Q: Greg, I enjoy very much watching the Barrett-Jackson antique car auctions on Speed television. My question is this: Do you feel some of the prices paid for these top-quality cars are outrageous? Doesn't this hurt the antique collector business, overall? I have a 1956 Chrysler Windsor four-door, and it is in good shape. Can you give me some production numbers? Also, how much is it worth? It is all-original with a 331-inch V-8. -- A.H., Florida

A: As I've said before, I feel many of the prices paid for Barrett-Jackson cars are outrageous. However, the glory of being on television sometimes overrides a person's common sense in bidding for a collector car. Also remember that of the thousands of cars that go through the Barrett-Jackson auction, only a small percentage ever make it to the television screen. I've always felt that checking collector car prices in magazines like Hemmings Motor News, eBay or The Auto Roundup gives a much better pulse as to the collector car market. As for price guides, they're OK, but can be way off at times. Remember that whatever a price guide says doesn't necessarily mean that's what you'll get for the car in your garage.

Now, on to your Chrysler. There were 53,119 Windsors produced in 1956, the most of any model by far. Your 331-inch V-8 Hemi engine is either the standard 225 horsepower or the optional 250-horse version. A 354 Hemi was also offered for the 300 and New Yorker models, but the 331 was as big as you could go in the Windsor. I'd say your car is worth in the neighborhood of $3,500 easily, maybe more. Good luck.

Write to Greg Zyla in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send an e-mail to gzyla@ptd.net. (c) 2007 King Features Synd., Inc.