{"id":371075,"date":"2016-02-29T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-02-29T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportscardigest.com\/?p=91948"},"modified":"2024-12-06T03:42:46","modified_gmt":"2024-12-06T03:42:46","slug":"rm-sothebys-amelia-island-2016-auction-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/rm-sothebys-amelia-island-2016-auction-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island (2016) – Auction Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"

The RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island 2016 auction will be held Saturday, March 12th on the grounds of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Amelia Island, Florida. RM’s 18th annual sale at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance will feature more than 90 automobiles.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the collector car community, March is synonymous with the Amelia Island Concours d\u2019Elegance weekend. We\u2019re proud to not only be the official auction house of the event, but also one of its longest running sponsors,\u201d said Gord Duff, Car Specialist, RM Sotheby\u2019s.\u201cLast year\u2019s event was certainly one for the books, launching our new partnership with Sotheby\u2019s in spectacular fashion. 12 months on, we\u2019ve assembled another fantastic group of automobiles with an emphasis on fresh-to-the-market, exquisitely restored examples \u2013 a great fit for the concours setting.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the headline entries at the 2016 RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island<\/a> sale goes to a 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Spezial Cabriolet A, chassis 408371. The earliest known post-war owner of this one-off was American operatic tenor James Melton. It is understood the Cabriolet A was regularly and extensively used by Melton, who recounted his adventures with his \u2018supercharged beast\u2019 in his 1954 autobiography, Bright Wheels Rolling<\/em>. Reflective of the car\u2019s importance in his life, even as Melton began selling his collection in the 1950s, the 540 K remained; one of the final cars in his stable, it was sold shortly before his passing in 1961.<\/p>\n

The next collector in this 540 K\u2019s history was Otis Chandler, who promptly commissioned a restoration, debuting the work to \u2018Best of Show\u2019 honors at the 1973 Pebble Beach Concours d\u2019Elegance. The featured Mercedes-Benz later passed through the hands of other owners, including Axel Wars and General William Lyon, prior to landing with the current vendor two decades ago. Outfitted in bright scarlet with tan leather upholstery and a tan cloth top, chassis 408371 is estimated to fetch $3,000,000 – $4,000,000.<\/p>\n

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1939 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Spezial Cabriolet A by Sindelfingen (photo: Darin Schnabel)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jonathan Sierakowski, Car Specialist, RM Sotheby\u2019s commented, \u201cThis car has all that a superb automobile should have: memorable lines, superb engineering and abundant power. Add in its exceptional ownership chain and its bevy of special one-off features, from the raked vee\u2019d windshield to the louvered front hood, special fitted luggage and the five-speed transmission, a feature only seen on the later examples, and it can be rightfully considered one of the most superlative and unique 540 Ks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fast-forward to the 1950s and RM\u2019s Amelia Island catalog for 2016 includes a 1954 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback Sports Saloon, chassis BC2LD. This example is completed in the configuration of factory LHD, 4.9-liter engine, center-shift transmission and the famous \u201cseats and spats\u201d. Completed on August 21, 1954, the featured R-Type was shipped from London to New York aboard the SS American Producer and promptly sold to its original owner, Mary Thurston Horn, a member of one of New York\u2019s oldest families. Just four private owners from new, it was acquired by its current owner in 2009 and promptly restored \u2013 the caliber of work honored with a \u2018Best in Class\u2019 at Amelia Island in 2010 (Est. $1,200,000 – $1,400,000).<\/p>\n

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1954 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback Sports Saloon by H.J. Mulliner (photo: Jeremy Cliff)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Other automobiles slated for the one-day auction include the 1911 Rolls-Royce 40\/50 HP Silver Ghost Tourer, chassis 1544, and the 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica LWB Coupe Aerodinamico, chassis 3949 SA.<\/p>\n

For Rolls-Royce enthusiasts, RM called the 1911 Rolls-Royce 40\/50 HP Silver Ghost Tourer one of the most significant \u201cparallel bonnet\u201d Silver Ghosts offered in recent memory. With open coachwork, chassis 1544 is one of approximately 20 surviving examples sporting their original body, engine and chassis. It enjoys a thoroughly documented provenance, restoration and show history, including accolades in both AACA National and Rolls-Royce Owners Club competition. It comes to Amelia Island following two decades in single ownership (Est. $2,500,000 – $3,500,000).<\/p>\n

The 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica LWB Coupe Aerodinamico leads a group of 13 Ferraris. A factory covered-headlamp example with numerous special-order features, chassis 3949 SA was the 1962 Turin Automobile Show Car and boasts a well-known, limited ownership. It was originally delivered new to American Erwin Goldschmidt, who specified many one-off characteristics, remaining in the family\u2019s care through 2003. Acquired by the vendor in 2012, it has been freshly restored and is estimated to bring $2,700,000 – $3,300,000.<\/p>\n

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\r\n 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica LWB Coupe Aerodinamico (photo: Patrick Ernzen)\r\n <\/div><\/figure>
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\r\n 1911 Rolls-Royce 40\/50 HP Silver Ghost Tourer by Lawton (photo: Darin Schnabel)\r\n <\/div><\/figure>\n

A 1957 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta ‘Tour de France’ will also cross the block in Amelia Island. Chassis 0619 GT competed in period, including 3rd overall at Reims and Monza, as well as two 4th-place finishes at Spa and Monza. Offered by its owner for the last 41 years, this original matching-numbers engine example had a multi-year restoration in the early 2000s followed by a decade of FCA Nationals, Tours and Concours.<\/p>\n

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1957 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta ‘Tour de France’ (photo: Darin Schnabel)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Additional notable offerings at RM’s 2016 Amelia Island<\/a> event include:<\/p>\n