Auctions America returns to Burbank, July 31 – August 2, 2014, for its annual California sale at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel. This year’s auction is set to be another spectacular event for collectors of every genre, lowering the gavel on a diverse mix of some 400 vehicles handpicked for Southern California’s unique automotive culture.

However, this is an auction that by the company’s own admission has been defined as more of a “club collector’s event” with many of the vehicles priced at a more attainable level than you might expect to see at collector auctions. We recently viewed a selection of the vehicles, which included a vintage ’76 Ford F-100 off-road race truck, a few 50s and 60s model-year Corvette’s, 30s vintage Ford cars, a trio of Studebakers, a ’65 Mustang, a handful of Lincolns ranging from ’37 to ’55, and even a ’31 Ford Model A hot rod. Almost all of these had a high auction estimate of less than $50,000.

Leading early entries for the sale is The Iconic Southern California Collection, an impressive group of more than 60 vehicles formerly owned by noted Palm Springs collector, the late Bob Pond. Offered fresh to the market following long-term storage, the group collectively represents virtually every decade of motoring, catering to a broad range of automotive tastes and budgets. Headlining the collection is the 1949 Buick Roadmaster Convertible driven by Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise in the Oscar-winning 1988 film, “Rain Man.”

Additional auction entries of note include a ’68 Ford Mustang GT Fastback “Black Mamba” Custom Show Car, used as Meguiars’ feature and display car showcasing its high-end paint care product line and a frequent sight at numerous automotive events nationwide, including the Goodguys, NSR and NASCAR events.

The aforementioned ’31 Ford Model A hot rod was built in the 1940s and recently discovered in Colorado virtually untouched after several decades in storage. One of the other keynotes of the auction will no doubt be a super clean ’56 Ford Custom resto-mod with a Ford FE engine topped with a rare Edelbrock crossover intake with dual four-barrel carbs. This ’56 Ford from the Pond Collection is said to have been one of his favorites and was used to take his wife out regularly on Friday nights for ice cream.

For more information on Auctions America’s upcoming California Collector Car Auction or to view a frequently updated list of entries, visit auctionsamerica.com or call (888) 990-3910. Select highlights from the auction can be seen on NBCSN (NBC Sports Network) on August 1-2, 2014.