Close to 1000 people packed Turners Car Auctions on Saturday afternoon to get a look at some of the Western Bay of Plenty's hottest muscle cars.

On display at the auction house in Mount Maunganui were 52 cars including a 2011 Shelby GT 500 Mustang worth $115,000.

A total of 52 cars were on display at Turners Car Auctions for the Muscle Car Auction this weekend.

Although none of the muscle cars sold at auction, many of the new Kiwi cars were sold under the hammer with a Ford Ranger ute fetching the top price of $20,000.

Event organiser Dan Peet says many people registered their interest in the muscle cars post auction.

'It was hugely successful, we just couldn't believe how many people were there,” says Dan.

'I think there was a bit of apprehension, people not brave enough to put their hand up while they were going under the hammer, but afterwards they came and registered their interest.

Daniel says later in the day an offer of $30,000 was put down on a Buick Century.

This is the first time a muscle car auction has been run in Tauranga with cars being brought in from around the Bay of Plenty and Waikato.

Dan, who works for Turners, says the idea arose after one a Tauranga man imported a six cars from the United States.

'We thought let's make something of it, so we put the signs up and the cars started coming up from everywhere.

'They have done these auctions at the Beach Hop a couple of times.”

Dan says there is a huge muscle car following in Tauranga which may have contributed to the interest.

The auction ran from 12pm to 1.30pm on Saturday with Welcome Bay School on hand to feed the masses with a sausage sizzle.

Residents check out the engine of one of the cars on display at Turners.

Close to 1000 people turned out for the auction.