Bonhams Simeone Museum 2012 – Auction Report

Lot # 424 1918 Hahn 3/4-ton Flatbed; S/N ; Engine # 501; Grey, Black fenders and hood/None; Estimate $10,000 – $15,000; Incomplete restoration, 4- condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $7,000 — RHD. Continental 4-cylinder, rear axle mounted transmission. Believed to be a Hahn based on its configuration and components, although there is no identification found on it. A crude start at a cosmetic restoration. Metal is rust pitted and quickly repainted. Wood body and bed are equally crudely painted over minimal prep. Chassis and frame minimally redone. Radiator and headlights quickly brush painted gold to give a brass-like appearance from thirty feet. There was no visible interest in this crude truck, even at the reported high bid.

Lot # 427 1932 Chrysler CM Roadster; S/N 6528008; Engine # CM17694; Light Grey, Burgundy fenders and accent/Burgundy leather; Beige cloth top; Estimate $37,500 – $45,000; Older restoration, 3 condition; Hammered Sold at $38,000 plus commission of 15.00%; Final Price $43,700 — Red wire wheels, wide whitewalls, dual enclosed sidemounts with mirrors, metal trunk, rumble seat, wind wings, Depress Beam headlights, later overdrive unit. A quality older restoration that still has good paint, chrome and interior. Chassis and underbody are used and dirty but will be better when properly detailed. One of the better older restored vehicles at Bonhams ‘Preserving’ sale and a car no one would be ashamed to tour with plus looking very sporty with Chrysler’s attractive bodywork. It brought a price fair to both the buyer and the seller.

Lot # 429 1928 Packard 443 Custom Eight 7-Passenger Touring; S/N 230946; Engine # 230981A; Blue metallic, Red accent/Black leather; Beige cloth top; Estimate $50,000 – $60,000; Unrestored original, 4+ condition; Post-block sale at $30,000 plus commission of 15.00%; Final Price $34,500 — Disc wheels, dual sidemounts, Packard MotoMeter, Hudson Super Six drum headlights, spotlight, leather covered trunk on rack, jump seats. Quick old repaint and reupholstered seats, original interior trim panels. Dusty and dirty but sound and all there in all important respects. A straightforward restoration project. This was one of the most intriguing of the barn-find vehicles at Bonhams ‘Preserving’ auction, a complete car and a handsome, sporting, open Packard in the process. It is a sound and complete basis for a restoration which will be reasonably undertaken on the basis of the price it brought here.

Lot # 431 1929 Pierce-Arrow Model 125 Dual Cowl Phaeton; S/N 2005467; Light Grey, Dark Blue fenders and accent/Brown; Black cloth top; Estimate $80,000 – $100,000; Unrestored original, 4 condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $62,000 — Trippe lights, dual sidemounts, Dawley headlights, dual folding windshields, metal luggage trunk. Surface rusted everywhere but the panels are sound. Interior materials are junk but all the frames and hardware are there as well as the top and frame. Brought to the auction by Wayne Carini who decided its potential was greater than the bid it brought. It’s always a risk to argue with Wayne, but in this case it is most definitely arguable that it could have been sold with minimal regret at the reported bid or anything close to it.

Lot # 433 1932 Aston Martin 1 1/2 Liter LeMans 2/4 Seater, Body by Bertelli; S/N G2/213; Engine # G2/213; Black/Red leather; Black cloth top; Estimate $150,000 – $200,000; Unrestored original, 4- condition; Hammered Sold at $185,000 plus commission of 12.70%; Final Price $208,500 — RHD. 1,492cc 70hp sohc four, short 102 inch wheelbase, cycle fenders, single rear spare, folding windshield, complete top mechanism. Body steel and wood framing appear to be sound, pretty much everything else of the coachwork and interior are gone but most of the instruments are still there. First owned by British movie producer Basil Dean, untouched since its acquisition by Nathan Clark in 1972 and very much the worse for its neglect. Mille Miglia eligible even under the current criteria. Nathan Clark Estate. Opened at $100k and for sale at that bid. Two phone bidders from $145K to this rather ambitious price. It is going to be fabulously expensive restore this Aston. Running, driving 1 1/2 Liter Internationals cost what was paid here for this pile of rust and grime and while the Le Mans bodywork and specification are much more desirable the new owner has taken no small risk in paying this price.

Lot # 434 1929 Packard 640 Rumble Seat Coupe; S/N 175909; Blue, Black fenders/Brown cloth; Estimate $10,000 – $15,000; Unrestored original, 4- condition; Hammered Sold at $18,000 plus commission of 15.00%; Final Price $20,700 — RHD. Disc wheels. Rear fenders missing. Originally delivered to New Zealand, formerly a pickup truck. Original but beyond preservation and needs everything. No Reserve. Nathan Clark Estate. And, when it’s done, it’s still a rumble seat coupe, a very expensive rumble seat coupe.

Lot # 435 1931 Isotta-Fraschini Tipo 8A Faux Cabriolet, Body by Lancefield; S/N 1677; Engine # 1677; Ivory; Black leatherette roof/Brown leather; Estimate $200,000 – $250,000; Unrestored original, 4- condition; Hammered Sold at $165,000 plus commission of 13.03%; Final Price $186,500 — RHD. Body color wire wheels, dual sidemounts. Dull old repaint, worn, torn upholstery, greasy, dirty engine. Sound coachwork but the rear wheels are 6 inches or more inside the fender lips and the sidemounts fit tall and far above the front fenders giving the impression of a body built for a larger chassis that was expediently adapted to the Isotta. Stored in a New London, Connecticut garage in plain sight behind a glass storefront since 1976. Nathan Clark Estate. The auction’s cover car, for sale at $150K. It’s hard to credit this Isotta-Fraschini too heavily for although it has a largely continuous history the coachwork doesn’t work and the engine has stories (of a thrown rod that left it in storage for some twenty years.) Mr. Clark (the inventor of the eponymous Desert Boots), however, has a colorful history and its association with him adds to its character, if not its style. The price it brought is all that could have been expected, and a bit more for Clark’s aura.

Lot # 437 1941 Lincoln Continental Club Coupe; S/N H115120; Black/Black leather, Grey cloth; Estimate $30,000 – $40,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $48,000 — Wood spoke and rim Continental style steering wheel, radio, skirts, chrome air horns on left front fender, Unity fog lights. Described as belonging to an Oregon timber baron but without further details. Good paint with some cracks at stress points. Good interior, dashboard, instruments and chrome. Presentable and very usable as it is. The steering wheel is a work of the wood craftsman’s art but that’s not enough fully to offset the chrome horns or to make it reasonable to decline the reported high bid.

Lot # 438 1917 Simplex Crane Model 5 Dual Cowl Victoria Phaeton, Body by Farnham and Nelson; S/N 2333; Burgundy/Black leather; Beige cloth cape top; Estimate $225,000 – $250,000; Unrestored original, 4+ condition; Hammered Sold at $185,000 plus commission of 12.70%; Final Price $208,500 — Tilt Ray headlights, tubular front shocks, mother-in-law seat on left running board, leather covered tool boxes on both running boards, dual sidemounts, wind wings, dual windshields. Repainted long ago and cleaned up. Tattered original interior. Orderly but original underhood. Originally owned by the Whitney family in Boston, acquired from them by Cameron Bailey in 1937 and used in early VMCCA events. 1946 Glidden Tour participant. Later owned by Bob Valpey. Carefully preserved all these years in its original configuration and fully equipped. Sound, runs and drives well and usable as is. Gooding sold a similar car (s/n 2445) in not much better and equally original condition from Otis Chandler’s collection in 2006 for $308,000 leaving the acquirer of this marvelous piece of machinery about a Hundred Large to spend on detailing and upholstery without taking advantage of a whit of appreciation or inflation. That is a very good economic decision and a marvelous automobile bought for a highly reasonable price.