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RM Auctions Hershey 2014 – Auction Preview

1933 Chrysler CL Imperial Dual-Windshield Phaeton by LeBaron Erik Fuller ©2014 Courtesy of RM Auctions
1933 Chrysler CL Imperial Dual-Windshield Phaeton by LeBaron

The RM Auctions Hershey 2014 sale will be held October 9-10 in Hershey, Pennsylvania during the AACA Eastern Division Fall Meet. The two-day auction will feature a selection of more than 160 automobiles, two boats and select memorabilia. The offering is headlined by two North American collections, the Cars of John Moir, featuring the A-to-Z Collection, and the Jeffrey Day Collection.

The Cars of John Moir comprise a series of 37 vehicles, all offered without reserve. The group is headlined by the A-to-Z Collection, representing each letter of the alphabet but also a century of automotive design from 1900 to 1999.

From a 1912 Auto-Carrier Delivery Box Van (Est. $30,000 – $50,000) to a 1910 Zebra Type A Runabout (Est. $20,000 – $30,000), the collection encompasses such hard-to-find letters as Y (Yellow Cab), X (Xanthos), and Q (Queen). Each vehicle was chosen for its historical and technical novelty, and many are well-preserved originals. Another highlight of the group, a restored 1930 Cadillac V-16 Roadster, has been in the Moir family carriage house since 1933 (Est. $450,000 – $650,000).

Beyond the alphabet collection, the Cars of John Moir include an AC Cars ‘Master Class’ representing landmark models from one of the world’s oldest manufacturers, along with a selection of Moir family cars.

The 2014 RM Hershey sale will also present a selection of 50 vehicles from the Jeffrey Day Collection. Largely amassed over 15 years, the Day Collection is comprised of examples from the Ford Motor Company. From a 1930 Ford Model A Open Cab Pickup to a 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 ‘Cobra Jet’ and everything in between, each car is presented in running order and has been carefully maintained, with many recipients of authentic, ground-up restorations. Highlights include a concours-quality 1956 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria Skyliner, one of the most highly optioned glass-top examples, including factory air-conditioning (Est. $80,000 – $110,000), along with a trio of Thunderbirds including a 1957 Ford Thunderbird ‘E-Code’, one of the first 50 E-Codes built and recipient of a nut-and-bolt restoration (Est. $100,000 – $125,000).

The collection also includes several vehicles in long-term ownership with the Day family, including an almost entirely original 1959 Mercury Park Lane Convertible, purchased new by Mr. Day’s father more than half a century ago, and an 1860 Abbott-Downing Stagecoach, one of three horse-drawn carriages in the collection, and owned by Mr. Day since 1971.

Further highlights at the RM Auctions Hershey 2014 include:

  • 1905 FIAT 60 HP Five-Passenger Tourer, chassis no. 3003, originally owned by August Anheuser Busch Sr. and the sole survivor of only twenty examples built. Presented in highly original condition, the FIAT has known only five caretakers over its 109-year life span and represents the world’s first cost-no-object, elite automobile (Est. $800,000 – $1,200,000);
  • 1933 Chrysler CL Imperial Dual-Windshield Phaeton by LeBaron, chassis no. 7803651, boasting a well-maintained, detailed restoration and one of approximately 17 surviving examples (Est. $390,000 – $450,000);
  • 1930 Cadillac V-16 Sport Phaeton by Fleetwood, engine no. 702877, offered from a well-known private collection and considered by many as showcasing the model’s most attractive factory coachwork (Est. $375,000 – $450,000);
  • 1932 Pierce-Arrow Model 53 Convertible Roadster, chassis no. 2050118, one of only six short-wheelbase roadsters built and identical to the example used by Ab Jenkins on the Bonneville Salt Flats (Est. $275,000 – $375,000);
  • 1896 Armstrong Phaeton, chassis no. LX1, which laid dormant in the contents of the former Armstrong factory until its discovery in 1963. Now restored and functional once again, it remains a symbol of the manufacturing ingenuity and forethought of the New World and an excellent candidate for the revered London to Brighton Veteran Car Run (Est. $550,000 – $700,000);
  • 1908 Stanley Model H-5 Gentleman’s Speedy Roadster, chassis no. 4099, one of the sportiest and most powerful early Stanley’s, distinguished from its peers by its original dry-running, 20-horsepower engine (Est. $80,000 – $120,000).
  • 1915 Stanley Model 820 12-Passenger Mountain Wagon, One of very few authentic Mountain Wagons, only known Model 820 with its original bodywork, Formerly owned by James Melton and Thomas C. Marshall (Est. $200,000 – $250,000)
  • 1913 American Underslung 22-B Scout Roadster, Fully operational and ready to tour (Est. $70,000 – $90,000)
  • 1953 Jaguar XK120 Roadster, Former JCNA Best in Class (Est. $110,000 – $130,000)
  • 1962 Porsche 356 B 1600 Hardtop, One of 1,047 ‘notchback’ coupes from Karmann, fully restored matching-numbers example, displayed at the Cincinnati Art Museum in 2014 (Est. $90,000 – $125,000)

Beyond the automobiles, RM’s 2014 Hershey sale also features a duo of restored American pleasure craft. Highlighting the pair is a rare 1941 Chris-Craft 27’ Model 115 Custom Runabout “Runaway Jane”, hull no. 27061, one of only three 27-foot custom runabouts built during Chris-Craft’s limited production in 1941 and offering all available luxury features of the period (Est. $225,000 – $275,000). The auction roster also includes a 1930 Chris-Craft 26’ Model 111 Runabout “Muse”, hull no. 10072, originally ordered by Charles S. Pearce, the president of the newly merged Palmolive-Peet and Colgate Corporations at the time. Since its restoration in 2004, “Muse” has been awarded several Best of Show honors (Est. $220,000 – $260,000).

In 2013, RM Auctions offered 116 automobiles for sale, with 104 finding a new owner, reflecting a 89.7% sales rate. Total sales volume was $9,656,200, inclusive of buyer’s premiums. The average price per car sold was $92,848. The headliner of the event was a restored 1933 Chrysler CL Imperial Convertible Roadster that sold for $704,000.

RM’s participation in the AACA Eastern Regional Fall Meet festivities again extends to Night at the Museum, a fundraising gala supporting the AACA group of families and its mission to preserve automotive history. A casual evening of cocktails and entertainment, the October 8th event acts as a prelude to the week’s festivities and will also serve as the grand opening of the Cammack Tucker Gallery, the world’s largest collection of Tucker automobiles, engines and other memorabilia. For further details and ticket information, visit nighttthemuseum.org.

For those unable to attend the event in person, RM Auctions offers a range of remote bidding options, including absentee, Internet, and telephone bidding, and the auction will stream live at rmauctions.com providing real-time coverage of the event.

[Source: RM Auctions]