1915 Studebaker Touring

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1915 Studebaker Model SD-4 Touring

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 8-9, 2015

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

Studebaker was one of America’s great companies. With roots back to the 1850s, the company adapted and lasted through 1967 when times just got too rough. But back in earlier, happier days, their products were sought-after by the masses. And that’s why I like this car so much. If you’ve ever seen footage shot in a big city, like New York, sometime around 1920, give or take, you may have noticed the abundance of automobiles swarming the streets. And they all look more or less the same from a distance. Quite a large number of them are probably Model T Fords. But then you have to realize that some of them are very rare cars today.

This Studebaker looks like it could’ve been used in an episode of Boardwalk Empire or something. It’s generic enough without being too generic. This was an everyday car. And that’s why it’s so interesting. The SD-4 was powered by a 3.2-liter straight-four making 30 horsepower. Studebaker’s four-cylinder model was renamed with every year, so the SD-4 was for 1915 only. It was available as a two-passenger Roadster or a this four-passenger Touring. You know this was somebody’s family sedan – 100 years ago. Think of the stories… and check out more here from RM.

Update: Sold $16,500.

Five Pre-1920 Cars from RM’s Hershey Sale

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1911 Stanley Model 63 Toy Tonneau

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 8-9, 2015

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

It’s everyone’s favorite steam car – the Stanley steamer. The company’s 1911 range was robust, with the Model 63 being one of two 10 horsepower models offered. It was available only in this body style with seating for five.

It is powered by a two-cylinder steam engine making 10 horsepower. The 60-Series cars from Stanley were in production from 1910 through 1913. In all, 1,165 were built with 219 of those being the Toy Tonneau. Steam cars aren’t everyone’s thing as they take special dedication and know-how to operate. But those that love them really love them. This car sort of defines early steam motoring and it has been fully restored. Check out more info here.

Update: Sold $115,500.

1907 Procter Two-Passenger Runabout

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 8-9, 2015

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

Procter is a marque that doesn’t appear in most automotive history books (and if it does it is often misspelled as “Proctor”). That’s because the company was more of a person than an actual company. And Albert Procter only built one car. This one.

Originally fitted with a single-cylinder engine, the car was later upgraded to use 1.6-liter twin-cylinder engine from a 1903/4 Ford Model A. It produces eight horsepower. Procter built the car for himself, instead of purchasing another man’s product. He only ever wanted to build one car. So that’s what he did.

Procter’s daughter sold the car before WWII and the engine was stripped out of it. But the car survived and passed between collections before finally being given a new engine. It’s not road-worthy as it is all-original, but it could be made to run. Click here for more information.

Update: Sold $18,700.

1914 Cadillac Four Speedster

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 8-9, 2015

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

Cadillac offered only one model line in 1914 – the Four, so named because of it’s mighty 6.0-liter straight-four engine that pumped out 40/50 horsepower. The Four was offered in a variety of body styles (seven to be exact), none of which was a Speedster

This car was sold new in Jersey City, New Jersey and has known history back to 1979 when its then-owner fitted this racy two-passenger Speedster body on it. The car looks quite sporting and rather imposing. The body is described as “Mercer-style,” but if I were to hazard a guess I would say that if this car were bearing down on you, you would notice it is quite a bit larger than a comparable Mercer. It needs a quick mechanical freshening to go motoring but is otherwise excellent. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $46,750.

1910 Cameron Model 24 Open-Back Runabout

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 8-9, 2015

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

The Cameron was one of what has to be quite a limited number of automobile manufacturers to set up shop in Rhode Island. They operated there from 1902 through 1906 before moving to Massachusetts (before finally settling on Connecticut until they went out of business in 1920). The company was founded by the Everett and Forrest Cameron.

Early cars had twin-cylinder engines, but a large number of four-cylinder models would be offered – and even some sixes. This car is powered by a 2.9-liter straight-four making 24 horsepower. The Model 24 was only offered in this basic body style and only for one model year (which may have been 1911). This example is in great shape and is ready to go. Click here for more information.

Update: Sold $55,000.

1915 Studebaker Model SD-4 Touring

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 8-9, 2015

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

Studebaker was one of America’s great companies. With roots back to the 1850s, the company adapted and lasted through 1967 when times just got too rough. But back in earlier, happier days, their products were sought-after by the masses. And that’s why I like this car so much. If you’ve ever seen footage shot in a big city, like New York, sometime around 1920, give or take, you may have noticed the abundance of automobiles swarming the streets. And they all look more or less the same from a distance. Quite a large number of them are probably Model T Fords. But then you have to realize that some of them are very rare cars today.

This Studebaker looks like it could’ve been used in an episode of Boardwalk Empire or something. It’s generic enough without being too generic. This was an everyday car. And that’s why it’s so interesting. The SD-4 was powered by a 3.2-liter straight-four making 30 horsepower. Studebaker’s four-cylinder model was renamed with every year, so the SD-4 was for 1915 only. It was available as a two-passenger Roadster or a this four-passenger Touring. You know this was somebody’s family sedan – 100 years ago. Think of the stories… and check out more here from RM.

Update: Sold $16,500.

1911 Stanley

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1911 Stanley Model 63 Toy Tonneau

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 8-9, 2015

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

It’s everyone’s favorite steam car – the Stanley steamer. The company’s 1911 range was robust, with the Model 63 being one of two 10 horsepower models offered. It was available only in this body style with seating for five.

It is powered by a two-cylinder steam engine making 10 horsepower. The 60-Series cars from Stanley were in production from 1910 through 1913. In all, 1,165 were built with 219 of those being the Toy Tonneau. Steam cars aren’t everyone’s thing as they take special dedication and know-how to operate. But those that love them really love them. This car sort of defines early steam motoring and it has been fully restored. Check out more info here.

Update: Sold $115,500.

1910 Cameron

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1910 Cameron Model 24 Open-Back Runabout

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 8-9, 2015

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

The Cameron was one of what has to be quite a limited number of automobile manufacturers to set up shop in Rhode Island. They operated there from 1902 through 1906 before moving to Massachusetts (before finally settling on Connecticut until they went out of business in 1920). The company was founded by the Everett and Forrest Cameron.

Early cars had twin-cylinder engines, but a large number of four-cylinder models would be offered – and even some sixes. This car is powered by a 2.9-liter straight-four making 24 horsepower. The Model 24 was only offered in this basic body style and only for one model year (which may have been 1911). This example is in great shape and is ready to go. Click here for more information.

Update: Sold $55,000.

Renault Cape Top Victoria

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1909 Renault Series B V-1 20/30 Cape Top Victoria by Brewster

Offered by Bonhams | Ebeltoft, Denmark | September 26, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Louis Renault and his brothers started building cars right before the turn of the century. They built a lot of cars early on, using De Dion engines at the beginning before switching to their own engines in 1903. Shortly after that, their range expanded and they built both small and large cars.

This Series B Type V1 was on the larger side, using a 4.4-liter straight-four making 20/30 horsepower. This large French tourer was actually bodied in America – on Long Island, in fact, by Brewster. The rear passenger compartment is enormous.

This car has known history back to the 1970s when it was an unrestored, low-milage car. It was restored in the late-1990s. It’s a beautiful, rare early Renault. A lot of smaller Renaults exist from this period, but the larger cars are much rarer. This car was undoubtedly owned by someone fairly rich when new and you can now feel just like them. It should sell for between $180,000-$230,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $120,333.

Oldsmobile Autocrat

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1911 Oldsmobile Autocrat

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 8-9, 2015

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

The Oldsmobile Autocrat was Oldsmobile’s mid-range model for 1911. At the bottom was the Special, but significantly upward was the Autocrat, which was second only to the legendary Oldsmobile Limited.

This Autocrat was originally fitted with four-door Tourabout body work but its original (and long time) owner, John Henry Greenway Albert, fitted his own custom boattail aluminium body – which is what you see here. Albert owned the car from 1911 until 1968. He drove the car – a lot, racing it on the East Coast and driving it back home out west – even years after more sophisticated cars had come onto the market.

It is powered by a monstrous 40 horsepower 8.2-liter straight-four. The Autocrat was only built in 1911 and 1912. This example is an absolute driver, having been driven thousands of miles on tours and vintage races in the hands of its more recent owners. It’s been driven so much that it’s been restored three times. And it’s a looker too – kind of resembling something that, while a little more road-friendly, you may have seen at Indy in the early days. Click here for more info and here for more from RM.

Update: Sold $698,500.

Update: Sold, RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2017, $605,000.

Cadillac V-16 Convertible Sedan

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1934 Cadillac V-16 Series 452-D Convertible Sedan by Fleetwood

Offered by Bonhams | Ebeltoft, Denmark | September 26, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

With the top up, these big Cadillac Convertible Sedans seem a little boring. While certainly not ordinary, their four-door appearance belies that true beauty under that hood. With the top down they are magnificent. Can’t you just picture FDR riding around in the back?

The V-16 Cadillac was introduced in late 1929 for the 1930 model year. It’s one of the greatest American automobiles ever built. The engine is quiet, powerful and silky smooth. It was the first V-16 American automobile to go into production. The 452 refers to the cubic inches of displacement offered by this 7.4-liter V-16 that makes 185 horsepower.

The original V-16s were sort of boxy, but by 1932 they were redesigned to be sleeker and this 1934 Series 452-D looks quite Art Deco and windswept. It’s amazing how quickly automotive design matured between 1929 and 1934.

This car was bought new by a stockbroker in New York. It was specially ordered and the body was built by Fleetwood, which by this time was part of General Motors. In 1949, the engine was removed from this car and put in a race car. Luckily the chassis and body were kept and eventually reunited with the power unit a little over five years ago. The current owner acquired it in 2012. This huge car is one of not very many – by the mid-1930s, V-16 Cadillac production was down to about 50 or less per year, making this very rare. It should sell in the neighborhood of $450,000-$600,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $429,764.

The Only Two-Door Phantom VI

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1973 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI Cabriolet by Frua

Offered by Bonhams | Ebeltoft, Denmark | September 26, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Rolls-Royce Phantom VI replaced the Phantom V (obviously). It was introduced in 1968 and lasted, ludicrously, through 1990. They were exclusive sedans and limousines favored by the likes of Queen Elizabeth II. A couple of hearses were also constructed and there were two convertibles built by Frua. One has four doors, making this the only two-door Phantom VI built.

It was designed by Pietro Frua for a Swiss diplomat for use in Switzerland and Monaco. In fact, he kept the car until 1997. It had one other owner before the current owner acquired it. It is powered by a 6.2-liter V-8 and power was “adequate.” Just look at the thing – it’s enormous. The car is over 19 feet long. It’s almost a foot longer than a ’59 Cadillac convertible. It’s one of the biggest two-door convertibles ever built.

And it is opulent. The interior has been aggressively nitpicked to the slightest detail from the leather-lined carpet to the owner’s initials on the horn. You really should see this thing from every angle, including the opposing opening hood. You can find more pictures here. It is expected to sell for between $300,000-$390,000. Click here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $550,098.

Maybach Zeppelin

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1933 Maybach DS-8 Zeppelin Cabriolet

Offered by Bonhams | Ebeltoft, Denmark | September 26, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Wilhelm Maybach should be one of everybody’s automotive heroes. The quality of the engineering of his work is incredible. Born in 1846, he worked closely with Gottlieb Daimler in the late 1800s and his engines were in the first Mercedes car. He would later built giant Zeppelin engines for airships before building the cars that bore his name – some of the greatest automobiles ever built.

The Maybach Zeppelin line of cars were introduced in 1928. The DS-8 form was new for 1930 and built through 1938. The engine is a large 7.9-liter V-12  making 200 horsepower. It’s a powerful car for its day and the Zeppelin was the first German car with a V-12. This car features a very ahead of its time eight-speed manual transmission.

This car originally was a seven-passenger convertible limousine for heads of state. In fact, it was gifted on behalf of Adolf Hitler to a Maharajah in India. It eventually made its way back to Switzerland and was sold in 1997 to a German Maybach collector who had the state body removed and this cabriolet specially built. It’s based on a design by Spohn that they never actually built. The restoration was completed in 2005.

This is a massive car in every way. The engine is huge. The car itself is almost 17 feet long. Maybach only built about 1,800 cars between 1921 and 1940 – not many of them were this grand. This car should bring between $3,000,000-$3,600,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Duesenberg J-330

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1930 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing Top Roadster by Murphy

Offered by Bonhams | Ebeltoft, Denmark | September 26, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

That’s quite the profile you see above. The term “Disappearing Top” was no misnomer – the top is completely hidden, resulting in a sleek rear end interrupted only by the rather functional trunk (when trunks were literal trunks).

This Model J has known ownership history back to brand new, when it was first bought by (or actually for, as it was a gift) the great-grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt. The car has had many owners since and in 1959 it sold for $6,000 (which was a lot then but seems awfully cheap today). This Duesey has been in the current collection for about a decade or so. It has never been restored.

The 265 horsepower 6.9-liter straight-eight engine is all original. This car looks restored and has been scored in the highest possible category of Duesenbergs. It’s one of, if not the, best, original survivor Model J in the world. It should sell for between $2,500,000-$3,100,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of this sale’s lineup.

Update: Sold $2,664,538.