Headline Offerings at RM St. John’s 2014

The RM Auctions St. John’s 2014 sale will be held July 26th in Plymouth, Michigan. Serving as the official auction of the Concours d’Elegance of America at St. John’s, RM’s 20th annual Motor City auction is set to offer a full range of American classics, with many having been conceived and built in Detroit.

Headlining the 2014 RM Auctions Motor City sale is a 1931 Chrysler CG Imperial Convertible Victoria, chassis CG 3843, which features coachwork by Waterhouse. From its first days, the Imperial was the crown jewel of Chrysler’s offerings, and today, only a handful of 1931 CG chassis are known to survive with custom bodywork.One of just three surviving examples, CG 3843’s ownership history can be traced back to 1939, when it was purchased by New York resident Calvin Collins. After barely escaping the scrap drives of World War II, the Chrysler sat in the family barn, while the younger Scott Collins dreamt of one day returning it to the road. Following 70 years of single-family ownership, CG 3843 was treated to a 6,000-hour restoration, which began in 2009. As a testament to the quality of the restoration, this Imperial has received numerous awards, including Most Significant Chrysler in Show at the Concours d’Elegance of America at St. John’s. Finished in its original colors of black and caramel, it requires nothing to display at further Concours in the hands of its next loving owner (Est. $525,000–$725,000).

Alain Squindo, Vice President, RM Auctions, said, “The unique cars we’re presenting this year represent very special high watermarks in Detroit’s automotive heritage. Be it the boulevard cruiser, the exclusive coachbuilt Chrysler intended for a captain of Michigan industry, or even the hot Corvette racing down Woodward Avenue, these examples represent the finest automobiles the Motor City had to offer.”

The Chrysler leads a roster of more than 75 American and European motor cars set to cross the podium at the 2014 RM Auctions St. John’s event. Other feature attractions for the summer sale include: a Concours award-winning 1906 Studebaker Model G Touring, reportedly the oldest existing four-cylinder Studebaker and formerly owned by Henry Austin Clark Jr., Bill Harrah, and Bob Valpey (Est. $325,000–$450,000); a restored 1931 Cadillac V-12 Convertible Coupe, offered from 32 years of CCCA member ownership (Est. $275,000–$325,000); and a 1940 Packard Custom Super Eight One Eighty Convertible Sedan, which has been owned by enthusiasts for half a century, including Michigan collectors Richard and Linda Kughn, and restored with the input of coachbuilder Howard “Dutch” Darrin (Est. $225,000–$300,000).

The RM Motor City sale will also lift the gavel on:

• Pair of “letter cars,” including a 1960 Chrysler 300F Convertible (Est. $150,000–$200,000), and a 1961 Chrysler 300G Convertible, the last of the finned letter cars (Est. $160,000–$180,000);
• 1956 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz, complete with dual-quad carburetion (Est. $150,000–$200,000); and
• 1932 Auburn Eight Custom Phaeton Sedan, formerly owned and restored by ACD expert Bill Bocock (Est. $160,000–$200,000).

  

  

  

The RM Auctions sale will again act as a prelude to the Concours d’Elegance of America at St. John’s, making for a larger celebration of the collector car hobby. Under the leadership of Larry Moss, the new chairman and head of the board of directors, the Concours is set to display an expanded schedule of events. Official festivities kick off on July 25, with a mix of tours, displays and seminars, before culminating with the 36th annual Concours d’Elegance of America at St. John’s on Sunday, July 27.

RM’s Motor City auction and the Concours d’Elegance of America at St. John’s will be held at the Inn at St. John’s, 44045 Five Mile Road, Plymouth, Michigan. For more information, or to speak with an RM Auctions specialist, call 800 211 4371 (+1 519 352 4575 outside North America) or visit rmauctions.com.

[Source: RM Auctions]