CAR AND PUBLIC ENEMY

JOHN DILLINGER’S ESCAPE CAR AND ‘PUBLIC ENEMY’ STAR SELLS FOR $165,000

January 18-24 the 39th Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction took place in Scottsdale, AZ, and a few well-known movie vehicles crossed the stage and found new owners. One of them was the Ford A that was used my the infamous John Dillinger to escape the FBI in of the darkest moments of its history. On top of that, the car starred in the movie about John Dillinger, played by Johnny Depp, Public Enemies. The all-star cast also included Marion Cotillard, James Russo, Channing Tatum, and Christian Bale.
In a statement, Barret-Jackson president Steve Davis declared: “Dillinger, it is said, smashed the Ford’s rear window with his Thompson [submachine gun] and sprayed his pursuers with bullets,” In 2007 it was restored for Public Enemies, while keeping the original bullet holes. The car comes with meticulous documentation, including “transfer paperwork, articles, books, before-restoration photographs and a selection of documents copied from the federal files.”
It could have fetched a bit more money a few years ago but it still reached the nice sum of $165,000. Not bad.
Here’s a little summup found on the Barret Jackson website:
Summary: Original car used by John Dillinger, Hommer Van Meter and John Hamilton to escape from Little Bohemia, Wisconsin and the largest FBI crack down in history.

Details: This car was used by John Dillinger, Hommer Van Meter and John Hamilton to get away from Melvin Purvis and 17 other FBI agents that were sent to Little Bohemia, WI on April 22, 1934 to take John Dillinger, dead or alive, by President Roosevelt and J. Edgar Hoover. This was the largest crack down in all of FBI history and most famous incident, it was reported in newspapers all over the U.S. and in other countries. When the gang had escaped, they had driven the car to St. Paul, Minnesota and had gotten into a running gun battle with police, exchanging gun fire for over 45 minutes. They finally got away, but this paid a toll on John Hamilton because he was shot during the gun battle and died in Chicago three days later from his wounds. During this incident, two FBI agents and one CCC worker were killed and eight more people were wounded. After this incident, President Roosevelt was so upset that had Melvin Purvis and J. Edgar Hoover failed to capture Dillinger one more time, it would have been the end of the FBI as we know it today. This car is considered the rarest Dillinger car, there is no other like it.