Montana Family’s Three-Generation Car Collection Heads to Auction

BOX ELDER, MT — A massive collection of classic cars, trucks and tractors spanning three generations of the Dielman family will be auctioned online July 28, marking the end of a collecting legacy that began with a father-son bet in the 1940s.

The auction features more than 500 vehicles from the Dielman family farm in Box Elder, including rust-free Western classics from the 1910s through the 1970s. Bidding is already live at VanDerBrinkAuctions.com and concludes Monday, July 28, starting at 10 a.m. Central Time.

“Every collector is looking for those rust-free originals and this collection has many,” said Yvette VanDerBrink, whose Minnesota-based firm VanDerBrink Auctions is conducting the sale. “I have spent many hours with this collection, and they are wonderful. You won’t want to miss this chance to acquire dry, Western classics now waiting for buyers at the Dielman farms.”

The collection includes 1957 Chevrolets bought new by the family, rows of Chevrolet, Dodge and GMC pickups, grain trucks, square-body pickups, Titan tractors, Lincolns, Maxwells, REOs and pre-war vehicles. Several project 1924 White Yellowstone buses and International, Case and John Deere tractors are also up for auction.

A Family Legacy Born from a Bet

The Dielman collection began in the 1940s when Lewis Dielman wanted a car and his father George challenged him: “I bet you can’t buy those cars we saw for about $50 each. If you get them for less, then make a deal.”

Lewis took the bet and bought the cars for $35 each, starting what would become a multi-generational obsession. His very first car was a 1940 Chevrolet coupe, which remains in the collection.

Lewis and George Dielman began attending auctions and traveling around the area, buying vehicles, trucks and more. Soon, car dealers would call them to buy the vehicles they would take in on trade. The collection grew as Lewis married and started a family, with his sons and daughter also joining the collecting adventures.

Three generations of Dielmans worked together buying cars, trucks and pickups, bringing them to the homestead and storing them away. They eventually had so many vehicles that they would sell parts to area residents to fix their cars.

Lewis continued collecting until the week he passed away. His last purchase was a 1975 Volkswagen Beetle, which he had bought brand new for his wife prior to her passing.

Letting Go of Memories

Now, with the passing of their father, Linn, Mark and Alvie Dielman have started the massive task of selling the collection. The vehicles are spread across three generations of classics packed away in buildings at two farms and four buildings in town.

“Letting go of all these wonderful vehicles is incredibly hard for me and my family, as we’ve built up not just a lifetime collection but memories as well,” said Linn Dielman, one of Lewis’s four children. “I encourage people to come out to the farm and see for themselves these great old cars and other vehicles. Most have been in storage for anywhere from 20-60 years. Each one is a true slice of automotive history.”

Preview and Auction Details

Public previews will be held July 18-19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mountain Time at the Dielman Family Farms in Box Elder. The auction is online-only with no live bidding.

The farms are located about 48 miles from Havre and west of Box Elder. From Havre, take Highway 2 west to Gilford (about 30 miles), then turn south on County Road 448 for about 18 miles to reach the North farm. The South farm is straight ahead down the Minimum Maintenance Road.

From Box Elder, turn left across the railroad tracks on County Road 448 or Box Elder Road and go 14 miles. The North Farm will be visible on the right.

VanDerBrink Auctions notes that the location has limited cell phone service and no internet, reflecting the rural nature of the property.

Items will close every minute on auction day and may have extended bidding to determine winning bidders. After the catalog closes, there will be scheduled load-outs for winning bidders.

The Dielman family farm has been in the family since 1935, when Lewis’s parents, Alverta and George Dielman, purchased 160 acres in Box Elder where they raised wheat, barley, oats and chickens.