Bonhams & Butterfields celebrated the eighth year of its renowned “Classic California” auction at the Petersen Automotive Museum on Saturday the 14th with flying colors. A large crowd of collectors and motoring aficionados paid $2,138,736 for automotive collectibles and celebrity-owned vehicles, cars and motorcycles from noted private collections.
With a headlining ensemble of 28 cars from the Sam Garrett Collection and 33 motorcycles from the Forest “Woody” Shrider Collection – both of which were 100% sold – and numerous lots of vehicles and personal memorabilia from screen legend Steve McQueen, the auction consisted of an impressive and diverse line-up of items from the world of motoring. In all, an impressive 76% of vehicles, both 2- and 4-wheel, were successfully sold.
Strong bidding from buyers in the audience and via telephone from around the world resulted in the following highlights:
The ex-Steve McQueen 1940 Indian Chief motorcycle, as pictured on the cover of the book “Steve McQueen: The Last Mile”, set a new world record and went for $99,450 after spirited bidding.
The ultra stylish 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham previously owned by crooner Frank Sinatra was bought for $122,500.
Two Rolls-Royces, a 1964 Silver Cloud Drophead Coupe and 1929 Phantom II Dual Cowl Touring, sold for $172,000 and $111,150, respectively.
$81,900 was paid for a 1933 Ford Model 40 Deluxe Cabriolet hotrod.
A 1966 Mercedes-Benz 600 SWB Limousine exceeded all expectations and went for $87,750.
The 1915 Harley-Davidson 11K Board Track Racer surpassed its estimate selling for $58,500.
Says Mark Osborne, VP of the Motoring Department at Bonhams & Butterfields, “Our annual Classic California sales at the Petersen Museum, which have consistently made world record prices and attracted lots from such celebrities as Steve McQueen, Bruce Willis, Von Dutch, Charles Bronson and Clark Gable, to name a few, continue to hold strong interest and just keep growing from strength to strength.” He continues, “This year, strength in the market was seen for celebrity–related cars and motorcycles from McQueen and Sinatra and the sale drew international interest from Europe, Asia and Canada as well as national attention from the Northeast and Midwest.”
Having become a must attend event for automotive enthusiasts of all genres, the Bonhams’ sale demonstrated once again why the 216-year-old auction house is a leader in the domain of collector cars, motorcycles, art and antiques.
A full list of sales results may be found at bonhams.com/petersen