RM Sotheby’s Andrews Collection – Auction Preview

The RM Sotheby’s Andrews Collection auction will be staged May 2, 2015 in Fort Worth, Texas. The single-day, single-vendor sale will see a wonderful selection of 78 vehicles along with an assortment of memorabilia cross the auction block, all offered without reserve.

The Andrews Collection represents years of acquisition by lifelong enthusiast and successful entrepreneur, Paul Andrews, and his son Chris, an accomplished artist and businessman.Each car was selected based on the father-son team’s collecting philosophy, evident in the style, innovation and beauty of each lot. The Collection covers many facets of collecting, from a group of American classics and sports and GT cars, to a selection of hot rods and restored pickup trucks. It’s also a reflection of a father and son’s shared passion, their time spent together, and dedication to preserving automotive history.

“Without doubt, the Andrews Collection is one of the most unique and comprehensive collections we’ve ever had the privilege of offering,” says Ian Kelleher, Managing Director, RM Sotheby’s West Coast Division. “As a group, the collection provides a fantastic illustration of two generations of collectors coming together. It’s rare to see a father-son collection of this magnitude and is certainly a wonderful reflection of Paul and Chris’ shared passions and of time spent together. The Andrews Collection sale has attracted tremendous pre-sale interest, which we expect will translate into spirited bidding come auction day.”

Leading the impressive roster of automobiles on offer is a 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica SWB Cabriolet by Pininfarina, chassis number 3309 SA. This covered headlight 400 Superamerica SWB Cabriolet is the last of seven examples bodied by Pininfarina and was displayed as a factory show car at the Geneva and New York Auto Shows in 1962. It was raced in the early 1960s by its original owner at the Bonneville Salt Flats, a rare sight at the domain of hot rodders and American racerss. Chassis 3309 SA has been restored and Ferrari Classiche certified (Est. $7,000,000 – $8,500,000).

Other sports and GT cars offered at RM’s 2015 Andrews Collection sale include:

• 1963 Ferrari 400 Superamerica LWB Coupe Aerodinamico by Pininfarina, chassis 5029 SA, (Est. $3,500,000 – $4,500,000), matching-numbers example restored in its original colors of Grigio Argento over Red leather;
• 1953 Cunningham C3 Coupe, chassis 5206 (Est. $900,000 – $1,200,000), the first Vignale-bodied example of the model and a Cunningham factory prototype used for promotional photography;
• 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe by Bertone, chassis LML/504, a multiple Pebble Beach award-winner example, one of two in this design and boasting numerous bespoke features (Est. $1,400,000 – $1,800,000); and,
• 1955 Bentley R-Type Continental Sports Saloon by H.J. Mulliner, chassis BC67LD, Factory left-hand drive, lightweight seats, and a 4.9-liter engine, matching-numbers engine and original upholstery (Est. $1,300,000 – $1,600,000).

Racing cars also feature prominently in the Paul and Chris Andrews Collection, including a 1962 Shelby 289 Competition Cobra, chassis CSX 2011, (Est. $2,200,000 – $2,600,000). This authentic and well-preserved Shelby was the first racing-specification Cobra sold to the public. Following its first few competitive outings under its original owner John A. Everly in Nassau, Bahamas in 1962 and ’63, the Cobra was sold to Ron West of Dallas, who returned the car to the track in a number of SCCA events with success. West owned the car for nearly four decades before it eventually passed on to the Andrews Collection, where it has seen frequent use on vintage rallies.

Other competition cars offered at the Andrews Collection sale:

• 1962 SCCA A/Production Champion Chevrolet Corvette ‘Gulf Oil’ Race Car, chassis 20867S103980, driven by Dr. Dick Thompson for Grady Davis’s Gulf Oil Racing Team. Extensively documented, authentically restored and maintained, the car is ready to return to the show field or the race track (Est. $2,000,000 – $2,750,000);
• 1955 Kurtis 500 Swallow Coupe by Allied, chassis KK 43, equipped from new with its Cisitalia-inspired body, reportedly built for the cancelled 1955 Carrera Panamericana, went on to compete in the 2007 and 2008 modern-day incarnation of the race (Est. $140,000 – $200,000);
• 1965 Shelby GT350 R, chassis SFM 5R108, one of 36 built, First in Class at the 1967 12 Hours of Sebring, 1967 B-Production class champion (Est. $850,000 – $1,000,000);
• 1962 MG MGB Lightweight, chassis GHN 3L/112, One of four lightweight MGBs built using factory parts, finished 4th in class at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1964 (Est. $140,000 – $180,000); and,
• 1960 Watson Indianapolis Roadster, one of 23 original Roadsters built by A.J. Watson, three-time entrant in the Indianapolis 500 (Est. $700,000 – $800,000).

The American Classics offered at the RM Sotheby’s Andrews Collection auction include many examples that have never been offered at public auction. Featured highlights include:

• 1935 Duesenberg Model SJ Town Car by Bohman and Schwartz, engine J-553, one of the most outrageous and ornate of all Duesenbergs, penned with actress Mae West in mind though ultimately delivered new to candy-making heiress and horse racing legend, Ethel V. Mars, one-off streamlined creation on a factory-supercharged chassis (Est. $3,400,000 – $4,500,000);
• 1931 Duesenberg Model J ‘Disappearing Top’ Convertible Coupe by Murphy, engine J-395, boasting its original chassis, engine, and body (Est. $2,500,000 – $3,000,000);
• 1934 Packard Twelve Sport Coupe by LeBaron, chassis 750795, the 1934 New York Auto Show car (Est. $1,600,000 – $2,500,000);
• 1934 Packard Twelve Individual Custom Convertible Sedan by Dietrich, chassis 902670, Pebble Beach ‘Best in Class’ winning example (Est. $1,200,000 – $1,600,000);
• 1934 Packard Twelve Individual Custom Stationary Coupe by Dietrich, chassis 901968, one of five known survivors (Est. $2,400,000 – $3,000,000); and,
• 1938 Packard Eight Cabriolet, chassis 1601-2039, Graber-bodied example that was the 1938 Geneva Auto Salon car (Est. $1,400,000 – $1,800,000).

Kelleher added, “From the trio of 1934 Packard Twelves, to one of the best Duesenbergs on the planet, the quality of the American Classics in the Andrews Collection cannot be overlooked. With many examples coming to public auction for the first time, it’s hard to qualify the impact they are going to have, but we expect the results will reinforce the importance of special, one-off, coachbuilt American Classics.”

The Andrews collection also features an array of hot rods and customs, led by a 1932 Ford Lakes Roadster Custom by Khougaz, chassis 18-155453, (Est. $300,000 – $375,000). Known as the ‘Khoughaz Lakes Roadster’, this multi award-winning car boasts a provenance that saw it clock 141.95 mph at El Mirage Dry Lake in 1949. It later went into long-term storage for over 40 years, before undergoing a comprehensive restoration and ultimately returning to the track, driven in such notable events as the Colorado Grand, the California Mille and the Monterey Historics.

Additional hot rods and customs include:

• 1927 Ford Custom known as “Voodoo Doll”, identification T14774921, honored as one of 12 contenders for America’s Most Beautiful Roadster in 2009 (Est. $90,000 – $125,000);
• 2000 Buick Blackhawk Factory Custom, serial 1G4GD2211T4700610, built using the best components from 100 years of Buick to celebrate the company’s centenary and brought from a “show car” to a “go car” by the Andrews’ team (Est. $300,000 – $450,000); and,
• 1932 Ford Pickup Custom known as “Loose Change”, chassis BB1830615, the first hot rod ever built by Chris Andrews (Est. $40,000 – $60,000).

In addition to the automobiles on offer, the Andrews Collection includes an array of memorabilia, ranging from numerous child and pedal cars, through to models, mechanical musical instruments, well-preserved neon signs and a fully functional Ferrari Engine Dynamometer. Select highlights include:

• Battery operated Baby Bugatti Type 35B Child’s Car (Est. $9,000 – $11,000);
• Good Ol’ Boy Pedal Car, incorporating the signature styles of street rod builder Bobby Alloway (Est. $14,000 – $16,000);
• Pig Sandwich Neon Sign, one of four surviving original signs built by Claude Federal Neon in the early 1920s (Est. $15,000 – $20,000); and,
• Gavioli 110-Key Fairground Organ, one of the most elaborate and musically powerful examples in the world (Est. $600,000 – $650,000).

The RM Sotheby’s Andrews Collection auction will be held May 2, 2015 in Fort Worth, Texas. For those unable to attend the event in person, RM Sotheby’s offers a range of remote bidding options, including absentee, Internet, and telephone bidding, and the auction will stream live at www.rmauctions.com.

RM Sotheby’s Andrews Collection – Auction Information

Auctions date: May 2, 2015 10:00 a.m. CDT (auction will run approx. 8 hours)
Preview dates: April 30 – May 1 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. CDT
Location: Panther City Classic Auto, 8400 W. Freeway, Fort Worth, Texas, 76108
Admission: The auction is open to registered bidders only. Bidder registration is $200 and admits two to the preview and auction (this does not include the Limited Edition catalogue). Admission to the preview is $60 per person.

For additional information, visit www.rmauctions.com.

[Source: RM Sotheby’s; photos: Darin Schnabel]