American classics were the star of RM’s October 11-12, 2012, Hershey auction, with a pair of majestic Duesenbergs, each offered fresh to the market from the distinguished Ray Bowersox Collection, claiming top sales honors. Held in conjunction with the AACA Eastern Regional Fall Meet, the top lot of the weekend was a 1931 Duesenberg Model J Dual Windshield “Barrelside” Phaeton by LeBaron, J299, which sold for $1,292,500. One of just seven examples built and of six known survivors, the famous J299—an esteemed part of the Bowersox Collection since 1985—was the winner of the epic 1932 “celebrity” race at Lake Muroc against the Marx brothers’ Mercedes-Benz. Also from the Bowersox Collection, and garnering strong interest from collectors, was a 1929 Duesenberg Model J Sport Sedan, J139, with coachwork by the Walter M. Murphy Company. Offered for the first time since 1979, the handsome Model J, one of only two sporting examples, sold for $792,000.
In total, RM’s Hershey sale garnered $10.7 million in total sales with a strong 95 percent of all lots.
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