Oh Maybellene

Tad Leach said goodbye Saturday night to a love of his life.

No, not Sue, his wife.

Maybellene, his car.

“I was humbled by the love and support shown throughout the process of building and showing Maybellene, and during the recent Barrett-Jackson adventure and departure of my wonderful ride,” wrote Leach, former Koootenai County Sheriff’s Office undersheriff who lives in Coeur d’Alene.

The custom-built 1958 Lincoln Continental Convertible went for $735,000 during an auction Saturday night in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Barrett-Jackson, The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions, raised more than $8.8 million for charity during the company’s 50th anniversary celebration at WestWorld of Scottsdale, Jan. 22-30.

Many cars were sold for private sellers.

Leach was “very happy with the results.”

“All the money goes into the Gifts for Oma Fund!" he wrote on his Facebook page.

In case you're wondering why folks are so revved about Maybellene, built for Leach by Kindig It Design in Salt Lake City where he bought it, here’s a brief description:

“The fully custom V12 engine is topped with twin Magnuson superchargers as well as custom-fabricated stainless-steel headers and exhaust system with a push-button single exhaust cutout to bypass the Borla mufflers. The body of this Bohemian beauty has been modified by tucking the massive bumpers in and replacing the stock rear quarters. Thousands of hours were spent to perfect the body, which is coated in Modern Classikk by Kindig "Teal Later" paint. The entire taillight panel is custom LED as is the rear grille, which is made of polished stainless. The front grille is straight, bright and perfect and, as with the theme of "Hot Rod Lincoln," the hood has been accentuated with an acrylic bubble exposing the twin supercharged engine. Built by JS Custom Interiors, the highly customized Lincoln interior features one-off Dakota Digital gauges that appear to float in midair while sitting behind the restored stock steering wheel, and plush "Beer Foam" leather T-bird seats.”

It looks as good as it sounds.

“My last car before something happens to me, so I had to go all out,” Leach said in a previous interview.

"Maybellene" is named after the Chuck Berry hit.

"I’m an old '50s rock and roller," said Leach, who grew up a car buff.

He bought the 1958 Lincoln in 2016. She made her debut in late 2017. Since, Tad and and Sue have traveled the country, entering her in shows and collecting numerous awards.

"The car speaks for itself," Leach said.

While the Barrett-Jackson show was unforgettable, Leach said the auction made him a bit edgy, because "no reserve" means there is no minimum bid. He didn't know how many would bid on Maybellene.

"You're literally rolling the dice," he said.

Supporters eased those fears.

“Be it through social media posts, emails, phone calls, cleaning the car, etc. it truly helped me get through the no reserve, nerve wracking process in Scottsdale," he wrote.

Each vehicle is closely inspected, looking for the smallest flaw, inside and out.

Maybellene passed. She is of the finest quality.

Leach was satisfied with the high bid. He said while it's difficult to buy and fund a classic rebuilt and make a profit, it was worth the effort.

"All the fun we had made it priceless," he said

Followers were pleased for Tad and Sue Leach.

"Congratulations to you both for the car you built for us to enjoy the craftsmanship that went into making maybellene,” wrote William Armstrong.

“Great adventure and now on to the next adventure be it what it may,” added Margret Tibbetts, while Jenny Lowe Riegner wrote, “Wonderful memories made with that beauty!"

Leach, who retired from KCSO 10 years ago, is originally from Evanston, Ill., and previously served with the Wheeling Police Department, where he was deputy chief, and later the Lincolnwood department in Illinois as chief.

He moved to Coeur d'Alene to work at North Idaho College in 1993. He worked there about a decade before joining KCSO. Leach has often noted that his bankroll was bolstered by a generous grandfather "who was a lot smarter than me."

Leach thanked Dave Kindig and crew, “who built this magnificent ride.”

Leach gave credit to his wife of more than five decades, too, “who let me do my last bite at the apple and enjoyed Maybellene with me. THANK YOU ALL! I truly hope you enjoyed coming along for the ride!”

Owning and maintaining a classic like Maybellene is hard work. And at 75, Leach said he doesn't have the energy to try and buy another one. And he wants to be with his wife, who is battling illness.

But as he looks back at the time the three of them spent together traveling to shows and meeting people, there were many magical moments.

And for that, he will always be thankful.

"You can't put a price on that," Leach said.