In spite of recent signs that the recession is waning, there were still naysayers around the Monterey peninsula wondering aloud if anyone would be buying cars. RM’s sale Thursday night of Nick Alexander’s collection of 50 classic woodies (wood-paneled American cars built from the 1930s through the 1950s) will likely silence the Chicken Littles, at least for now

The sale totaled over $7,000,000, with a top sale of $335,000 for a 1946 Mercury Sportsman convertible. The pre-sale estimate was between $6.4 million and $7.5 million for the collection, which sold at no reserve.