The total collapse of the U.S. economy did not seem to have deterred car aficionados from spending upwards of $1 million at the Owls Head, Maine vintage vehicle and memorabilia sell-off.

The collection of the recently deceased car devotee Richard Paine Jr. attracted nearly 500 people who swarmed the Seal Cove site to spend vast fortunes on some of the rarest automotive relics. Among the stars of the auction were a 1910 Mercedes four-seat Tourabout, which sold for $887,000, and a 1913 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost (above), netting $832,000. (the Tourabout is apparently so rare that even my search for photos returned only pictures of toy models). According to The Detroit News, "a half-dozen other cars sold for more than $250,000 each".

As expected, the report does not mention the buyers. Though, it suffices to say that, if disclosed, their names would likely sound familiar. Proceeds of the auction will be donated to the Seal Cove Auto Museum, which houses the core of Paine's collection.