More than a Dozen Seized Toyota Supras Are Up for Auction
Also for grabs are several BMW M3s and M4s, two Honda S2000 models, a 2000 Acura Integra, and a pair of Nissan 350Zs, all from a drug bust.
About a year and a half ago, 41-year-old Cory Taylor was stopped by Massachusetts police in Pelham, about 90 minutes or so west of Boston. Officers found more than they bargained for in Taylor’s van, including 138 pounds of marijuana. A follow-up operation found bales of weed, a store of illegal guns, and millions in cash from his large-scale drug trafficking business at Taylor’s home, along with 30 or more cars that included A80 Toyota Supras, E46 BMW M3s, Nissan 350Zs, and a few tuner-ready Mitsubishi models.
As reported by Jalopnik this week, 27 of those cars are now up for auction online with Stanley J. Paine Auctioneers, and Stan himself confirmed these are Taylor’s seized cars when I called the auction house today. The most amusing description of the situation I've read is on the blog TireMeetsRoad.com, which says, “Flush with cash from selling the devil’s lettuce, Taylor converted some of that drug money into rare JDM cars.”
The bidding is amping up quickly, with the lowest at this writing sitting at $9,250 for a 2003 Nissan 350Z with 47,000 miles on the clock. At the top of the price range is a 1998 Supra with a six-speed manual and 23,000 miles and a 1997 Supra Limited Edition 15th Anniversary with 40,000 miles on the clock for $125,000 each.
Taylor, who is now deceased, had good taste in cars. When they were seized, at least one of them (according to reports from Masslive.com) was even shrink-wrapped in plastic.
The entire catalog includes 13 Mk IV Toyota Supras, two Honda S2000s, two Nissan 350Zs, two Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions, five E46 BMW M3s, a prime Lime Rock Park Edition E92 BMW M3, and a few more. Odometer readings vary wildly from the barely-driven 2,629-mile 2004 Honda S2000 to the driven-hard 1994 Toyota Supra with almost 124,000 miles on it.
If you’re looking to bid, know that there is a 15 percent buyer’s premium and the auction house requires a $5,000 deposit. All final payments must be made in cash or wire transfer. I have my eye on the green 1996 Supra, but it's out of my budget range already at $70,000 and rising. Tell me which one you'd pick.
Got a tip? Send it to kristin.shaw@thedrive.com.
