Bonhams announced that it would hold its first-ever auction in Amelia Island, Florida to conincide with the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. The inaugural auction will be held Thursday, March 12, 2015 at the Fernandina Beach Golf Club on Amelia Island.
A 1911 EMF Model “30” Factory Racer will be among the headline offerings at the new Bonhams Amelia Island Concours auction. This genuine pre-First World War factory race car is just one of a handful of survivors from this pioneering and heroic era.
It was built by the Everitt-Metzger-Flanders Company of Detroit specifically to compete in what was the most important American road race venue of the day – Savannah, Georgia (just 100 miles from Amelia Island), host to the Tiedeman Cup, Vanderbilt Cup and American Grand Prix. As part of the factory team, this EMF #33 driven by Jack Tower in that year’s Tiedeman Cup against a field that included entries from Ford and Abbott-Detroit, finished third and helped EMF clinch a total podium sweep of first, second and third places.
This fully documented piece of American racing history is being offered for the first time directly from its custodian for the last 35 years. Fully restored to Concours condition in the late 2000s, the EMF has been both a frequent prize-winner and an active vintage racer, competing at the Milwaukee Mile, Lime Rock Park, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Mount Equinox Hill Climb and Savannah GP reenactment. Number 33 has even raced up Mount Washington 17 times.
Rupert Banner, Vice President of Business Development for Bonhams Motoring Department, said, “More than ever before Bonhams is being entrusted with the world’s finest automobiles and this trust in our expertise is leading to tremendous results. We are excited to partner with Mayor Edward Boner and the community of Fernandina Beach and offer a new auction for our discerning and growing international clientele.”
James Knight, Group Motoring Director at Bonhams, commented, “Our strategy us clear. We will offer the market the values and integrity of a company that is over 200 years old with the opportunity to participate at a prestigious auction anywhere in the world. The Amelia Island auction is a welcome addition to our worldwide portfolio of exceptional auction venues that already include Scottsdale, the Grand Palais in Paris, the Aston Martin factory and Goodwood Festivals of Speed and Revival in England, the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Germany, and of course the Quail Lodge in Carmel. Being a true multi-national firm, Bonhams is well positioned to offer unparalleled service and expertise.”
For additional information, visit Bonhams.com.
[Source: Bonhams; photo: George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography and Film]
