RM Sotheby’s 19th annual Amelia Island sale next March will expand to two days, holding a dedicated sale on Friday, March 10, and its traditional curated auction on Saturday, March 11. Highlighting the dedicated sale will be a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta (above, photo courtesy of RM Sotheby’s), but it will also feature the Orin Smith Collection that includes a selection of Rolls-Royce and Bentley automobiles.
“Our Amelia Island sale is a perennial favorite on the global collector car calendar, and interest in our 2017 sale has been extraordinary,” says Gord Duff, Car Specialist, RM Sotheby’s. “When you look at what our team has secured thus far in terms of early entries—highlights such as the one-of-three Bugatti Type 57S Cabriolet by Vanvooren, and now, this incredible Ferrari 250 GT SWB along with the collection of Orin Smith—it is shaping up to be the biggest auction ever held during the concours weekend.”
The Ferrari in question, chassis no. 2639 GT, was completed by the factory in 1961, built as a luxury roadcar but with such competition features as a steel body with aluminum hood and deck lid. Sold new to Marion Dall’Orso of Genoa, Italy, it was soon exported to the USA, where it lived in California and Texas before returning to Europe in the 1980s. Upon acquisition by its current owner in 2011, a comprehensive restoration was commissioned, conducted by the renowned Ferrari specialists at Motion Products of Neenah, Wisconsin. As a preview of the Amelia Island auction, the car will be on display at the 26th annual Cavallino Classic, set for January 25-29 in Palm Beach, Florida.
Beyond the SWB Ferrari, “A Gentleman’s Collection: The Pride and Passion of Orin Smith” is a meticulously presented 58-car collection that features nearly two dozen coach-built Rolls-Royce and Bentley offerings. Leading the way will be an authentic 1929 Phantom I Henley Roadster by Brewster, one of only two Henley prototypes built on the Phantom I chassis. For Bentley aficionados, the collection contains a show-stopping 1947 Mark VI Cabriolet, one of two bodied by Franay and featuring one-off coachwork commissioned by its original owner, A.J. Liechti. There’s also a beautifully restored, factory left-hand-drive 1952 R-Type Continental Fastback Sports Saloon by H.J. Mulliner, formerly of the Bud Lyon Collection and complete with factory 4.9 engine upgrade. For complete information about RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island sale, please visit www.rmsothebys.com
