Detroit to hold auction of city vehicles, machinery and shop equipment

Municipal garbage trucks, aerial bucket lift trucks, digger trucks, grapple trucks, backhoes and much more will be among the many offerings as the City of Detroit, in partnership with Hilco Industrial and Miedema Auctioneering and Appraisals, hold two upcoming public auctions of vehicles, machinery and shop service equipment no longer needed by the City.

In all, the city will be auctioning off more than 450 surplus vehicles it no longer needs. Despite no longer being needed by the city, many of these pieces of equipment can serve private contractors or other municipalities well for years to come.

“Many of these vehicles are in very good working order and have a lot of life left in them,” said Gary Brown, City of Detroit Chief Operating Officer.

Brown said Hilco and Miedema were selected to administer the auctions for three years due to their experience and reputation for running similar auctions successfully and transparently. Profit from the auctions will be utilized to pay down debt and distributed to the city departments that supplied the items for the auction.


The first auction will be a Webcast/onsite auction on Wednesday, November 5, at 10 a.m. at 2 Woodward Ave., 13th floor. Preview dates are available on November 3 and 4 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST).

The second auction will be an online only auction November 13; closing times are available at www.hilcoind.com. Preview dates for the second auction are available by escort only on November 10 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

For an early inspection on either auction, please contact Ken Planet at 248-238-7988 or email kplanet@hilcoglobal.com

Registration for both auctions will be available onsite or online through www.hilcoind.com or 1800lastbidwebcast.com.

Preview dates for the Webcast/onsite sale are Monday and Tuesday, November 3 and 4, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the day of sale. The majority of the assets are located at Herman Kiefer Center, located at 1151 Taylor; buses and streetcars will be located at the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) yard. For earlier inspection, call 251-404-2367. The preview date for the online sale, by escort, are Monday, November 10, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. at 1300 E. Warren, Detroit. The secondary asset location is 2425 Fenkell, Detroit.

Among the equipment included in the auctions will be:


• 115 automated side load garbage trucks
• 8 rear load garbage trucks
• 79 transit buses and historic trolley cars
• 24 aerial bucket lift trucks
• 17 grapple trucks

• 5 dump trucks
• 4 backhoe loaders
• 3 truck trailers
• 6 interior construction utility trucks
• 41 truck mounted snow plows
• 33 pickup trucks, SUVs, and cars
• 130 public lighting service vehicles


The online auction only will feature the following additional products:


• Berco connecting rod boring and grinding machine
• Berco cylinder head boring machine
• Berco line boring machine
• Sunnen cylinder king vertical hone
• Sunnen heavy duty cap and rod grinder
• Sunnen valve guide and seat machine
• Van Norman piston turning and grinding machine
• 50-ton hydraulic shop press
• Landis crankshaft grinder
• Sprinfield engine lathe
• Leblond engine lathe
• Universal turret lathe
• Simmons micro speed turret lathe
• Springfield shaper


There will also be a large quantity of machine shop equipment.

For more information about the two auctions, including payment, inventory removal, and bidding, visit www.hilcoind.com or www.1800lastbid.com.