photo by: Photo by Joselyn King

Auctioneers Jim Frio, left, and Shane Stack of Frio & Stack Auction Service stand among some of the 42 automobiles belonging to the city of Wheeling that will be auctioned off beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday.

WHEELING – Anyone wanting to own a used police cruiser, ambulance or dump truck will get the chance Saturday morning during an auction of City-of-Wheeling-owned vehicles.

A total of 42 automobiles are up for bid, according to auctioneer Shane Stack of the Frio & Stack Auction Service.

The auction is happening both live and on-line. The live auction begins at 10 a.m. Saturday at the City Operations Center, 10 Hunter Ave., Wheeling, while online bids already are being accepted at www.auctionzip.com/Listings/3739406.html, or through a link at the Frio & Stack website.

Among the vehicles available are a 2006 Jeep Liberty Sport, eight 2010 Ford Escapes, three 2005 Ford Explorer XLS, two 2011 Ford Crown Victorias, two 2010 Ford Crown Victorias, a 2010 Ford Explorer XLT, a 2013 Ford Police Interceptor, a 2006 Ford Explorer SLX, a2008 Ford Fusion,a 2007 Ford Ranger XL 4×4, a 2004 Ford Explorer XLS, a 2011 Ford Ranger XL, a 2007 Ford F-250 4×4, a 2011 Wheeled Coach E-450 Type III Ambulance,a 2014 Ford/McCoy-Miller E-450 Type III Ambulance, a 2005 Ford Explorer XLS Camera Unit, a 2007 Dodge Durango, three 2012 Dodge Charger police interceptors, two 2007 Dodge Dakota 4×4 trucks, a 2004 Chevy Silverado, a 2006 Chevy Silverado 1/2 ton 4×4 truck, a 1997 Chevy C-3500 Dump Truck, two 2004 GMC 2500 HD 4×4 trucks and other garage, maintenance and miscellaneous items not yet listed.

The last city auction took place in the fall of 2020, and that was also the last major live auction presided over by Frio & Stack Auction Service since the pandemic, according to Stack.

“I think there is going to be a large crowd based on the response we’ve received so far,” he said. “We’ve never had so many calls and interest for an auction.”

Tony Peace, supervisor of vehicle maintenance for the City of Wheeling, said most all of the vehicles are running and drivable, with only a few being advertised as for parts only.

“They’ve been well-maintained, and they’ve been brought in for maintenance regularly,” he said. “We do safety checks every 60 to 90 days.

“We have great guys who do awesome work.”

Most of the vehicles were purchased new by the city, while some were purchased used from other agencies, Peace added.

“The best sound we will hear is ‘going once, goine twice – sold,’ We’re about out of space,” he continued. “We could do the auction ourselves online, but we just don’t have the time. And we like to use local people.”