalled at $142,000.
The car looked shiny, but its inspection certificate warned of "signs of oil seepage".
Staff at Turners Auctions in Auckland said the vehicle was the subject of a "genuine top offer" after the auction.
Bryers' Mercedes wasn't the only car with Blue Chip links for sale.
Blue Sky Holdings, one of 20 Blue Chip companies in liquidation, auctioned a 2004 Bentley Continental with an asking price of between $180,000 and $200,000.
Blue Sky also put up a 2005 Aston Martin with a price guide of $175,000 to $190,000.
Many viewers had heard rumours that several of the luxury cars had been repossessed from their owners as the credit crunch takes hold.
But that didn't deter Jim Dodunski, who had driven from Northland.
"I wouldn't care if Al Capone owned it."
About half the cars sold yesterday, with the rest passed in or left for negotiations.
