Screen goddess Marlene Dietrich’s 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom will be in good company at Bonhams’ inaugural Scottsdale sale come January. The 1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow owned by pop culture icon Andy Warhol has just been added to the list of impressive automobiles that will be offered by the 217-year old auction house.
Warhol, perhaps the most famous artist of the 20th Century, whose paintings can command $100-million, purchased the Silver Shadow new and owned it until his untimely death, 13 years later, in 1987. Sold by the artist’s family approximately a year after his passing, the Rolls-Royce has only had two subsequent owners and comes with a copy of the original New York Certificate of Title bearing Warhol’s name.
Lately, Bonhams has received worldwide attention for the number and quality of Rolls-Royce motorcars the firm has been selected to represent. Just recently, Bonhams sold the 1911 Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Silver Ghost Ceremonial Victoria owed by the Maharaja of Mysore, an exceedingly rare 1908 Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Silver Ghost Roi-des-Belges, and the utterly unique 1920 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Gentleman’s Roadster made for the heir of the Proctor family fortune, not to mention numerous other Rolls-Royce cars.
“Discerning collectors trust us,” says Mark Osborne, U.S. Head of Motoring at Bonhams, “and that’s why we are privileged to represent cars of such provenance. We have substantial expertise with Rolls-Royce, including having sold the oldest known Rolls-Royce in the world, and this knowledge and experience bodes well for both buyers and sellers.”
The Scottsdale sale will take place at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in the heart of sunny Scottsdale (near Phoenix, Arizona) on January 19th. Consignments are now being invited for this anticipated auction and interested owners may call 415-391-4000 or e-mail one of the following Bonhams motoring specialists:
Mark Osborne, San Francisco: [email protected]
Rupert Banner, New York: [email protected]