After enjoying the car on the streets of Clovis and a trip south of the border with friends in search of Mexican guitars, Buddy gave the Impala to his father as a belated Christmas gift. The Impala became the Holly family car; Buddy's sister even learned to drive in it.

Buddy Holly was killed in a plane crash on Feb. 3, 1959. (Archive photo)

Less than a year later, Buddy was gone. The plane crash that took his life on Feb. 3, 1959, remains one of the blackest days in the history of American music.

The Impala was later sold, abandoned and left for dead at a West Texas body shop. More than a decade later, Clement, a Lubbock native, high-volume Chevy collector and owner of the well-known "Chevy Craft" shop, purchased the Impala after researching the car and confirming it had indeed belonged to Holly.

"It's important to note the authenticity of this Chevy Impala," said Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. "Bill Clement, a collector and dealer of top-level Chevrolet collector cars, did his due diligence to make sure that this car was the real deal. In fact, copies of the original order form, title and deposit check issued by Buddy Holly and Norman Petty are included with the car. Now that's documentation."

After about five years of the car sitting in the shadows at Clement's shop, news broke that Buddy Holly's car was back home in Lubbock. Following a slew of news coverage, Clement turned down several lucrative offers for the unrestored Impala and teamed with Rick Bigham and his crew to renew the car.

"I provided the parts and Rick and his team put in the time to bring the Impala back to life," noted Clement. "And it didn't end there. The restoration was a community effort. Literally hundreds of people invested time, products, money and sweat to get the car ready for Buddy's 1998 birthday celebration in Lubbock."

For the past 12 years, the car has travelled across the country promoting Lubbock's favorite son, Buddy Holly. Clement is now ready to let someone else enjoy this historic car.

"It's time for the Impala to change hands and to allow the next generation of enthusiastic fans to keep the legend of Buddy Holly alive," he says. "And who better than Barrett-Jackson to make that happen?"

For more information about Barrett-Jackson, see www.barrett-jackson.com.