Over 700 classic cars for sale went under the hammer at an auction in Houston, Texas, last weekend.

There were thousands of visitors to the Reliant Centre on Saturday and Sunday, as some people paid big money for vintage vehicles, while others were simply on hand to check out the rare models longingly, while keeping their cash to themselves.

$25,000 was paid for a 1956 Cadillac DeVille decked out in a pink paint job, while a healthy $37,000 was paid for a 1970 Buick GS.

Local car fanatic, Sterling McCall, was one of the most prolific contributors to the event, as he passed on 25 vintage vehicles from his own collection.

Auction organiser, Sam Murtaugh, said that there were large sums of money stored up in many classic cars, with those from the 1920 and 1930s making a particularly significant impact during the event.

Mr McCall's 1927 Cadillac fits this description and harks back to a time during which gangsters would use such vehicles to run booze behind the backs of the authorities, during the prohibition.

Houston will host another auction run by the same firm next March, according to a recent report from Chron.com.