Featured Offerings at 2010 Monterey Sale – RM Auctions

RM Auctions is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Monterey’s first and original auction, August 12th – 14th, 2010, with their most significant collector car auction offering ever presented on the Peninsula. Extended to three days, the sale will showcase over 200 automobiles, with no less than 16 motor cars expected to surpass the million dollar mark.

“RM’s worldwide presence and clientele has enabled us to assemble an auction offering that is second to none,” says Rob Myers, Chairman and CEO, RM Auctions. “From the motor cars to the presentation, we’re pulling out all the stops for our silver anniversary sale in Monterey and putting on a show that’s not to be missed,” Myers adds.

Sports and racing cars are prominently featured at RM’s 2010 Monterey sale, with the 1958 Ferrari 250 ‘Pontoon Fender’ Testa Rossa, chassis number 0738 TR, taking center stage. Joining 0738 TR and the roster of previously announced Ferraris is an authentic and original 1931 Bugatti Type 51, chassis number 51132 (Estimate available upon request). Recently discovered documentation has now confirmed that 51132 was raced extensively in period, including at Targa Florio in the early 30’s, closely followed by the ARCA USA Grand Prix in 1935 with McClure Halley behind the wheel. In addition, 51132 was also raced at the inaugural George Vanderbilt Cup in 1936, driven by Dave Evans. Ranked by noted Bugatti specialist, David Sewell, as among ‘the finest surviving examples of the highly desirable T 51 Grand Prix Bugattis’, 51132 is expected to garner significant interest.

1931 Bugatti Type 51 - Chassis 51132

Other notable Sports and Racing entries include: a restored 1964 Cooper-Ford “King Cobra”, CM 5/64 (Est. $650,000 – $850,000), a former Shelby Team Car driven to victory at Riverside by Parnelli Jones; an award-winning 1967 Shelby 427 Cobra, CSX 3265 (Est. $650,000 – $750,000), just two owners from new; a rare 1938 BMW 328 Roadster, chassis number 85406 (Est. $550,000 – $650,000), formerly part of a large, well-respected American museum collection; and a 1938 Peugeot 402 Pourtout Special Roadster, chassis number 475473 (Est. $425,000 – $525,000), believed to have been raced in France, Belgium and England before the war. For Jaguar enthusiasts, the offering also features a 1955 Jaguar D-Type, XKD558 (Est. $2,000,000 – $2,500,000), which headlines a select series of important Jaguars from the renowned collection of Kathy Nell.

American-built automobiles are well-represented in RM’s Monterey auction offering and span a diverse range of marques. Of note is a custom 1933 Packard Twelve Custom Dietrich Coupe (Est. $1,200,000 – $1,400,00); a well-documented 1931 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Sedan, J420 (Est. $700,000 – $900,000), featuring Murphy coachwork, and one of two Duesenbergs on offer; a multiple-award-winning 1930 Stutz Model M Supercharged Coupe by Lancefield, chassis number 31312 (Est. $500,000 – $700,000), one of only two supercharged Model M examples built; and a rare 1948 Tucker 48 Sedan, chassis number 1045 (Est. $550,000 – $750,000), one of only 51 original examples built.

1933 Packard Twelve Custom Dietrich Coupe (photo: Ron Kimball/Kimball Stock)

RM’s Monterey sale also features a selection of European coachbuilt motor cars, including a beautifully restored, multiple-award-winning 1938 Delahaye 135 MS Sport Roadster (Est. $1,000,000 – $1,250,000), fitted with one of the most beautiful and sporting bodies ever installed on the 135 chassis; a highly-desirable, supercharged 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Cabriolet, chassis number 130913 (Est. $1,100,000 – $1,300,000), one of very few special cabriolets built by Sindelfingen; and an early 1913 Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost “London to Edinburgh” Torpedo, chassis number 2517 (Est. $1,000,000 – $1,500,000), originally built for the Maharajah of Patiala and fitted with a rare, special touring body by Mulliner; and a one-off 1938 Jaguar SS100 3.5 Coupe, bodied by Graber, chassis number M229E, (Est. $600,000 – $800,000), also from the Kathy Nell Collection.

1938 Delahaye 135 MS Sport Roadster (photo: Darin Schnabel)

These latest entries join the previously announced 1949 Delahaye 175 S Saoutchik Roadster, chassis number 815023, and 1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C Lago Speciale Teardrop Coupe, chassis number 90034 – both of which provide great illustrations of the automobile as an art form.

RM’s extended Monterey auction program kicks off with a dedicated Ford-themed evening auction on Thursday, August 12th, showcasing one of the earliest surviving Fords in existence, a 1903 Ford Model A Rear Entrance Tonneau (Est. $600,000 – $800,000).

For a full list of auction offerings, visit www.rmauctions.com/montereycarlist or call +1 519 352 4575.

[Source: RM Auctions; photos © 2010 Courtesy of RM Auctions]