«  All No-Reserve Hostetler’s Hudson... <- Back to: Auctions The Most Valuable Car Ever Offered...  »

Long-Lost Automotive Icons Unveiled for the 15th Annual Pebble Beach Auctions Presented by Gooding & Company


1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing - Est. $1,100,000 – $1,300,000 Without Reserve

1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing - Est. $1,100,000 – $1,300,000 Without Reserve

 

SANTA MONICA, Calif., 22 June, 2018

Gooding & Company, the official auction house of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, is thrilled to present recently discovered automotive icons of the 1950s and 1960s at the company’s Pebble Beach Auctions held on August 24 and 25, 2018. The company continues its tradition of bringing the finest unrestored, fresh-to-market classic cars to auction with these additions to its August event. 

“As an enthusiast, it is always exciting to present a car at auction that is unknown to the collector car community, particularly those that have not been seen, shown, or sold for decades. It’s like being given the opportunity to go back in time,” notes David Brynan, Senior Specialist at Gooding & Company. “All of these cars are important, iconic postwar models in wonderful, unrestored condition. Each has a fascinating story to tell and a tangible connection to history that just cannot be duplicated with a comparable restored example.”


... Galleries >>>

1952 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback - Estimate $1,500,000 – $2,000,000

The R-Type Continental created a template for Bentley grand touring cars that lasted decades, and this very car is the first production example built – appropriately designated chassis BC1A. The H.J. Mulliner Fastback was finished on May 2, 1952 and was specified with desirable features such as alloy bumpers, lightweight bucket seats, a manual gearbox, and custom appointments. After a 393-mile test at the M.I.R.A. proving grounds, overseen by Bentley’s chief engineer, the car was sold to its first owner in Paris through Franco-Britannic Automobiles. In the late 1950s, the Continental was sold to a US customer through Ed Jurist’s famed Vintage Car Store in Nyack, New York. The Bentley has continued to reside in New York, most recently in the hands of a long-term caretaker. The Bentley is presented in Antelope brown over a brown leather interior. As the first example of a landmark model, this is one of the most important postwar Bentley automobiles ever to come to auction. This unique opportunity to acquire BC1A, a significant Bentley that has been in hiding for 45 years, is an occurrence that will not be repeated. 

1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing - Estimate $1,100,000 – $1,300,000 Without Reserve
This recently discovered black-plate California car was delivered new in white (DB 50) over red leather interior and first sold to Roger M. Andrews of Los Angeles. Mr. Andrews was a Second Unit Director and Assistant Director on over 17 popular films, but after passing away in 1957, the car was sold to one of the original developers of Hollywoodland, L. Milton Wolf. Wolf is most famous for his magnificent, castle-inspired home in the Hollywood Hills known as “The Wolf’s Lair.” Wolf had the Gullwing repainted red in the early 1960s and the car remained in his family for nearly six decades. Offered without reserve, this unrestored Gullwing still retains its original books, tools, and fitted Karl Baisch luggage. This is a wonderful opportunity to acquire a blue-chip collector car that possesses a significant Hollywood provenance, long-term single-family ownership, and a lovely patina.

1964 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso - Estimate $1,400,000 – $1,800,000
The beautifully sculpted 250 GT Lusso is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful designs Pininfarina ever penned. With a muscular stance, and highly detailed cockpit, these sporting good looks are paired with the venerable Colombo-designed V-12 engine producing 240 hp. Famous Lusso owners populated a list of the era’s luminaries, including Hollywood’s King of Cool, Steve McQueen. This Ferrari, chassis 5201 GT, was the 162nd of only 350 Lussos built and sold new through US distributor Chinetti Motors in New York. The car eventually found its way to Southern Florida and has been parked in static storage since 1978. Today, the car is presented in silver over red leather interior, shows just over 30,000 miles on the odometer, and is complete with its original matching-numbers engine. This untouched rarity, whose whereabouts has been unknown to the Ferrari community until now, will make an exciting addition to the most accomplished Ferrari collections.

Additional Unrestored Offerings

  • 1965 Aston Martin DB5 - Estimate $750,000 - $900,000
    -    Rare factory left-hand drive example with optional air conditioning
    -    Beautifully preserved original interior
  • 1967 Ferrari 330 GTC - Estimate $600,000 - $700,000
    -    European delivery car with original upholstery 
    -    One owner for over four decades
  • 1961 Jaguar E-Type Series I 3.8-Litre Roadster - Estimate $100,000 - $125,000 Without Reserve
    -    Single-family ownership from new
    -    Desirable, early-production “flat-floor” model
  • 1965 Porsche 356 SC Cabriolet - Estimate $225,000 – $275,000 Without Reserve
    -    Two owners and less than 31,000 miles from new
    -    Exceptionally well-preserved example

The Pebble Beach Auctions
Dates
Friday, August 24 at 5:00 PM PDT and Saturday, August 25 at 11:00 AM PDT
Location
Equestrian Center, Corner of Stevenson Drive and Portola Road, Pebble Beach, CA
Public preview
Wednesday, August 22 through Saturday, August 25
Auction catalogues
$100, includes admission for two to the viewing and the auctions
General admission
$40, includes admission for one to the viewing and the auctions
Live auction broadcast
www.goodingco.com

Related Material 

.