At this summer’s seminal Bonhams & Butterfields motorcar auction, to be held on August 15, 2008 in Carmel, CA in conjunction with the prestigious Quail Motorsports Gathering, an absolutely incredible roster of racecars will be offered for sale along with collectibles including automobilia, motoring art and paintings, car mascots and advertising memorabilia. A delightful selection of gold and diamond jewelry for the lady and the gentleman will also be offered from Carmel, competitive bidding expected to be a theme for the day.
Four-wheeled auction highlights include:
1960 Jaguar E2A Prototype – The “missing link” between the factory’s D-Type and E-Type, this singular prototype not only helped shape Jaguar’s history but was piloted by no fewer than four of the world’s greatest racing drivers: Gurney, Hansgen, Brabham and McLaren.
1939 Ecurie Nice Talbot-Lago T150 C SS – This rare and elegant racecar was campaigned by Pierre “Pagnibon” Boncompagni and designed by the legendary Georges Paulin.
1930 Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeo 6C-1750 Gran Sport (est. $1.3-1.7-million) This ex-Luigi Scarfiotti racer is a three-times Mille Miglia contestant and the class winner of the 1932 Mille Miglia. It is also one of the first Alfa Romeos to be prepared and entered by the newly created Scuderia Ferrari at its Modena base.
1913 Isotta Fraschini Tipo KM (est. $1.5-2.0-million) A splendid surviving example of the finest quality Italian high-performance pioneer, technically derived from aero engine design, 10.6-liters, chain-drive, and one of only three remaining examples of the model described by respected historian A.T. Anselmi as being “One of the most powerful sports cars to be produced commercially prior to World War 1”.
These incredibly historic competition cars comprise part of the remarkable line-up to be offered by Bonhams at this year’s sale, as well, collectors should express interest in a complete collection of Voisins and the 1928 Streamlined Experimental Rolls-Royce Phantom I Continental previously owned by the Maharaja of Jammu & Kashmir.
Within the Automobilia section of the August 15 sale is a wonderful selection of original artwork and paintings by Peter Helck, Roy Nockolds and Carlo Demand. The section features five superb engineered scale models by Gerald Wingrove, a wide selection of car mascots including desirable glass by Rene Lalique, and a good selection of enamel and printed tin advertising and garage signs. Of interest to motoring enthusiasts will be a very fine and rare 18k gold Mido gentleman’s wristwatch. Created in limited editions in the 1920s and presented by Ettore Bugatti to select drivers, staff and associates, the face of the watch is designed in the shape of a Bugatti radiator grill with a red enameled EB badge, it could bring $40,000/60,000.
Other lots of jewelry offered on sale day will include diamond bracelets and rings, wristwatches and cufflinks, and other jewelry by noted makers such as Patek Philippe, Rolex, Harry Winston and Bulgari. A natural fancy colored pink diamond solitaire ring, the light pink marquise-cut diamond weighing more than 1.2-carats, could bring as much as $22,000, while a rare and very unusual base metal wristwatch presented in 1927 as a reward for making quota in Chevrolet’s used car campaign, was crafted in the form of a Chevrolet radiator, it could bring as much as $3,000.
This “sale of the year” takes place on Friday, August 15th at the Quail Lodge in Carmel, California. For those discerning collectors who would like to include offerings in this auction, please contact the Motoring Department at 415-861-7500 or [email protected].
Illustrated catalogs may be viewed online in the weeks preceding the auction and purchased at www.Bonhams.com/Quail.
