Pre-War Community Unites
Gooding Christie’s presented the Stan Lucas Collection Auction on Saturday, September 20 at the late collector’s Lucas Classic Tires in Long Beach, California, drawing the focus of the global prewar automotive collecting community in what will surely be remembered as a market-defining moment. The auction house sold 100% of the 99 lots on offer, presented entirely without reserve, for a total of $33.9 million, far surpassing expectations.
Nearly three-quarters of the lots sold well within or beyond their pre-auction estimates, indicating strong buyer interest, the healthy status of the prewar market, and most importantly, the quality of offerings in the collection procured by the late Stan Lucas.
New Records
A total of 9 lots sold for over $1 million, and important world auction records were established for Oldsmobile, Doble, Mercer, Stevens-Duryea, Stutz, and Crane-Simplex. The market-leading results achieved by Gooding Christie’s at Stan Lucas reflect the auction house’s particular strength in holding unique estate and collection sales in previous years, particularly with notable collections of prewar automobiles, building upon a reputation of success in this realm and beyond.
Room for 27!
The top lot of the sale was the 1911 Oldsmobile Limited Series 27 Seven-Passenger Touring with incredible provenance including time in the esteemed collections of James Melton, Dr. Samuel L. Scher, Richard C. Paine, and Matt and Barbara Browning. Acquired by Stan Lucas in 2000, the Oldsmobile more than doubled its pre-auction high estimate by selling for an incredible $5,065,000, setting a new marque record at auction in the process.
Other top sellers included the beautifully restored, Murphy-bodied 1934 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing-Top Convertible Coupe, which sold for $3,085,000, and the rare, fabric-bodied Vanden Plas 1930 Bentley Speed Six Sports Tourer, which achieved $2,095,000 after being offered for public sale for the very first time. The exquisite 1930 Packard 734 Speedster Runabout also sold for an impressive $2,040,000.
David Gooding Comments
“The incredible success of our Saturday auction serves as a testament to the lasting legacy of Stan Lucas and his commitment to collecting only the greatest Antique, Brass, and Classic era cars,” said Gooding Christie’s President, David Gooding. “This historic auction brought together some of the most prominent collectors the world over, and as a result, many lots far exceeded estimates and notable world records were set throughout the day.
In over 60 years of collecting, Stan never sold a single car, and we are truly honored to have had the opportunity to bring his cherished collection to market – celebrating not only the incredible collector that he was for all of these years, but also the very cars, models, and marques that he so cherished throughout his lifetime.”
Above contents © 2025 Gooding Christie’s, reviewed and edited by Rex McAfee
