Is this muscle car enough to attract $61,995?
The compound of David Koresh, a cult leader, was raided by the Texas State Police in Waco, Texas, 1993. The incident saw the deaths of more than 76 Branch Davidians, i.e., Koresh’s followers, as well as the leader of the cult. This is a terrible period in American history.
The 1968 Chevrolet Camaro of Koresh is often forgotten. According to FBI Special Agent Bob Ricks, the car was damaged and smashed by armored vehicles in the raid. Federal agents later took it. “He often talks of his black Camaro… apparently it has a 427 cubic inch engine and Holley carbs,” Ricks stated in a 1993 interview with Fort Worth Star Telegram.
It’s now up for sale. The seller isn’t necessarily leaning in to its cult ties for obvious reasons.
Streetside Classics in Phoenix, Arizona sells the car for $61,995. Although the listing does not mention any ties to Koresh in its description, we did some digging and found that the vehicle’s VIN was 124378L302009. This matches the VIN from Koresh’s Camaro which is as reported in 1993 and an auction listing.
The car was left at the Waco-area salvage operation for many years after the raid. It was then listed at auction in 2004. We don’t mean to be harsh – the car still had the marks of the raid and the worn interior. “This is the car he drove every single day between the compound in Waco and downtown Waco,” stated auctioneer Daniel Kruse. It was still in David Koresh’s name at the time of the auction.
In 2004, the car was sold for $37,000, well below its $80,000 asking price. According to a report , Donald Feldpausch, 64, of San Antonio, Texas, bought the car as an “investment”. “I will bring it out for things such as parades, but it will be kept in an air-conditioned storage. It will be bought by someone.
The Camaro is now fully restored 25 years after it was last at the compound. However, there are still traces of Koresh DNA in the Camaro. Underhood, Koresh still has the same 500-horsepower (372 kilowatt), 427-cubic-inch V8. It has lost the original “DAVIDES 427 GOD” engraving, as far as the photos can be seen.
