The RM Auctions Auburn Fall 2019 sale was held August 19 to September 1 at the Auburn Auction Park in Auburn, Indiana, resulting in $16,664,242 in total sales and a 90 percent sell-through rate on all lots sold. Held over Labor Day weekend during the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival, RM’s Auburn Fall sale featured more than 600 vehicles on offer.
The RM Auctions Auburn Fall 2019 sale was led by the Ed Meurer Collection of Detroit, Michigan, comprised of more than 90 pre- and post-war American motor cars and 250 lots of memorabilia, including vintage neon signs, gas pumps and automobile parts, which achieved a total of nearly $4 million in sales. Offered almost entirely without reserve, the cars and the majority of the automobilia within the collection crossed the block during the Friday sale session, with the remaining collectibles going under the hammer on Sunday. Leading the collection was a CCCA Full Classic 1935 Packard Twelve Convertible Sedan with custom coachwork by Rollston, which sold for a final $160,000.
The top result of the 2019 RM Auctions Auburn Fall sale were taken by a pair of 2005 Ford GT models. The first GT, one of 765 produced in Mark IV Red and reading just 11.5 miles, crossed the auction block on Friday and achieved $302,500. On Saturday afternoon, the second GT, a two-option, hood-stripe delete Quick Silver example, went under the hammer with just 313 miles showing on the odometer and sold for a final $291,500 to a bidder in the room. Rounding out the top three was a Ford-powered 1970 De Tomaso Mangusta by Ghia. Presented in original condition, the Mangusta incited a bidding competition between four bidders on the phone before selling for a final $214,500 on Saturday.
Additional highlights include a multi-award winning 1929 Ford Riley Special “Ardent Alligator”, a fascinating piece of automotive Americana, which topped Thursday’s sale at $115,500 (est. $90k – $120k); a 1966 Land Rover Series IIA 88, formerly owned by His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, which sold for $143,000 to an internet bidder (est. $100k – $150k); a 1987 Mercedes-Benz Autosalon 2000 Super Sport, finished in white over white with matching Ronal wheels, which achieved $99,000, surpassing its pre-sale estimate of $60,000 – $70,000; and representing early Indiana and motorsport history, an unrestored 1918 Harroun Model A-1 Touring, believed to be one of two surviving examples, which exceeded expectations at a final $33,000 (est. $15k – $20k).
“We saw great energy and attendance across all four days at Auburn Fall,” said Gord Duff, Global Head of Auctions, RM Sotheby’s Group. “The auction room was packed throughout the weekend, and there were lineups out to the road on Saturday of people eager to get into the Auction Park. While we’ve witnessed a softening in the collector car market in 2019, our Auburn Fall sale continues to see strong results, with 90 percent of all lots sold and 75 percent of all cars sold this year. 2020 will mark 50 years of Auburn Fall and we’re very excited to continue this great Labor Day weekend tradition.”
A memorable moment of the weekend, a 1993 Chevrolet Corvette was auctioned off on Saturday, with all proceeds benefitting the Spread Ari’s Light Foundation, founded by long-term friends of RM Auctions, the Dougans, and named in the memory of their daughter Arianna “Ari” Dougan, a young girl who battled cancer for most of her eleven years, but touched the lives of so many people, both in her hometown of St. Louis and around the world. The car quickly sold for $9,000 to a bidder in the room, who immediately donated it back to be re-auctioned for the foundation. The car resold to a second bidder in the room for an additional $9,000.
RM Auctions Auburn Fall 2019 – Top Ten Auction Results
1. 2005 Ford GT – $302,500
2. 2005 Ford GT – $291,500
3. 1970 De Tomaso Mangusta – $214,500
4. 1933 Chrysler CL Imperial Dual-Windshield Phaeton – $192,500
5. 1931 Cadillac V-12 Phaeton – $192,500
6. 1923 Duesenberg Model A Sport Touring – $187,000
7. 1935 Packard Twelve Convertible Sedan by Rollston – $160,000
8. 1971 Plymouth ‘Cuda Convertible – $150,000
9. 1953 Chevrolet Corvette – $148,500
10. 2012 McLaren MP4-12C GT3 – $145,000
For complete auction results, visit rmsothebys.com.
The RM Sotheby’s Group continues its 2019 auction calendar with the Sáragga Collection sale on 21 September near Comporta, Portugal. This collection comprises the more than 130 cars of collector, Mr. Sáragga, entirely without reserve, including more than 55 individual marques, from pre-war classics through a selection of Porsches, modern collectibles and microcars. Just days later, RM Sotheby’s will present the Taj Ma Garaj Collection entirely without reserve on 28 September in Dayton, Ohio, comprising the Porsche and Volkswagen cars, automobilia, and collectibles of late collector, John Dixon.
[Source: RM Auctions]
