A selection of automobiles from the Malcolm Pray Collection will be among the headline offerings at the 2014 RM Auctions Amelia Island sale, scheduled for Saturday, March 8th at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Amelia Island, Florida. The sale of 17 cars comes after the passing of Malcolm Pray in August 2013.
“Malcolm has been a part of the RM family for over 20 years and our entire team is honored to present a selection of his beloved cars on behalf of the Pray family,” said Gord Duff, Car Specialist, RM Auctions.
Malcolm S. Pray Jr. grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, and after college and service in the Air Force ending in 1955. Malcolm was the largest Audi and Saab dealer in the United States, in addition to serving as President of the American International Automotive Dealers Association and both the Porsche-Audi and Volkswagen Dealer Councils. In 1970, he was recognized by Time Magazine with the Time Quality Dealer Award. Mr. Pray was also an award-winning member of many civic, charitable, and political organizations and in 1986, after the tragic loss of his only son, he raised the funds to build the Malcolm S. Pray III Memorial Building at the Ernest Thompson Seton Scout Reservation in Greenwich. He has also raised over $2 million through the Friends of Scouting campaign that he initiated nine years ago. Malcolm’s automobile museum in Banksville, New York, is also the home of the Pray Achievement Center, an organization he founded to mentor and motivate young people to achieve their life goals, inspiring over 8,000 youth since its establishment in 2001. Proceeds from the sale of Malcolm’s automobiles will benefit The Pray Achievement Center where his daughter Sabrina will work with the foundation to help continue the important work begun by her father.
The highlight of the Pray Collection on offer at the 2014 RM Auctions Amelia Island sale is a 1937 Delahaye 135 Competition Court Roadster by Figoni and Falaschi, chassis 48667. The car termed as “Malcolm’s French Mistress” by his wife Natalie, is one of just two surviving 135 Competition Court Roadsters bodied by the Parisian firm and designed by French painter and illustrator Géo Ham. Like many of the cars in the collection, the Delahaye comes out of long-term ownership by Mr. Pray, who purchased the car in 1964 and retained, showed and rallied it for nearly half a century.
“RM’s sale held at the Amelia Island Concours, two events that Malcolm has attended since their inception, is the perfect setting to offer such important cars that he enjoyed for so long,” adds Duff. “We’re thrilled to see that the sale of his collection will continue to support Malcolm’s dedicated philanthropy, just as he would’ve wanted.”
Additional consignments from the Malcolm Pray Collection include a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Series II Cabriolet by Pinin Farina, chassis 2093GT, which has been a part of the collection since 1969 and is complete with its original engine and factory hardtop; along with a 1957 BMW 507 Series II Roadster, chassis 70156, owned by Malcolm since 1972 and featuring a factory hardtop and rudge wheels.
As official auction house of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, the RM Amelia Island event will offer more than 80 automobiles during the single-day sale. For more details, including an updated list of consignments, visit rmauctions.com or by calling toll free at 1 800 211 4371 (+1 519 352 4575 outside North America).
[Source: RM Auctions; photos: Darin Schnabel]
