RM Sotheby's at Hershey 2023
RM Sotheby’s will hold the second day of their annual Hershey Auction on Thursday October 5. The premiere auction event for lovers of pre-war automobiles and the official auction of the AACA Eastern Fall Nationals, this has grown into a significant sale for some portions of the market over the past several years. The two day sale will end today, but the preview will be open to the public from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM ET. Some impressive sales were seen on the first day and four of the most significant cars on offer during day two are below.
Although Rolls Royce completed the chassis of this car in August of 1909, the remarkably intricate coachwork wasn’t delivered to its first owner until February of the following year. This is evidenced by the original build sheet. Following that initial delivery a great deal of the car’s history remains unknown, especially following when it was imported into the US. The consignor acquired the car without its bodywork in 2017 and chose the Roi des Belges design for its coachwork. Photos are available that document the restoration process that was completed in 2021.
This 1934 Auburn Twelve Salon Cabriolet is one of 27 built and one of only five known surviving examples. This car is well documented and can be traced back to California in the 1950s. At some point its windshield was modified, shortened, likely early on in its existence. In 2002 the car was awarded the ACD Club Level One Certification that confirms it really is a Salon model and retains its original body, chassis, and engine. This presents a rare opportunity to own one of only five surviving examples of this classic Auburn.
Only 68 examples of the 1933 Auburn Twelve Salon Phaeton are known to have been built, making this a rare car right from the start. Powered by a 7.6L V12 that produced around 160 horsepower, the car was capable of exceeding 100 mph. The example on offer by RM Sotheby’s can have its ownership traced back to the 1940s. It changed hands several times during its life, eventually landing in the collection of the late Dr. Elwood “Bud” Greist who began restoring it in the late 1970s. The restoration continued into the late 1980s, at which point it was shown at Pebble Beach in 1987. It still benefits from the quality restoration performed back then and has recently received a mechanical freshening that included rebuilding carburetors, the fuel system, and the brake system. Its future owner should get plenty of attention at whatever concours is lucky enough to display this phenomenal Auburn.
The DV-32 was the most powerful model built by Stutz, powered by a 322 cubic inch straight-eight cylinder engine. This is equipped with the only factory-cataloged dual-cowl phaeton design offered on the DV-32 and is one of just two surviving examples with this style. This example was restored between 1990 and 1995 by a California-based collector who displayed it at the 1995 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Plenty of documentation is inlaced with the car including photographs of the restoration process and records from its show history. This should get plenty of attention on the auction block, especially from collectors looking for a CCCA Full Classic.