The Bothwell Ranch is a self-contained 16-acre working citrus farm situated just over the hill from Los Angeles, ringed with towering palm trees and sprinkled with WWII-era ranch buildings. It’s an oasis of green and calm surrounded on every side by suburbs; a holdout from a half-century of rapid development and a rare window into early 20th century Southern California life. There, last Saturday, November 11, Bonhams auctioned the incredible collection of Lindley and Ann Bothwell.
The Bothwell Collection was one of the world’s most important assemblies of pre-Great War racing automobiles, not to mention its incredible assortment of Brass Era touring cars, horse-drawn streetcars, and one of the best collections of early model trains in the world.
The Bothwells, pioneers in the automotive world, began forming the collection in the 1930s, and most of the cars have been in their private hands for more than half a century. Bonhams’ Chairman Malcolm Barber called the sale a “generational opportunity,” and an array of enthusiastic bidders turned out to take advantage of it.
One hundred percent of the incredible collection of 50 automobiles sold, highlighted by the one-and-only 1914 Peugeot L45 Grand Prix Racer (above right, photo courtesy of Bonhams). Having influenced a number of legendary builders, from Ettore Bugatti to Harry Miller, this innovative French automobile has been called by many the father of all racecars. Bidding was brisk and the winning bid, made by a private American collector, was $7.26 million — a new world auction record for the marque.
Another highlight was the 1909 Benz Prinz Heinrich Raceabout (above left, photo courtesy of Bonhams), formerly owned by Barney Oldfield, that found a new home with a prestigious, private West Coast collection for $1.87 million, also setting a new world auction record for the marque. Many more highlights punctuated the sale with most of the pre-First War racing cars exceeding expected estimates.
The extensive collection of automobilia was also 100 percent sold, as was the collection of streetcars and the locomotive, with the narrow-gauge Baldwin engine bringing in $187,500 – well beyond all estimates.
“We are delighted with the outcome,” said Rupert Banner, Bonhams VP of Motoring. “We’re grateful for the confidence placed in us by the Bothwell family trustees and pleased to see the strength in the market. The Bothwell Collection was quite literally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and it was a privilege to be a part of history.”
For a complete list of results, please visit www.Bonhams.com/Bothwell
