Classicnotes – August 2013

• The Great South American Challenge, organized by H&H Classic Rallies, crossed the finishing line in Ushuaia—the world’s most southerly town—after 14,500 gruelling kilometers of action, triumph and adventure, stretching from Rio de Janeiro to the very tip of the world. The start on February 14 was organized to coincide with the end of the greatest show on earth—the 2013 Rio Carnival—when 29 cars, from Austin to Vauxhall, with participants from Australia to the USA, set out on the adventure of a lifetime. The event was won by the father and son combination of Max and James Stephenson from Australia in their 1923 Vauxhall 23/60, followed by the Porsche 356 of Stephen Harris from the USA and co-driver Hayden Burvill from Australia. Third were Hans Geist and Herbert Pinzolits from Austria in their Mercedes-Benz 280SE.

• RM Auctions, the official auction house of the Concours d’Elegance of America at St. John’s, returns to the Inn at St. John’s in Plymouth, July 27, for its 19th annual Michigan sale. Entries will include a roster of more than 25 Richard and Linda Kughn Collection vehicles. Included in the offering is a 1930 Cadillac V16 All-Weather Phaeton formerly owned by noted V16 collector Richard Gold (Est. $150,000-$200,000); a beautifully restored 1922 Duesenberg Model A Doctor’s Coupe with unique Fleetwood coachwork (Est. $175,000-$225,000); a 1931 Lincoln Model K Sport Phaeton with stunning open coachwork (Est. $175,000-$225,000); and a trio of restored Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupes, including examples from the ’47, ’48 and ’49 model years.