HERSHEY, Pennsylvania, 12 October, 2019 |
The star lot of the Hershey sale was a 1930 Cadillac V-16 Sport Phaeton by Fleetwood, which
represented an opportunity to acquire arguably the most famous, well-known surviving V-16 sport phaeton.
Featured in the 1964 film The Carpetbaggers and believed to have been originally owned by legendary
silver-screen actor Richard Arlen, the V-16 ignited a furious competition between a bidder in the room and
on the phone, eventually securing a final $1,221,000 to applause from the crowd on Friday (est.
$900k/1.1m). Rounding out the top three sellers was a one-of-six 1931 Marmon Sixteen Coupe offered
from the Collection of Jack Dunning and complete with its original body, engine, and chassis at a final
$550,000, while a remarkably rare, highly original, and beautifully restored 1911 Oldsmobile Model 28
Autocrat Roadster offered from the noted collection of Mr. Jim Bradley reached a final $495,000. |
The auction successfully kicked off on Thursday night with the session dedicated solely to The Merrick
Auto Museum Collection, comprised of over 100 fascinating American Brass Era, high-wheeler, and
pre-war cars, alongside a large selection of automobilia – offered entirely without reserve. The top seller of
the collection was the 1925 Duesenberg Model A Four-Passenger Sport Phaeton by Millspaugh &
Irish. Equipped with a race-bred overhead-cam eight-cylinder engine and formerly on display for 15 years at
the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum, the Model A sold for a final $236,500 (est. $150k/200k). During an
exciting moment on Thursday night, the seldom-seen 1900 Rockwell Hansom Cab, the first motorized
taxicab in New York City, incited spirited bidding in the auction room before selling for $132,000, shattering
its pre-sale estimate of $35,000 - $45,000. Additional Thursday highlights include a Paris-built 1900 De
Dion-Bouton Type E Vis-à-Vis Voiturette, which achieved $121,000, a 1916 Rauch & Lang JX-6 Dual
Control Electric Coach, which brought $110,000, more than doubling its pre-sale high estimate, and an
eye-catching 1930 Cord L-29 Brougham, which sold for $103,400 (est. $50k/75k). |
Interesting and unusual motor cars also starred at RM Auctions Hershey sale, with a pair of vintage trucks
from The William B. Ruger Jr. Collection firing up the audience on Friday evening. The first, a 1924
American LaFrance Type 40 Combination Truck, was offered from 65 years of ownership under the
Ruger family and sold for $115,500 to a bidder in the room (est. $35k/45k). A well-maintained 1936
American LaFrance 'Senior' 400 Series Squad Truck, equipped with a powerful 240 hp overhead-cam
V-12 engine, also successfully sold to a participant in the auction room, achieving $82,500 (est. $40k/60k). |
Beyond the cars, the Hershey sale featured 128 lots of memorabilia, signage, vintage motor car parts,
original artwork, and ephemera. Among a host of fascinating pieces were the Hot Air Balloon Ceiling
Fans offered from the Merrick Auto Museum Collection, which soared past their estimate to a final price of
$6,037 on Thursday night (est. $800/1,200). The Ferrari Cavallino Porcelain Dinnerware Set by
Richard Ginori opened a sustained bidding contest between three bidders on the phone and one in the
room on Friday, eventually more than tripling its pre-sale high estimate and bringing $18,400 (est. $4k/6k).
Friday also saw several vintage toy cars go under the hammer and surpass pre-sale estimates, with a pair
of Buddy L Trucks achieving a final $2,300 (est. $300/400). |
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