Dragone Brothers, Westport, Connecticut, May 30, 2015
It would be inaccurate to say that Manny and George Dragone have been finding antique, classic and rare cars their entire adult lives. They started as teenagers and have built a reservoir of knowledge, relationships and contacts that is perhaps second-to-none among modern dealers.
In the Northeast, where the automobile was born in America, Manny and George Dragone know where to look, whom to call and what is choice.
They kicked off their ‘Greenwich Weekend’ auction four years ago, trading on the profile created by Bruce and Genia Wennerstrom’s Greenwich Concours d’Elegance and Bonham’s Sunday auction at the Concours. But it is unfair to Manny and George to characterize them as ‘followers’; they’ve been in the forefront of finding, collecting and restoring old cars for fifty years and regular exhibitors at Greenwich, Hershey, Amelia Island and Pebble Beach with some – simply – marvelous old cars. Give the Dragone brothers – and the next generation, Alex – full credit for finding, preserving and popularizing some of the finest early cars.
These guys are pioneers of car collecting.
On the other hand, they haven’t been very good at auctions.
For their second sale, three years ago in 2013, they brought in an auction block crew better suited to selling the contents of abandoned storage lockers. The crew knew nothing of cars, or of collectors’ motivations. Manny and George were supposed to introduce the cars on the block but spent most of their time off the block trying to make deals and manage the lineup. The sale dragged interminably, to the point where people just went out to dinner in preference to enduring more frustration.
It was agonizing, and apparently it didn’t get any better in 2014 in May or after Hershey.
That all changed this year when they brought in John Kruse and Rod Egan from Worldwide Auctions to call the sale. Rod Egan on the block for the cars picked up the energy, knew the inventory and the crowd. Manny’s descriptions were timely, undistracted and appropriate. John Kruse worked the bidders as a ringman who knew his audience.
It was a wholly different experience, in a very good way.
The numbers aren’t stellar (and the pre-sale preview organization still has a long way to go) but this year’s Dragone auction in Westport puts them in a place much more than following the trend toward ever-more auctions and presents some desirable, interesting cars not likely to be seen elsewhere.
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Dragone Greenwich 2015 – Auction Report
Lot # 102 1969 AMC AMX 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N A8C397X311909; Black,/Red vinyl; Estimate $22,000 – $28,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3 condition; Hammered Sold at $18,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $20,350. No Reserve. 390/325hp, automatic, P/S, P/B, A/C with new rotary compressor, Pioneer cassette stereo, Magnum wheels with trim rings, red line tires, woodgrain steering wheel. – Fair old repaint, good interior and major chrome. Pitted outside mirror chrome. Orderly but dirty and aged engine compartment. Underbody got a hit of paint over old undercoat. A mediocre but usable AMX. – The rarity of the short wheelbase AMX makes people take notice wherever one appears and this one will respond to a careful and ambitious owner’s attention. It could have brought a few thousand more without the new owner feeling bad at the settlement desk, but as it is the result is fair to both the buyer and the seller.Lot # 108 1924 Auburn 6-63 Touring; S/N 38169; Engine # 301201; Dark Blue, Black fenders/Black leather; Black leatherette top; Estimate $40,000 – $50,000; Unrestored original, 4+ condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $26,000. With Reserve. Drum Tilt-Ray headlights, disc wheels, Lester whitewall tires, wind wings, rear mounted spare, two golf bags, but no side curtains, Steward V-Ray spotlight-mirror, Auburn Motometer, Mono-Ray driving light. – An original, grungy car with an old, worn, dull repaint. Weak old chrome. Old upholstery with a few fixable tears on the front seat. Sound old top with torn, threadbare liner. Dirty, oily engine and chassis. A real barn find treasure, sound and usable as is with some mechanical work and a great place to start a restoration. – The pride the early owners of this Auburn took in their 6-63 is apparent from the way it is embellished with period accessories. It’s frazzled, but all there and has nearly infinite possibilities, from Preservation to restoration. This is a much more interesting car than the reported high bid credits.Lot # 111 1958 Austin-Healey 100/6 Roadster; S/N BN4LS47854; Ice Blue, Ivory/Blue leatherette; Dark Blue cloth top; Estimate $35,000 – $40,000; Cosmetic restoration, 3 condition; Hammered Sold at $23,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $25,850. With Reserve. Chrome wire wheels, Kelly blackwall radials, CD stereo, halogen fog lights, badge bar. – Sound old repaint over old, chipped paint. Good interior and top. Underbody has been superficially done and wiring is old and sloppy. Gauge bezels are old and starting to pit. A sound car but showing its age. – This is more car than money, even superficially done with many significant flaws. To be driven and enjoyed this Healey needs little and it could have brought another $5,000, or even a little more, without being expensive.Lot # 116 1967 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk III Phase 2 Convertible; S/N HBJ8L35243; Ice Blue,/Blue leatherette; Blue leatherette top; Estimate $65,000 – $75,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $60,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $66,000. With Reserve. Chrome wire wheels, Pirelli blackwall radials, Becker Europa TR AM-FM. – A good older restoration to like new condition that has been driven and now looks like a well maintained one year old used car. Passenger’s door rattles, engine is dusty. Doors close well and panels fit flat. – Offered by its professional restorer to pay grad school tuition, this Healey is presented in surprisingly neglected but still quality restored and driven condition. The new owner got a proven, used, and well maintained car at a moderate price appropriate to its presentation.Lot # 117 1966 Morgan Plus 4 Drophead Coupe; S/N 6726; Black,/Tan leather; Black leatherette top; Estimate $25,000 – $35,000; Unrestored original, 5+ condition; Hammered Sold at $15,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $16,500. With Reserve. Rusty wire wheels, fender mirrors, rear mounted spare. – Rusty, dirty old barn find. Needs literally everything, but all there. – With this Plus 4 it’s all about potential and the bidders bought into the concept, even at this under-estimate price, with a generous price. ‘Everything’ hardly encompasses all that this Morgan needs, but it’s all there, even if every component and every surface needs attention. It is beyond ‘Preservation’.Lot # 122 1924 Marmon Model 34B Speedster; S/N 2240111; Dark Red, Black fenders/Black leather; Black cloth top; Estimate $275,000 – $325,000; Recent restoration, 1- condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $215,000. With Reserve. Body color wire wheels, wide whitewalls, wind wings, dual rear spares, drum headlights, Marmon winged Motometer, golf bag door. – Very good paint, bright chrome, good upholstery showing a little stretch under the driver’s backside. Very clean underbody painted assembled. Clean, orderly engine compartment. An interesting, barely used fresh restoration. – Offered at RM’s Hershey auction in barn find condition last October with a $125-175,000 estimate and bid to $80,000, this Marmon has been transformed since into a show car, not concours, but very good. If there was money at the reported high bid the consignor’ decision to hold on is questionable.Lot # 125 1936 Dodge D-2 Station Wagon, Body by Cantrell; S/N 4228063; Dark Green,/Brown leatherette; Estimate $55,000 – $65,000; Cosmetic restoration, 3 condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $52,000. With Reserve. Body color steel spoke wheels with hubcaps and trim rings, wide whitewalls, side and rear window curtains, three row seating, roll down rear window, single sidemount, crank out single piece windshield. – Good older repaint, chrome and interior. Wood is very good and appears to be original. Old interior chrome, pitted door handles. Aged instrument panel, gauges and interior trim. Underbody is original and dirty but dry. It’s more of a depot hack than a typical station wagon. Usable as is but it needs and will reward more work. – Attractively cosmetically restored and fully-equipped, but it is surprising that this Cantrell-bodied Dodge didn’t sell at the reported high bid. It’s far more rare than contemporary Fords and no one could fault Cantrell’s workmanship or the exceptional survivorship of this example’s wood, but collectors are biased toward Flathead Fords from Iron Mountain. The bidders missed a good chance to acquire a rare Dodge woodie, or the seller missed a chance to sell an under-appreciated Dodge.Lot # 131 1972 Triumph Stag Convertible; S/N LE22096UBW; Sapphire Blue,/Blue vinyl; Dark Blue cloth top; Estimate $15,000 – $20,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 4+ condition; Hammered Sold at $11,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $12,100. No Reserve. Automatic, alloy wheels, AM-FM. – A tired, worn but sound and mostly original old car with a decent old repaint. Top has shrunk and is patched. Steering wheel is almost too gross to be touched. Represented as 76,837 miles from new. – They have not been easy miles and this is a generous price for a severely flawed car, not only in its presentation here but also in its original build.Lot # 132 1933 Cadillac 355-C V-8 Convertible Coupe, Body by Fisher; S/N 3000409; Engine # 300409; Black, Orange sides/Black leather; Black cloth top; Estimate $350,000 – $375,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $295,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $324,500. With Reserve. Black wire wheels with chrome spokes, wide whitewalls, dual enclosed sidemounts with mirrors, dual remote spotlights, rumble seat, golf bag compartment, trunk rack, wind wings, small Pilot-Rays, free-standing chrome headlights. – 1964 AACA National First Prize, CCCA National First Prize. Good older paint, chrome and interior. Redone in 1989 after its show days and driven some but still impressive and a quality tour car in standout colors. – A beautiful CCCA Full Classic ™ in bright, exuberant colors, this ’33 Cadillac has been driven enough to work out any important issues and is about as sporty as a Depression era car can be, including being comfortable to drive at freeway speeds. Almost a third of a million dollars is a lot to pay for any car, but this is a good example of value for money.Lot # 136 1915 Pathfinder Daniel Boone Model 7B Touring; S/N 2463; Light Olive Green, Dark Green fenders and accent/Black leather; Black leatherette top; Estimate $125,000 – $150,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $100,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $110,000. With Reserve. Cream wood spoke wheels, Klaxon electric horn, whitewalls, jump seats, C.M. Hall headlights, Rotax sidelights, dual rear spares. – Good paint but the accents are extremely poorly masked with the dark accent color bleeding onto the lighter panels. Very good interior and chrome. Underbody painted assembled and has some places where parts have shifted exposing bare metal. Engine compartment is orderly but aged. Very good interior wood. A big, imposing six-cylinder, twin ignition 50hp Tourer. – Ever seen one? I’ve recorded three Pathfinders at auction in over two decades, one of them the same car crossing five different auction blocks. The crappy masking is unfortunate; even more unfortunate is the paint shop’s failure to catch and remedy it. But still, it is a really big, really fast car that will have to make no excuses on the road and will start endless conversations over what a Pathfinder is. It is impossible to argue with the price paid for this Pathfinder.
Dragone Greenwich 2015 – Auction Report Page Two
Lot # 142 1937 Lincoln Model K Touring Sedan, Body by Judkins; S/N K8375; Dalmatian (Olive) Green, Black fenders and padded roof/Beige cloth; Estimate $95,000 – $115,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $50,000. With Reserve. Rollup division, smokers kits, vanity compartments, rear compartment clock, jump seats, black wheels, hubcaps, wide whitewalls, opening windshield, power brakes, intercom. – Good older paint, chrome and interior. Paint is starting to show some stress at the body joints. Underbody is dirty and aged. Once was concours, now is tour car. – Offered by RM in Ft. Lauderdale in 2010 in aged but good condition, it has not worn the last five years well and the bidders’ reluctance to put a higher value on it is understandable. A closed, formal car with elegant body lines, it has only presence and no flair to it that might ameliorate the effect of time on its condition. This was a reasonable bid that took the flaws into account.Lot # 144 1964 Mercedes-Benz 230SL Roadster; S/N 113042120006973; White,/Black vinyl; Black cloth top; Estimate $60,000 – $70,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3 condition; Hammered Sold at $48,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $52,800. With Reserve. Automatic, Euro headlights, Grundig multi band radio, hubcaps, trim rings, blackwall radial tires. – Mostly original with a decent repaint and sound original interior. Grungy engine compartment. Represented as 76,911km (47,790 miles) from new and one owner. A decent but not impressive driver. – An intriguing but ultimately disappointing 230SL that brought appropriately lackluster bidding for it. In the end the buyers got it right.Lot # 145 1913 Stutz Bearcat Series B Roadster; S/N 997; Engine # AB1828; Dark Green, Red chassis and underbody/Black leather; Estimate $750,000 – $850,000; Concours restoration, 1 condition; Hammered Sold at $525,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $577,500. With Reserve. RHD. Black centerlock wire wheels, Warner speedometer, electric lights, nickel trim, cylinder bolster tank, luggage trunk, dual rear spares, friction shocks, Phinney Walker clock. – Freshly, brilliantly restored with show quality paint, upholstery and brightwork except for some worn through nickel on the sidelights. T-head four runs like a dream. – Found in a field as a bare chassis with its engine running to power a water pump, essentially restored as conceived by the owners but still a gorgeous, fast, evocative road car. Every power stroke of its big, slow revving T-head four is uniquely apparent as it goes down the road, shifting at nearly imperceptible rpm to take advantage of its immense torque. A legend of American motoring, beautifully presented and, regardless of the origins of its components, a marvelous automobile for a modest price.Lot # 152 1974 Ferrari 246 GTS Dino; S/N 07896; Ruby Red, Black roof panel/Beige leather, Black stripes; Estimate $425,000 – $475,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3 condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $320,000. With Reserve. Cromodora alloy wheels, Michelin XWX tires, Blaupunkt AM-FM, A/C. – Good recent repaint and new upholstery. Underbody has been superficially resprayed assembled. Engine compartment is old and dusty. Dressed up for the auction. – A disappointing auction car that was trying to catch the tail of the Dino skyrocket but missed. If there was money close to the reported high bid the seller should have taken it.Lot # 156 1936 Cord 810 4-Dr. Sedan Westchester; S/N 1383A; Putty Grey,/Maroon cloth; Estimate $15,000 – $20,000; Older restoration, 3 condition; Hammered Sold at $45,455 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $50,000. No Reserve. Sombrero hubcaps, wide whitewalls, radio. – Good upholstery, headliner and interior trim. Crisp dash and gauges. Old, dirty chassis and underbody. Steering wheel painted over cracks. Body repainted over old paint with masking holidays and paint on body seals. Good glass. Orderly but aged and dusty engine compartment. Presentable but only a driver even with its ACD Category 1 certification. – Hammered sold on the block for $47,500 but reported later at this somewhat smaller price, this Cord was reported sold by Bonhams at the Simeone Museum in Philadelphia last October for $59,400 and has been dressed up a little since then. The estimate here is inexplicable, but the result is right for the car.Lot # 158 1951 Simca-Abarth SC Cabriolet, Body by Stablimenti Farina; S/N 897238; Grey, Dark Red sills/Dark Red leather; Black cloth top; Estimate $400,000 – $500,000; Recent restoration, 2+ condition; Hammered Sold at $365,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $401,500. With Reserve. SCOT supercharger, hubcaps, full trim rings, wicker wrapped steering wheel rim, Marchal headlights, Jaeger gauges. – Custom built when new by Simca, Abarth and Stablimenti Farina for Roger Barlow. Good paint except for some dirt and fisheyes particularly on the hood. Excellent upholstery, top, and chrome. Restored better than new, despite the paint flaws. – It isn’t a Ferrari, or a Maserati, or even a Peugeot. It’s a Simca, but perhaps the most individual, unique, stylish Simca ever. Freshly restored after 20 years in storage, it is a singular machine and even while setting a record for a Simca at auction (other than the Virgil Exner, Jr. Master’s Thesis design study) is still car worthy of Pebble Beach for its design, performance and ex-Roger Barlow history.Lot # 159 1966 Maserati Sebring Coupe, Body by Vignale; S/N 10110133; Silver,/Blue leather; Estimate $110,000 – $130,000; Unrestored original, 5+ condition; Hammered Sold at $165,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $181,500. With Reserve. Blaupunkt multi-band radio, Personal steering wheel, power windows, chrome spoke Borrani wire wheels. – Neglected barn find with original paint peeling off down to bare metal. Torn original upholstery. Needs everything but the body is fairly sound and all the trim is there. – This is a $80,000 neglected, dirty, scabrous barn find that brought double the money for the bright, enthusiastic hopes of a buyer who saw a deserving project. It’s a beautiful car, the Maserati six under the hood is a wonderful engine and Maseratis of the period were magnificently built. But it ‘needs everything’ and that isn’t cheap. It will be many, many years until inflation catches up with the price paid here.Lot # 163 1933 Franklin Olympic 4-Dr. Sedan; S/N 8311009L11; Dark Green,/Beige cloth; Estimate $12,000 – $18,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $18,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $20,350. With Reserve. Bud vases, pulldown shades on quarter windows and rear window, green wire wheels, wide whitewalls, TiltRay headlights, rear mounted spare. – Fair repaint, old but sound chrome, good interior. Orderly but aged engine compartment, very used chassis and underbody. A sound but somewhat used and neglected car with good eye appeal. – Franklin’s last gasp, a REO Flying Cloud with Franklin’s air-cooled engine. A historic milestone, like owning the last year of Pontiac or Oldsmobile production, but otherwise unimportant. The seller should be highly satisfied with this price, but the buyer, even though paying top dollar, got a bit of bragging rights and a distinctive, rare car.Lot # 165 1964 Pontiac XP-833 Banshee Coupe; S/N 66L23060; Silver,/Red vinyl; Estimate $600,000 – $650,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3 condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $390,000. With Reserve. SS wheels, red line tires, pushbutton radio, 4-speed, Tempest overhead cam six. – A cross between an Opel Coupe and a Corvette in a Pontiac styling exercise based upon Tempest and Corvair bits. Fair old repaint, good original interior and chrome. Cracked, dry window seals. Cool, but ageing, runs and drives. – Sold at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale in 2006 for $214,500, offered by RM at Amelia in 2010 and Mecum in Monterey a few months later with no takers. Back on the market, another bid probably would have bought the Banshee, but the seller might as well have rethought not taking something close to the reported high bid.
Both car dealers & antique style auctioneers seem to think there’s big dollars to be made in these car auctions only to find the dogs don’t sell well.
I don’t know how old this ad is bought found it an interesting comparison to the Simca offered at this auction. http://www.collectioncar.com/detailed.php?ad=33565&category_id=1
Rick….. That SIMCA is so beautiful, when introduced in 1951 by Roger Barlow of International Motors
on Sunset Boulevard, it stole my heart. Tried to buy 1 owner example in 1995 from Willet Brown estate
but Peter Zobian was lucky bidder.
Curiously Dragonne press comment has Barlow winner of 1952 Sebring race–.
Mr Harry Gray in Fraser Nash did so.!
to my knowledge good friend Roger never went to the race, but did travel to Tampa
to acquire 1950 SIMCA from Roy Evans, the dealer in Florida. in March 1950.
Rodger was invited by John Wyer to race on Aston Martin team for 1954 at Sebring along
with his ” mechanic” Phil Hill, but both of them declined the offer. Hill got the word from
Wyer in Argentina in January while racing Ferrari in 1000 Kilometer race.
faithfully
Jim Sitz
Oregon
Jim,
Thanks.
It’s always good to hear from you and add your recollections to the record.
The Simca is an outstanding design, far ahead of its time, and a real pleasure to see it restored so well in suitable colors.
Rick