The auction company RM Sotheby’s continued their October tradition by hosting a collector car auction at the Hershey Lodge in Hershey PA during the AACA Fall Eastern Nationals. RM (for Rob Myers, company founder), based in Canada, is one of the premier automotive auction houses, hosting events around the world; their appearance here is one of the few times they’re on the East Coast. Hershey Lodge is less than 2 miles from Hersheypark, where the AACA was holding its flea market/car corral/judged show (more about that in Parts 2 and 3). When Hersheypark decided to extend its open weekends into October, they forced the AACA to move its agenda back by a day (so the judged show, which for 50+ years had been on Saturday, is now held on Friday). RM similarly adjusted its two-day schedule to coincide, so their auction is now on Wednesday and Thursday.

RM Sotheby’s continues to attract consignments which are what I describe as pre-war and immediate post-war American classics, with a smattering of European cars. Despite pundits’ predictions that the ageing of the hobby would eliminate all interest in the classic cars of the 1910s – 1930s, that has not occurred: interest in well-restored examples of fine cars remains strong, even if prices have leveled off or dipped somewhat. By my casual observation, RM’s strength in filling their lots with high quality machinery at reasonable reserves results in a very strong sell-through rate. Of the dozen cars that I report on below, all sold. This is helped of course by the no reserve status of most of them, so high bid takes the car home. At the same time, RM’s published pre-sale estimates tell an interesting story: most of these cars sold below their estimates, at numbers which in some cases strike me as relative bargains.

My report covers only cars listed on the RM Sotheby’s website as “sold”. As I was not in attendance during the auction, sale prices are taken from their website; they include the 10% buyer’s premium which is backed out by me, so my numbers are “hammer” prices. Cars are listed in sold price order from low to high.

 

Lot 453, 1962 Volvo PV 544, grey paint, two-tone blue interior, dual outside mirrors. Appears well-restored on the outside, interior shows some wear. No reserve.

Pre-sale estimate: $12,000 – 16,000

Sold: $19,000; one of the few cars reported on here which sold above its high-end estimate. Seemed a bit pricey for an old Volvo.

Lot 456, 1957 BMW Isetta, two-tone light blue & white, off-white interior. Relatively rare European-spec version of the Isetta: no front bumper overriders, small headlights, large amber “repeater” lights, original style tail lights. No reserve.

 Pre-sale estimate: $30,000 – 40,000

Sold: $20,000; This is under other recent sales by $5,000-10,000, and the keen Isetta observer will enjoy its uniqueness compared to the much more common U.S. versions.

 

Lot 457, 1949 MG-TC, green, tan interior, tan top, silver-painted wire wheels. RHD as all TC’s are. This is the model vehicle credited with igniting the sports car craze in the U.S. when WW2 vets returning from the UK brought some of these back with them. No reserve.

Pre-sale estimate: $30,000 – 40,000

Sold: $25,000; a slight bargain compared to what some TC’s sell for on sites like Bring a Trailer, and possibly sold for less than what it cost to restore.  

 

Lot 196, 1959 Fiat 600 Multipla, two-tone red & white, red interior, very rare in the U.S. This was Fiat’s successful attempt at building a really (really) small 6-passenger vehicle. No reserve.

Pre-sale estimate: $30,000 – 40,000

Sold: $27,000; some recent examples have sold on Bring a Trailer for $50,000+, so buyer did well here.

Lot 213, 1953 Lincoln Capri convertible, red, grey/black/red interior, black top, wide whitewall tires. Lincoln styling was beginning to enter the modern age; note the futuristic dash design. No reserve.

 Pre-sale estimate: $30,000 – 40,000

Sold: $27,000; CPI has a #3 car at $35,000, so advantage to the buyer here.

Lot 452, 1962 Oldsmobile Starfire convertible, red, white top, two-tone red interior, buckets & console like all Starfires. Second year for the model. No reserve.

Pre-sale estimate: $35,000 – 45,000

Sold: $28,000; Only a grand more than the ’53 Lincoln, and with much more “modern” driveability compared to that car.

Lot 228, 1968 Olds 442 convertible, dark blue paint (looks almost black), light blue interior, white top, white stripes on front fenders, 4-speed stick shift, buckets, console, RWL tires. First year for this generation Cutlass body style. This car stood out for its less-than-stellar presentation. Paint looked slightly dull, some chrome pitted, interior looked unkempt, driver’s seat showing wear. No reserve.  

Pre-sale estimate: $35,000 – 45,000

Sold: $32,000; bidders ignored condition and bid based on model and equipment.

Lot 221, 1961 Olds Starfire convertible, triple red: red paint, red interior, red top. First year for Starfire, and all were convertibles. No reserve.

 Pre-sale estimate: $40,000 – 50,000

Sold: $33,000; five grand more than the ’62, and there are those who prefer this year’s styling.

Lot 216, 1959 DeSoto Adventurer Sportsman Coupe, black paint, black/white/gold interior, Chrysler’s Forward Look styling still holding up despite some additional fussiness; certainly compares well next to some GM offerings of that year. Getting near the end for DeSoto. No reserve.

Pre-sale estimate: $45,000 – 55,000

Sold: $45,000, right at low end of estimate. DeSotos of this decade continue to be strong sellers.  

 

Lot 419, 1937 Cord 812 Custom Beverly 4-door sedan, black paint, red interior, FWD & V8 engine like all Cord 810/812 models. According to RM’s website, the “Custom” models were built on a 7-inch-longer wheelbase for increased rear seat room. No reserve.

Pre-sale estimate: $50,000 – 60,000

Sold: $67,500, above high estimate, and deservedly so, for condition and rarity.

Lot 442, 1956 Imperial Southampton two-door hardtop, black paint, white/grey interior, chrome wire wheels, wide whitewalls, “gun sight” tail lights, optional record player mounted under dash. At this time, “Imperial” was its own make, separate from Chrysler. Offered with unrevealed reserve.

Pre-sale estimate: $75,000 – 90,000

Sold: $69,000, 6 grand below estimate; only 2,094 two-door hardtops built for ’56, this one was for the true Imperial enthusiast.   

Lot 237, 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, white paint, stainless steel roof, suicide rear doors, grey & white interior. The Eldorado sub-brand featured exclusive styling in 3 different body styles: the 2-door hardtop Seville, the 2-door convertible Biarritz, and the 4-door hardtop Brougham. This was one of America’s most expensive cars when new, costing over $13,000 when a ’57 DeVille 4-door hardtop could be had for $5,188. Offered with unrevealed reserve.

Pre-sale estimate: $90,000 – 120,000

Sold: $92,500, just clearing its low-end reserve. This distinguished car will always have value, and will always have a following.

 

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