Black Pearl
07-28-2014, 08:57 AM
It’s not the owner’s choice to auction off these vehicles, particularly when they’ve been acquired through other-than-legal means. David Nicoll amassed quite a collection of cars during his time as president of New Jersey’s Biodiagnostic Laboratory Services (BLS); now, with Nicoll facing 17 to 22 years in prison for a guilty plea on bribery charges, his automobiles will be crossing the block at a September 12, U.S. Marshal’s Service auction in Lodi, New Jersey.
David Nicoll purchased his car collection with the blood of others – literally. During his time as president of BLS, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office maintain that Nicoll received $33 million in payments from a medical blood test bribery scheme that he personally ran for seven years, and which netted more than $100 million in total revenue. Per prosecutors, BLS would bribe physicians to send their patients for medical tests which were oftentimes unnecessary, to be paid for by insurers. Far from being sly and frugal with his ill-gotten profits, Nicoll was an extravagant spender. It’s on record that he spent $154,000 at a gentleman’s club, over $400,000 on sports tickets, $700,000 on an apartment for his “female companion,” and, most importantly, over five million dollars on cars.
6092
70 CHEVELLE SS396
Nicoll, however, did not spend that five-million dollars of blood money on new gold-coated Lamborghinis or diamond speckled Rolls-Royces (although his automobile collection did include a few Ferrari models). Instead, the bulk of his money was spent on some of the finest, rarest, and most coveted muscle cars ever created, and the inventory list of the A.J. Willner auction reads like a “best of” list for the years 1967-1970. For sale are a 1967 Shelby G.T. 500, a 1969 Yenko Nova, a 1969 Yenko Camaro, a 1969 Yenko Chevelle, a 1970 Plymouth Hemi Superbird, a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 L78/L89 convertible; and a 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429.
6093
1969 Yenko Chevelle.
6095
1969 Yenko Camaro.
6094
1969 Yenko Nova
Among the most valuable vehicles set to cross the auction block is a Rally Green 1969 Yenko Nova. One of only 37 produced and believed to be one of only seven Yenko-built Novas remaining, the car was said to be the quickest of the Yenko supercar trio due to its light weight, by comparison able to make the run up to 60 miles-an-hour in just four seconds. Just like the other two Yenko Supercars, the Nova is powered by the formidable L72 427-cu.in. Chevrolet big-block. Nicoll purchased the Nova for $580,000, but supercar prices have been volatile in recent years; a comparable Yenko Nova sold at the 2012 Mecum Indianapolis auction for $475,000, so it remains to be seen what Nicoll’s Nova will bring at auction.
David Nicoll purchased his car collection with the blood of others – literally. During his time as president of BLS, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office maintain that Nicoll received $33 million in payments from a medical blood test bribery scheme that he personally ran for seven years, and which netted more than $100 million in total revenue. Per prosecutors, BLS would bribe physicians to send their patients for medical tests which were oftentimes unnecessary, to be paid for by insurers. Far from being sly and frugal with his ill-gotten profits, Nicoll was an extravagant spender. It’s on record that he spent $154,000 at a gentleman’s club, over $400,000 on sports tickets, $700,000 on an apartment for his “female companion,” and, most importantly, over five million dollars on cars.
6092
70 CHEVELLE SS396
Nicoll, however, did not spend that five-million dollars of blood money on new gold-coated Lamborghinis or diamond speckled Rolls-Royces (although his automobile collection did include a few Ferrari models). Instead, the bulk of his money was spent on some of the finest, rarest, and most coveted muscle cars ever created, and the inventory list of the A.J. Willner auction reads like a “best of” list for the years 1967-1970. For sale are a 1967 Shelby G.T. 500, a 1969 Yenko Nova, a 1969 Yenko Camaro, a 1969 Yenko Chevelle, a 1970 Plymouth Hemi Superbird, a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 L78/L89 convertible; and a 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429.
6093
1969 Yenko Chevelle.
6095
1969 Yenko Camaro.
6094
1969 Yenko Nova
Among the most valuable vehicles set to cross the auction block is a Rally Green 1969 Yenko Nova. One of only 37 produced and believed to be one of only seven Yenko-built Novas remaining, the car was said to be the quickest of the Yenko supercar trio due to its light weight, by comparison able to make the run up to 60 miles-an-hour in just four seconds. Just like the other two Yenko Supercars, the Nova is powered by the formidable L72 427-cu.in. Chevrolet big-block. Nicoll purchased the Nova for $580,000, but supercar prices have been volatile in recent years; a comparable Yenko Nova sold at the 2012 Mecum Indianapolis auction for $475,000, so it remains to be seen what Nicoll’s Nova will bring at auction.