Dubed “de Plane” in the hit TV series Fantasy Island, the 1967 Grumman Widgeon used in the show is to cross the Branson Auction block, April 15-16, in Missouri.
After the TV series ended, the Widgeon passed from owner to owner and made its way across the United States before it was confiscated in the mid-1980s by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics because it was being used to smuggle drugs.
The plane made its way to California, where it was sold in 1999 to Leonard Hudson Drilling.
Refurbished, the Widgeon features dual 300-horsepower Lycoming engines that enable a cruising speed of 170 miles per hour. It also has a new interior as well as a freshened cherry-red exterior.
In addition to the unique plane, auction highlights include a restored 1954 Chevrolet Corvette with an unrestored hardtop, a 1973 Jaguar XKE 2+2 with an alloy 5.3-liter V12, a 1988 Ferrari Tesstarossa, and a 1939 Packard Super Eight Convertible Coupe marked as a full CCCA Classic and known to be one of only three in existence.
Additionally, bidders will have 30 pieces from the Kevin Martin “Piece of the Past” collection to consider as they cross the block at no reserve at the start the auction each day.
