Stan Lucas Collection Results
The automotive world was watching on Saturday, September 20, as Gooding Christie’s hosted the Stan Lucas Collection Auction. Held at the late collector’s Lucas Classic Tires in Long Beach, California, this event was a truly historic moment for the prewar automotive market. The auction house sold every single one of the 99 lots on offer, all without reserve, for a jaw-dropping total of $33.9 million. This result far exceeded all expectations and solidified the collection’s standing as one of the most important in recent memory. The strong demand was clear, as nearly three-quarters of the lots sold either within or well above their pre-auction estimates.
The Top Sellers
The star of the show was undoubtedly the 1911 Oldsmobile Limited Series 27 Seven-Passenger Touring. With an incredible history that included being part of several prestigious collections, this Oldsmobile was a true rarity. Acquired by Stan Lucas in 2000, it went on to more than double its pre-auction high estimate, selling for an incredible $5,065,000 and setting a new world record for the marque at auction.
Other top-selling vehicles that showcased the collection’s breadth and quality included the beautifully restored, Murphy-bodied 1934 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing-Top Convertible Coupe, which sold for a remarkable $3,085,000. The rare, fabric-bodied Vanden Plas 1930 Bentley Speed Six Sports Tourer, offered for public sale for the first time, achieved $2,095,000, and the exquisite 1930 Packard 734 Speedster Runabout brought in an impressive $2,040,000.
The Doble Collection
The Stan Lucas Collection was famously home to the single greatest private collection of Doble steam cars, and they performed exceptionally well at the auction. All five Dobles found new homes, with the Pebble Beach Class Award-winning 1924 Doble Series E Roadster leading the way. It set a new world record for the Doble name at auction, nearly doubling its pre-auction high estimate by selling for $2,205,000. The 1925 Doble Series E California Top Phaeton and the 1925 Doble Series E Coupe both garnered $1,435,000.
Other Notable Records
The auction also saw several other world records set for some of the most respected names in the Brass Era. The 1909 Simplex 50 HP Toy-Tonneau sold for $1,655,000, while the exceptionally well-documented 1912 Mercer Type 35-C Raceabout achieved $1,352,500. Other record-breakers included the 1921 Mercer Series 5 Raceabout, which set a new record for an L-Head Mercer by selling for $412,000, and the 1915 Stutz Model 4F Bulldog Demi-Tonneau which set a new record for the model at $973,000. The unrestored 1916 Crane-Simplex Model 5 Dual-Cowl Phaeton also set a new marque record by selling for $918,000, and the 1910 Stevens-Duryea Model Y Seven-Passenger Touring set a new marque record at $390,000.