Santa Monica, CA, May 29, 2008 – Gooding & Company, the official auction house for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, is pleased to announce early entries for its annual Pebble Beach auctions, to be held August 16 – 17, 2008. Among the significant cars that have been consigned to date are the legendary 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder, s/n 1489GT, the acclaimed 1934 Triumph Dolomite 8C 2400 Super-Charged Grand Sport, the rare 1938 ‘Sleeping Beauty’ Alfa Romeo 6C and the original 1914 Stutz Series E Bearcat. More than 130 elegant cars are expected to cross the block at Gooding […]
Santa Monica, CA, May 29, 2008 – Gooding & Company, the official auction house for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, is pleased to announce early entries for its annual Pebble Beach auctions, to be held August 16 – 17, 2008.
Among the significant cars that have been consigned to date are the legendary 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder, s/n 1489GT, the acclaimed 1934 Triumph Dolomite 8C 2400 Super-Charged Grand Sport, the rare 1938 ‘Sleeping Beauty’ Alfa Romeo 6C and the original 1914 Stutz Series E Bearcat. More than 130 elegant cars are expected to cross the block at Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach auctions this year.
“Continuing the momentum from last year’s Pebble Beach auctions, we are thrilled to have these four remarkable automobiles headlining our 2008 consignments,” said David Gooding, founder and president of Gooding & Company. “The caliber and rarity of these highly collectible cars sets the tone for what we anticipate will be record breaking auctions.”
One of this year’s star cars is the impressive, multi-million dollar 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder. An archetypal 1950s Ferrari, this award-winning vehicle was ordered new by H.R.H. Prince Vittorio Emanuele de Savoia, the last prince of Italy. A touted veteran of the show field, it won Best in Class at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 1991 and earned the Classic Platinum Award at the Cavallino Classic in 1999.
Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach highlights also include the 1934 Triumph Dolomite 8C 2400 Super-Charged Grand Sport, the best surviving example of only three ever produced. Celebrated as a three-time Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance class winner, the Triumph competed in the 2003 Rodeo Drive Concours d’Elegance and, after completing a 2,000-mile road tour, won both the First in Class and Most Elegant Roadster awards.
The Dolomite was the British version of one of the greatest sports car of its time: the 8C 2300 Alfa Romeo. Its 8C, 2400 Twin-Cam, supercharged engine makes it faster and more powerful than the 8C Alfa. This car has a truly imposing presence, embodying an intoxicating combination of beauty and speed. It was formerly a member of the distinguished collections of Tom Perkins and John Mozart.
After sitting untouched beneath dust and dirt for more than thirty years, the 1938 Alfa Romeo 6C-2300B Mille Miglia was recovered from a private collector’s chateau in 1995. Gooding & Company is proud to offer this stunning and important Alfa Romeo at auction for the first time ever. This particular 6C-2300B was hidden away in the late 1950s by reclusive Swiss wine connoisseur and author Michel Dovaz, who amassed his legendary car collection in a secluded French estate.
The entire collection, which included many of the most desirable Bugattis, Ferraris, Lancias, Cords and Alfa Romeos of the time, was concealed for over three decades until the cars were uncovered in the early 1990s. ‘Sleeping Beauty’ was comprehensively restored to its original splendor. In 2007, the automobile won a First in Class prize at Pebble Beach, where it defeated, among others, a Talbot-Lago Teardrop coupe and Bugatti Type 57SC. Today, it is ready to compete at the top concours level and participate in the world’s most prestigious touring events.
Another exceptional automobile in the auction is the 1914 Stutz Series E Bearcat, commonly known in collecting circles as “The Koveleski Stutz.” The Bearcat is revered as one of the first great sports cars, capable of an astonishing top speed of nearly 80 miles per hour. With less than half a dozen of the original Stutz Bearcats remaining, the Gooding & Company Pebble Beach auctions will present a unique opportunity to admire a car that is regarded by many as the finest and most original Bearcat in existence.
After being discovered in a barn in the late 1940’s, established collector A.J. “Tony” Koveleski purchased the Bearcat from its original owner, and promptly restored it. Koveleski first raced the car in 1954 in the premiere Anglo American Vintage Car Rally at Goodwood Racetrack, and it has been lovingly maintained in race-ready condition by three generations of the Koveleski family ever since. Over the years, the car has participated in numerous tours and rallies. The Bearcat proudly displays an irreplaceable patina and its style, rarity and historical significance, coupled with its performance abilities, will make it one of the most desirable cars in the sale.
Gooding & Company’s collection of Pebble Beach auction cars will be on display and open to the public on:
• Wednesday, August 13 from 10:00AM – 6:00PM
• Thursday, August 14 from 9:00AM – 6:00PM
• Friday, August 15 from 9:00AM – 5:00PM
• Saturday and Sunday, August 16 – 17 from 9:00AM – 5:30PM
The auctions will be held on Saturday, August 16, 2008 and Sunday, August 17, 2008, commencing at 6:00PM. Gooding & Company Pebble Beach Auction catalogs are available for $100 and admit two to the viewing and the auction. General admission to the viewing and the auction can be purchased at the tent for the price of $40 per person. Bidder registration forms, press credentials and additional auction information are available on www.goodingco.com. To consign your classic car to the Gooding & Company Pebble Beach Auction, please call (310) 899-1960.