RM Auctions kicked off Monterey’s famed classic car week at the Portola Hotel & Spa tonight with the distinguished Nick Alexander Woodie Collection achieving in excess of $7 million in total sales.
The four-hour auction attracted spirited bidding as 51 magnificent pre- and post-war Ford & Mercury wood-bodied station wagons crossed the block before a packed house.
The top-seller of the night was a Dearborn award-winning 1946 Mercury Sportsman Convertible, the rarest Sportsman of all, which brought an impressive $368,500. Other highlights included an exceptionally rare 1948 Ford Super Deluxe Sportsman Convertible for $275,000, and a handsome, all-wheel-drive 1946 Ford Super Deluxe Station Wagon for $247,500.
“The early interest and enthusiasm for this collection translated into a very successful auction,” said Ian Kelleher, President and Chief Operating Officer of RM Auctions.
“The room was filled to capacity, with the sale of each lot celebrated by an enthusiastic crowd. The strong results of tonight’s sale, reinforcing RM’s strength in the presentation of single-owner collections, sets the tone for an exciting weekend ahead,” he added.
One final car from the collection – a 1939 Ford Deluxe Station Wagon – will be sold as part of Saturday’s auction line-up, with proceeds from its sale being donated by Nick Alexander to benefit the Midland School in Santa Barbara, California. This will be added to proceeds donated by RM from tonight’s sale of a selection of large canvas reproductions of original photography depicting the histories of Ford, Mercury and the Iron Mountain Factories.
RM’s Monterey auction action will continue tomorrow and Saturday beginning at 6pm Pacific Time as a magnificent collection of other important and desirable collector cars cross the block, including a historic 1952 Jaguar C-Type – expected to fetch in excess of $3,000,000.
Official results will be posted online at www.rmauctions.
For further information on RM’s Sports & Classics of Monterey event, please visit www.rmauctions.com or call +1 734 660 0015.
