RM Auctions, Vintage Motor Cars of Meadow Brook, Shotwell-Gustafson Pavilion, Meadow Brook Hall, Oakland, MI, July 24, 2010
Report and photos (unless noted) by Rick Carey, Auction Editor
Sports cars are noticeable mostly by their absence, consignors reasonably choosing to save them for the Monterey auction just a few weeks later, but the presence of “sports cars” like the Stutz 4F Bearcat more than make up for what might be missing in cars having names ending in vowels.
Last year’s Meadow Brook sale [I guess we still call it that even though they’re renaming the show the Concours d’Elegance of America] sold 81 of 102 cars, 79.4% with a total sale of $5,441,175; only one car beat its high estimate.
This year the numbers were quite different: 85 of 99 cars sold, 85.9%, $10,173,850 total and 8 cars over their high estimates. The total was helped by having fifteen high value cars from the estate of John O’Quinn. I think there were more, a lot more, O’Quinn cars which were cataloged as “From an Important Private Collection”, but RM is being circumspect about that.
The conundrum of the sale was the result achieved by the 1953 Chrysler “Thomas Special” which exceeded its $500,000 top estimate by 57%, a staggering $285,000 more on the successful hammer bid. It’s hard to fathom, but sometimes lightning strikes at the auctions; this time the electronics of the onlookers’ brains were only slightly fried in the process.
A separate table lists the results for all the cars offered. 71 of the 99 were written up with notes and post-sale comments and are noted in the table. (See Meadow Brook Summary Results ).
Lot # 210 1974 De Tomaso Pantera; S/N THPNNK06385; Yellow/Black vinyl; Estimate $35,000 - $45,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $33,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $36,300 -- AM-FM, polished 2-piece 17’ wheels, chrome luggage rack, Michelin Pilot tires, 4-point belts, cold A/C. Good repaint but applied assembled and erratically masked. Good interior and chrome. Not modified except for the wheels (and the original 15’ wheels are included) and a very nice driver. No Reserve. On the money and fair to both the buyer and the seller. Lot # 214 1975 Maserati Bora; S/N AM11749US918; Metallic Blue/White leather; Estimate $50,000 - $60,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $44,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $48,400 -- Grundig cassette stereo. Good paint. Soiled driver's seat. Cataloged as restored in the 90's, this Bora appears to be mostly original and aged but not mistreated. 40,832 miles look real. A U.S.-spec car with no DOT concerns. No Reserve. Sold by RM a year ago in Monterey for exactly the same money, a sound buy then as it is today. Ferraris with comparable performance are much more, and the condition of this one (despite the oh-so-Seventies White upholstery), is a bonus. Hop out of this baby in blue bellbottoms, a ruffled shirt, white belt and loafers and the picture is completely Seventies. Lot # 226 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS 327/365 Convertible; S/N 41467Y241925; Engine # 4101224 F0916RE; Maroon/Black vinyl; Black vinyl top; Estimate $30,000 - $50,000; Cosmetic restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $25,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $27,500 -- 327/365hp, 4-speed, buckets and console, AM-FM, dash mounted tach, spinner wheel covers, narrow whitewalls, P/S, no P/B. Holley 4-barrel. Decent clearcoat repaint, interior and top. Cosmetically restored and attractive, a very nice not numbers-matching driver. The ex-Corvette high performance small block is an unusual choice for an Impala SS. It brought a reasonable price even considering the mixed heritage. Lot # 231 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Fastback; S/N 0F02G162381; Blue, Matte Black stripes/Black vinyl; Estimate $50,000 - $60,000; Cosmetic restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $45,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $49,500 -- 4-speed, Hurst tee handle shifter, 8-track radio, 3.91 Traction-Lok, shaker hood, console, Magnum wheels, F60-15 Polyglas GT tires, front disc brakes, slats, wing, spoiler. Good paint, chrome and upholstery, dull stainless windshield trim, scratched left side windows, scratched door handles, old undercoat on chassis. An attractive driver. Sold at Barrett-Jackson in 2004 for $53,460 and apparently unchanged since, the transaction here is a very good value even for a cosmetically restored and little used car. Lot # 238 1929 Essex Speedabout Boattail Roadster, Body by Biddle & Smart; S/N 1059468; Red, Black/Red leather; Black cloth top; Estimate $60,000 - $80,000; Older restoration, 2+ condition; Hammered Sold at $60,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $66,000 -- Rear-mounted spare, Black wire wheels, whitewall tires, rumble seat, cycle rear fenders, folding windshield, diving frog radiator mascot. Excellent paint, chrome, upholstery and top. Restored better than new. Sold by RM here in 2005 for $79,200 with only four more miles on the odometer since then. Its restoration, which was nearly fresh in 2005, is still very good and this is a sound value in a rare, sporting and unusual automobile. Well bought. Catalog photo © 2010 by Darin Schnabel, courtesy RM Auctions.Lot # 250 1920 ReVere Model A Touring; S/N 624; Maroon, Black fenders/Brown leather; Beige cloth top; Estimate $80,000 - $100,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $125,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $137,500 -- RHD. Red wire wheels, whitewalls, folding windshield, windwings, luggage trunk, dual sidemounts with mirrors, cowl lights. A concours quality older restoration with generally excellent paint and chrome aside from some stress cracking and occasional shadows in some chrome. Interior shows some age but not much use. Same for the chassis. An attractive and rare car that will be much better after some attention that was saved by Barney Pollard in the 40's and restored for him. John O’Quinn estate. No Reserve. Offered at Meadow Brook in 2004 where it no-saled at $88,000 but sold by RM at Amelia Island in 2005 for $90,200. The Odometer shows only 3 more miles now. Hammered sold at 25% over the high estimate for no explicable reason except that it has that wonderful Rochester-Duesenberg walking beam four under the hood and caught someone's attention, it is expensive but also very rare and very desirable -- to at least two people in the world, buyer and underbidder. Lot # 253 1968 Shelby Mustang GT500 Convertible; S/N 8T03S179601-02967; Red, White stripes/Saddle vinyl; White vinyl top; Estimate $125,000 - $175,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $95,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $104,500 -- 428/335hp, 4-speed, AM-FM, 10-spoke alloy wheels with machined rims, woodgrain steering wheel, P/S, P/B, oval Lucas driving lights. Good repaint with orange peel near hood latches. Good interior, lightly soiled top. Clean chassis repainted assembled. Nearly like new underhood with a few miles. Small delaminations on windshield edge, other glass is good. One of three GT500 convertibles built in this color combination. A handsome and usable driver represented as matching numbers. This Shelby was offered by Kruse in Miami in 1993 where it no-saled at $39,500. It was then sold at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale in 2006 for $140,400 and at RM's Ft. Lauderdale auction in 2007 for $186,300. The result here is surprisingly modest but an indication of the market's increasingly finicky approach to all but the best and most powerful Pony Cars. Even in the current environment, however, it is a very good value at this price. Lot # 259 1930 Cadillac 452 V-16 Roadster, Body by Fleetwood; S/N 700809; Black/Black leather; Black cloth top; Estimate $375,000 - $475,000; Concours restoration, 1- condition; Hammered Sold at $400,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $440,000 -- Chrome wire wheels, whitewalls, dual enclosed sidemounts with mirrors, metal luggage trunk, Pilot-Rays, radiator stoneguard, wind wing, dual spotlights, chrome hood side vents. CCCA Premier winner # 2008. Excellent paint, chrome and interior. Chassis better than new. An older restoration that is still very close to concours. John O'Quinn estate. Found by Jim Bradley in the late 80's, an original style 4302 Fleetwood Roadster with its original engine and restored to concours-winning condition. Sold by RM in Arizona in 2002 for $253,000, then at the 2007 Gooding Pebble Beach auction for $495,000 with just two miles on its odometer since. It needs nothing except some detailing to be ready to back on the show circuit. Catalog photo © 2010 by Darin Schnabel, courtesy RM Auctions.Lot # 260 1929 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Sedan, Body by Murphy; S/N 2284; Engine # J-262; Black/Ecru leather, Olive trim; Black cloth top; Estimate $800,000 - $1,000,000; Older restoration, 1- condition; Hammered Sold at $750,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $825,000 -- Chrome wire wheels, Michelin blackwall tires, dual enclosed sidemounts with chrome bands, trunk rack, small Pilot-Rays, radiator stoneguard, polished hood side vents, Watson Stabilator rebound dampers, wood running boards. Firewall # 2284. Excellent paint, chrome, aluminum brightwork, interior, top and glass. A twenty year old restoration that still looks great and is holding up very well. Beautiful coachwork, too. John O'Quinn estate. Sold by RM at Meadow Brook in 2006 for $907,500 with ten miles on the odometer since then (probably on a pre-cataloging test drive.) A rare, pure Duesenberg with engine, frame and firewall as they came out of the Indianapolis shop in 1929 and its original Murphy coachwork. The buyer should feel very good about this purchase both from the inherent quality of the car itself and for its superb restoration. At this price it is all the car the money can expect to buy. Lot # 267 1959 Jaguar XK 150S 3.4 Roadster; S/N T831792DN; Engine # S1569-9; Purple metallic/Tan leather; Purple cloth top and tonneau; Estimate $80,000 - $100,000; Cosmetic restoration, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $72,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $79,750 -- Chrome wire wheels, blackwall times, Moto-Lita woodrim steering wheel, triple SUs, overdrive, Lucas driving lights. Represented as matching numbers. Excellent paint, chrome and interior. Chassis repainted over old undercoat. Very attractive colors and a wonderful driver but not a recognized Jaguar color from 1958. This is a better car than the money it brought, a good value for the buyer. Catalog photo © 2010 by Darin Schnabel, courtesy RM Auctions.Lot # 271 1915 Stutz 4F Bearcat; S/N 4F2658; Yellow, Black accent/Black leather; Estimate $275,000 - $350,000; Concours restoration, 1- condition; Hammered Sold at $300,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $330,000 -- RHD. Electric lights, friction shocks, blackwalls, cowl lights, dual rear spares, trunk, Warner speedometer, Phinney-Walker rim wind clock, monocle windshield. Quality older restoration showing limited age and use. This is the Bearcat ‘discovered in a shipping container in England in the early 1980's.’ Restored in 2004. Needs nothing. Sold by RM here in 2006 for $368,500 in essentially the same condition it is in today and with exactly the same miles on its Warner speedometer's odo. As such it probably should have a careful mechanical review before the performance potential of its 390 cubic inch T-head four (and two wheel mechanical brakes) are assessed but that is a minor consideration at this price. Lot # 273 1931 Marmon Sixteen Limousine, Body by LeBaron; S/N 16147602; Black, Purple/Black leather, Grey striped cloth; Estimate $275,000 - $350,000; Concours restoration, 1 condition; Hammered Sold at $315,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $346,500 -- Dual enclosed sidemounts with chrome bands and mirrors, whitewalls, sombrero hubcaps, dual remote spotlights, dual chrome trumpet horns, rollup divider, jump seats, pull down shades on rear and quarter windows, luggage trunk. A fabulous restoration of an extraordinary automobile. Superb paint, chrome, glass, interior wood and everything else. Sold here in 2007 for $374,000. The limousine coachwork isn't favored by today's collectors, making this a very attractive buy for someone who wants to experience Howard Marmon's superlative V-16 without taking on a major investment. The quality of this car's presentation and coachwork make this a low-risk acquisition. Lot # 275 1953 Chrysler Thomas Special Coupe, Body by Ghia; S/N 7232631; Two tone Metallic Green/Dark Green leather, White piping; Estimate $350,000 - $500,000; Concours restoration, 1- condition; Hammered Sold at $780,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $858,000 -- Automatic, P/W, P/B, P/W, P/antenna, pushbutton radio, chrome wire wheels. Ghia-built Chrysler show car given to C.B. Thomas, Chrysler's Export Division President. Over-restored by Fran Roxas, then owned by Joe Bortz. Still in nearly concours quality condition and brilliant, showing just a little age in the interior. Superb paint, interior and chrome. John O'Quinn estate. Sold by RM in Arizona in 2005 for $354,750, which makes understanding what went down in the Shotwell-Gustafson Pavilion today a challenge. Nothing has been done to it and it has only 11 more miles on the odometer today than it did five years ago. RM got $715,000 for the short wheelbase Paris showcar ‘Thomas Special’ prototype at Amelia in 2006. It was the only short wheelbase built in this series and better proportioned than this longer GS-1, so that doesn't explain much. At B-J in 2006 Ron Pratte paid $1,188,000 for the very different d'Elegance concept, but that's not very comparable, either. RM sold another of the GS-1s, unrestored but well maintained, at Monaco just a few months ago for $327,764, which doesn't give a hint of why such enthusiasm blossomed in Meadow Brook. ‘Stuff happens’ is about the only realistic explanation, which isn't really an explanation at all. Catalog photo © 2010 by Darin Schnabel, courtesy RM Auctions.Lot # 279 1932 Duesenberg Model J Torpedo Berline, Body by Rollston; S/N 2574 (see notes); Engine # J-546; Silver-Grey/Grey broadcloth; Estimate $750,000 - $950,000; Concours restoration, 1- condition; Hammered Sold at $660,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $726,000 -- Chrome wire wheels, dual sidemounts with mirrors, Pilot-Rays, Gray leather padded roof, rollup divider, smoker's kit, outside head pipes, mesh hood sides. Reputedly chassis 2574 but no numbers are discernible on the frame or the firewall. Concours older restoration now showing some age, particularly the interior trim around doors. Driver's door rattles. Shadowed windshield frame chrome, yellowing whitewalls, some paint lifts in creases and joints. First owned by Shirley Burden, with known history since. Restored for the Imperial Palace in the 90's. Sold at the Hershey Auction in 2007 for $945,000 and variously described as a Berline and Formal Sedan before being gussied up with the present ‘Torpedo Berline’ terminology. The only one of its body style. The restoration, however, is coming apart and with no sign of any numbers except on the engine mount its componentry is suspect. That makes this price a reasonable reconciliation among rarity, condition and history, even if it falls short of the consignor's hopes. Lot # 280 1937 Cord 812 Supercharged Convertible Coupe; S/N 23379F; Engine # FC2640; Black/Black leather, Beige cloth top; Estimate $225,000 - $275,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $215,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $236,500 -- Radio, heater, chrome large hubcaps, whitewalls, foglights. Good older paint, chrome and top. Rumble seat added during 1980's restoration but still ACD Level 1 certified. Seats are surface creased from use. Some weak chrome. Aged chassis shows use. A handsome older restoration that has been, and still is, a great tour car. Sold by RM at Monterey in 2009 for $236,500, so there's little to say about the market's determination of its value. [Source: Rick Carey]
RM has been coming to Meadow Brook a long time and has made it one of the cornerstones of its annual auction calendar, despite expanding throughout the U.S. and to Europe and the U.K. RM typically offers an attractive consignment of classic and antique cars here as well as many intriguing cars from the Twenties through Sixties.
