With the AACA's Hershey meet come the RM Auction's Hershey sale. Looking past the mountain of Fords, RM has assembled an interesting group of cars - as they always do. Tailored to the crowd at Hershey, the sale has many unique early cars and these are always favorites of mine.
The following are a few of my picks for the sale. I just wish I had a suitcase full of money and more garage space.
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| 1911 Braiser (photo credit: RM Auctions) |
Lot 108 is the 1911 Brasier Runabout. The inline monobloc four-cylinder engine is rated at 11/15 hp (that's taxable horsepower). Yes, it's a smaller horsepower car, but a great make and very handsome. The car has a wonderful history of being purchased new by the family of the consigners from the Manhattan dealership of Flandreau & Company, importers of French automobiles. The car is estimated to bring between $30,000 and $50,000.
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| 1930 Cadillac Model 452 (photo credit: RM Auctions) |
Lot 109 is the 1930 Cadillac V-16 Roadster by Fleetwood. Body style 4302 is possibly the most striking of the all the bodies offered in 1930. The car was ordered originally by the Whittalls family through Fizhenry Cadillac of Worcester, MA. I grew up around the corner from Worcester and would love to have such a magnificent piece of local history stay in the area - we'll see. This car is expected to sell for $450,000 to $650,000.
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| 1902 Covert (photo credit: RM Auctions) |
Lot 142 is the 1902 Covert Runabout. Ok, this is not the most practical motorcar as it's tiller steering and has a single-cylinder engine rated at 3 hp. However, it's history of Miss Woodard (a librarian) purchasing the car new in 1901 at the Lockport, NY factory is wonderful. She drove the car for a decade and it's largely as it was was she owned it. The Covert is expected to sell for $30,000 to $50,000 (I think it might do more).
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| 1922 Duesenberg Model A Coupe (photo credit: RM Auctions) |
Lot 156 is the 1922 Duesenberg Model A Fleetwood Coupe. One of only about 60 Model A Duesenbergs to survive, this is the only known Fleetwood bodied "Doctor's Coupe". In fact, it was originally purchased by Pennsylvania physician Doctor C.E. Beals. The car is expected to bring between $220,000 and $260,000.
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| 1905 Fiat Quinby bodied touring car (photo credit: RM Auctions) |
Lot 257 is the 1905 Fiat Quinby Touring car - the star of the sale. Bonhams Simeone sale just featured a Springfield Rolls-Royce owned by the Anheuser Busch family and here's another. This car, chassis 3003, is the third of twenty 60 horsepower chassis built in 1905. August Anheuser Busch Sr., of the legendary brewing company, purchased the car from Hollander and Tangeman - the American importer for Fiat located in Manhattan. The car was bodied here in America by Quinby & Company and the family kept the car until 1934 when it was purchased by legendary collector James Melton. The car is expected to bring between $800,000 and $1,200,000 (I'm confident will do over a million) - fantastic!
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